k 2 Cor. ν.παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐξῆλθον κρατῆσαι αὐτόν: ἔλεγον γάρ, “΄Ὅτι * ἐξέστη.” 22. Καὶ of γραμματεῖς οἱ ἀπὸ “Ἱεροσολύμων καταβάντες ἔλεγον, Ὅτι Βεελζεβοὺλ ἔχει, καὶ
- ~ “"On ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιµονίων
messengers who brought them news of what was going on (Bengel), or it might refer quite impersonally toa report that had gone abroad (‘rumor exierat,”’ Grotius), or it might even refer to the Pharisees. But the reference is almost certainly to the friends. Observe the parallelism between ot wap’ αὐτοῦ, ἔλεγον γὰρ, ὅτι ἐξέστη and of γραμματεῖς, οἱ... ἔλεγον, ὅτι Βεελ. ἔχει in νετ. 22 (Fritzsche points this out in a long and thorough dis- cussion of the whole passage).—eféorn : various ways of evading the idea suggested by this word have been re- sorted to. It has been referred to the crowd = the crowd is mad, and won't let Him alone. Viewed as referring to Jesus it has been taken = He is ex- hausted, or He has left the place = they came to detain Him, for they heard that He was going or had gone. Both these are suggested by Euthy. Zig. Doubtless the reference is to Jesus, and the mean- ing that in the opinion of His friends He was in a state of excitement border- ing on insanity (cf. ii. 12, v. 42, vi. 51). δαίµονα ἔχει (Theophy.) is too strong, though the Jews apparently identified insanity with possession, Festus said of St. Paul: ‘‘ Much learning doth make thee mad”. The friends of Jesus thought that much benevolence had put Him into a state of enthusiasm dangerous to the health both of body and mind. Note: Christ’s healing ministry created a need for theories about it. Herod had his theory (Mt. xiv.), the friends of Jesus had theirs, and the Pharisees theirs: John redivivus, disordered mind, Satanic possession. That which called forth so many theories must have been a great
identifying the parties here spoken of fact.
with those referred to in ver. 31: Or, more generally, persons well disposed towards Jesus, an outer circle of disciples (Schanz and Keil),—éaxov- σαντες: not to be restricted to what is mentioned in ver. 20; refers to the whole Galilean ministry with its cures and crowds, and constant strain. There- fore the friends might have come from a distance, Nazareth, e¢.g., starting before Jesus descended from the hill. That their arrival happened just then was a coincidence.—éXeyov yap: for they were saying, might refer to others than those who eame to iay hold of Jesus—to
Vv. 22-30. Pharisaic theory as to the cures of demoniacs wrought by Fesus (Mt. xii. 22-37, Lk. xi. 17-23).—Ver. 22. ot γραμ. οἱ ἀπὸ ‘I., the scribes from Ferusalem. The local Pharisees who had taken the Herodians into their mur- derous counsels had probably also com- municated with the Jerusalem authorities, using all possible means to compass their end. The representatives of the southern scribes had probably arrived on the scene about the same time as the friends of Jesus, although it is not in- conceivable that Mk. introduces the narrative, regarding them here because
22—28,
ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια.”