such in heart. — l^ Me) Who " am lowly in heart." — ovx fat, not Me) That is, his act of reception does not terminate with this. [PFAa£ a difference there is between a little child and the Supreme GOD ! Yet they are joined together through Christ. — V. g.]
38. ' A.Ktxpidfy answered) The connection of the words of John with the preceding words of Jesus is manifold. The power of the name of Christ is asserted in the words of both, ver. 37, 38, 41 . The disciples had previously discussed with one another, which among them should be the greater : now they are made to per ceive, by the teaching of our Lord's words, that they are not even to despise others. If Christ, and faith in Him, has place in little children [of whom not even the one, of whom mention is made in ver. 36, was following Jesus. — V. g.], it might also have place in that person, whom they had forbidden. Hence there is manifested the moderation of John and his candour : he seems to have carried this doubt for some time in his breast, until he could, at a suitable opportunity, bring it forward. — j^jJiv — ^aft, us) The apostles, in subordination to Thee.
39. MJ? xw?vi/£7-s, forbid him not) Let them give heed to these words, who tie down spiritual gifts to a canonical succession. Forbid not, if there should meet you again either that same person, or another like him. — *"«;/;), hastily) For the soul is secured against doing so by the sense of [His] miraculous power. [After the lapse of some interval of time, it may be possible to happen. — V. g.]
40. 'T>£K — vpuv, you — on your part) Comp. ver. foil., Matt. xii. 27. Jesus spake in the first person plural as to external things ; Luke xxii. 8 ; xviii. 31 : but not so as to the internal principles of His kingdom [John xx. 17]. He thus gently corrects the tee — us of ver. 38. ! — lanv, is) He is speaking of those who under take something for Christ's sake.
41. "o$, who) Jesus, after that He has satisfied the reverently- proposed difficulty felt on the part of John, returns to the former subject. — yap, for) All things are accepted, whereby help is ministered to you, even the smallest things.
[Ver. 42. xal, and) After the reply has been given to John,
1 Laclim. agrees with Bong, in reading -j^Ziv — vpuv here, ver. 40, with ADGaic Vulg. But Tisch. ij/u.uv — ypuv with BC^. Memph. — ED. and TBARSL.
ST MARK IX. 4:? 40. f>41
the former discourse is continued. So ver. 42 coheres with ver. 37. — V. g.] — vsplxtirai, is hanged about) The present of the in dicative has here an emphasis.
43, 45, 47. EiffiXdsTv, to enter) Thrice put ; to which there stands in antithesis, once, aviXdifv, to go away into hell, ver. 43 ; and twice, /3x?j^va/, to be cast, ver. 45, 47. — sis TO <x\jp rb ae/3tsrov, the fire that cannot be quenched) So ver. 45 ; and with a little variation, ver. 47.
44, 4G, 48. 'Ovov, where) A most weighty repetition. The allusion is to the carcases, which are the food either of worms, or of the funeral pile. The, icorm expresses corruption ; but this corruption is eternal, 2 Thess i. 9. — ff-/.u\yZ, the worm) Of the soul. — avTuv, their) It is not expressed in Mark to what this word is to be referred. Therefore it is a quotation from Isaiah.1 — GJ 7-£>.£ura, diethnot) The present. — <rvp, the fire) of the body. Here we are to supply U-JTUV, their. — 06 aptvwrai, is not quenched) Ei ther because it surely [certo] blazes [is kindled] ; comp. 2 Kings xxii. 17 : or because it blazes [burns] without rest day and night, Rev. xiv. 11, xx. 10, and for ever; see the same passage. An alternation of torments, with respect to the degrees of torment, may be inferred from Isa. Ixvi. 23, 24 : but yet the torments shall be unceasing.2