8. ἐγὼ μὲν] ἐβάπτισα ὑμᾶς év?b here. Lk.
8 iii. 16. Ο. Και John AEC oF
(Acts xxii. 25 of . thongs 1Ο. καὶ το bind prisoners),
> , x QuTOv’ 11. και
φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ''Σὺ ef ὁ vids µου 6 ἀγαπητός, ἐν
ᾧ ὃ εὐδόκησα.” έρηµον.
13. καὶ ἦν exer? ἐν τῇ ἐρήμω ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα,ὸ
12. Kat εὐθὺς τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτὸν ' ἐκβάλλει εἰς τὴν cof. in Mt.
1x. 38. John x. 4.
΄ ς 3 a a ας Λ ~ ή Ν ς πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, καὶ ἦν μετὰ τῶν θηρίων - καὶ οἱ
ἄγγελοι διηκόνουν αὐτῷ.
1 NBL 33, 69 verss. omit µεν, doubtless a gram. cor. to answer to δε. 3 The first ev not in ὃν ΒΔ cursives, the second not in BL (Tisch. omits first, W.H.
both), * Ὦ omits και (W.H., in margin).
5 The best texts have ευθυς uniformly in Mk.
7 ets αυτον in BD 13, 60.
* es τον |. υπο lw. in NBDL 33, 69 al. 5 ws in SABDLA. § σον in SBBLAX (Tisch., W.H.).
® SABDL 33 omit εκει, meant originally perhaps as a substitute for ev τη ερηµω
following. 10 τεσσ. ημερας in KIBL 33.
not even appear whether John had any suspicion that the visitor from Nazareth was 6 ἰσχυρότερος, of whom he had spoken. The manner in which the bap- tism of Jesus is reported is the first in- stance of the realism of this Gospel, facts about Jesus stated in a naked manner as compared, e.g., with Lk., who is influenced by religious decorum. —Ver. 10. ev@ds, straightway, a favourite. word of Mk.’s, to be taken with cide = as soon as He had ascended, etc., He saw. For similar usage in reference to εἶτα vide Hermann, Viger, P- 772.--σχιζοµένους, being rent asunder, a sudden event; a stronger word than that used in Mt. and Lk. (ἀνεῴχθησαν --Ώναι).. The subject of εἶδε is Jesus.— εἰς αὐτόν: this reading suggests the idea of a descent not merely upon (ἐπὶ) but into Him, as if to take up its abode; henceforth the immanent spirit of Jesus.
Vv. 12,13. The temptation (Mt. iv. 1-11; Lk. iv. 1-13).—Ver. 12. ἐκβάλλει: historic present, much used in Mk. with lively effect ; introduces a new situation. The first thing the Spirit does (εὐθὺς) is to dvive Jesus into the wilderness, the expression not implying reluctance of Jesus to go into so wild a place (Weiss), but intense preoccupation of mind. Allowing for the weakening of the sense
in Hellenistic usage (H. C.), it is a very strong word, and a second instance of Mk.’s realism: Jesus thrust out into the inhospitable desert by force of thought. De Wette says that the ethical signifi- cance of the temptation is lost in Mk.’s meagre narrative, and that it becomes a mere marvellous adventure. I demur to this. The one word ἐκβάλλει tells the whole story, speaks as far as may be the unspeakable. Mt. and Lk. have tried to tell us what happened, but have they given us more than a dim shadow of the truth ?—Ver. 13. πειραζόμενος, being tempted, presumably the whole time; doubtless the real truth. Two powers at work all through, the Spirit of God and the spirit of εν]].---ἦν μετὰ τ. θηρ.: not merely pictorial or intended to hint danger; meant rather to indicate the un- inhabited nature of the place ; no supplies obtainable there, hunger therefore a part of the experience.—oi ἄγγελοι: angels as opposed, not to devils (Schanz), but to human beings, of whom there were ΠΟΠΕ.---διηκόνουν, ministered ; in what way not said, but implying exhaustion. These few touches of Mk. suggest a vivid picture of a spiritual crisis: intense preoccupation, instinctive retreat into congenial grim solitudes, temptation, struggle, fierce and protracted, issuing
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