Mark 3:18
Ver. 18. And Andrew,.... The brother of Peter;
and Philip, who was of Bethsaida;
and Bartholomew, whom Dr. Lightfoot thinks is the same with Nathaniel: the name may be the same with Nwymlt rb, "Bar Talmion", with the Jews {y}; See Gill on "Mt 10:3". See Gill on "Joh 1:41". and Matthew, the publican, who was called Levi;and Thomas, who was called Didymus, from his being a twin;and James, the son of Alphaeus, to distinguish him from the other James, the son of Zebedee, and who is sometimes called "the less";and Thaddaeus, whose name was also Lebbaeus, and likewise Jude, the author of the Epistle that bears that name;and Simon the Canaanite, or Zelotes; of these men, and their several names, See Gill on "Mt 10:2".See Gill on "Mt 10:3".See Gill on "Mt 10:4".{y} Vajikra Rabba, sect. 6. fol. 151. 1. Mark 3:19Ver. 19. And Judas Iscariot,.... So called to distinguish him from the other Judas; and is mentioned last for the following reason:which also betrayed him; and which action of his will ever render his name infamous among men. This man, with the rest, our Lord chose to be an apostle of his, though he knew he would betray him; in order to fulfil the purposes of God, the prophecies of the Old Testament, and bring on the work of man's redemption he came into the world to perform.And they went into an house at Capernaum; the house of Simon and Andrew, where Jesus used to be when there: they went home with him from the mountain; and from that time became his domestics, and were looked upon by him as his family, and were admitted to the greatest nearness and intimacy with him. Mark 3:20Ver. 20. And the multitude coming together again,.... Either the multitude that were about the door of this house; insomuch that there was no room about, nor any coming near it, Mr 2:2, or the multitude that came from different parts, and had thronged about him at the sea side, before he went up into the mountain: these understanding that he was come down from thence, and was returned to Capernaum, and was at Simon's house, flocked thither, in great numbers, to see his person, hear his doctrines, and observe his miracles;so that they could not so much as eat bread; the press was so great, and their importunities so urgent, either to hear him preach, or have their sick healed, that Christ, and his disciples, had neither room nor opportunity to eat some food for the refreshment of nature; though it was very necessary, and high time they had, especially Christ, who had been up all night, which he had spent in prayer; and had been very busy that morning in calling and appointing his apostles, and instructing them what they should do. Mark 3:21Ver. 21. When his friends heard of it,.... Not his spiritual friends, his disciples and followers, that believed in him; but his kinsmen, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render the words, who were so according to the flesh; when they heard where he was, and what a crowd was about him, so that he could not so much as take the necessaries of life for his refreshment and support,they went out to lay hold on him: either out of their houses at Capernaum, or they went forth from Nazareth, where they dwelt, to Capernaum, to take him from this house, where he was thronged and pressed, along with them; where he might have some refreshment without being incommoded, and take some rest, which seemed very necessary: so that this was done in kindness to him, and does not design any violent action upon him, in order to take him home with them, and to confine him as a madman; though the following words seem to incline to such a sense;for they said, he is beside himself: some render it, "he is gone out": that is, out of doors, to preach again to the people, which they might fear would be greatly detrimental to his health, since, he had had no sleep the night before; had been much fatigued all that morning, and for the throng of the people could take no food; so that for this reason they came to take him with them, to their own habitations, to prevent the ill consequences of such constant exercise without refreshment. Moreover, though this may not be the sense of the word, yet it is not to be understood of downright madness and distraction, but of some perturbation of mind, which they imagined, or heard, he was under; and answers to a phrase frequently used by the Jews, that such an one, wted hprjn, "his knowledge is snatched away", or his mind is disturbed; which was sometimes occasioned by disorder of body: so it is said {z},"a deaf woman, or one that is foolish, or blind, htedhprjnvw, or "whose mind is disturbed"; and if there are any wise women, they prepare themselves, and eat of the oblation.''On that phrase, "whose mind is disturbed", the note of Maimonides is,"it means a sick person, whose understanding is disturbed through the force of the disease:''and was sometimes the case of a person when near death {a}: and it was usual to give a person that was condemned to die, and going to be executed, a grain of frankincense in a cup of wine, wted Prjtvydk, "that so his knowledge may be snatched away", or his mind disturbed {b}, and: be intoxicated; that so he might not be sensible of his pain, or feel his misery; in all which cases, there was nothing of proper madness: and so the kinsmen and friends of Christ, having heard of the situation that he was in, said one to another, he is in a transport and excess of mind; his zeal carries him beyond due bounds; he has certainly forgotten himself; his understanding is disturbed; he is unmindful of himself; takes no care of his health; he will certainly greatly impair it, if he goes on at this rate, praying all night, and preaching all day, without taking any rest or food: wherefore they came out, in order to dissuade him from such excessive labours, and engage him to go with them, where he might have rest and refreshment, and be composed, and retire.{z} Misn. Nidda, c. 9. sect. 1. {a} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 63. 1. {b} Ib. fol. 43. 1. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 10, fol. 198. 4. Mark 3:22Ver. 22. And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem,.... Or, "but the Scribes", &c. who had an aversion to Christ, and a different opinion of him: these were they, who having heard much of the doctrine and miracles of Christ, came down from Jerusalem, which lay in the upper, and higher part of the land of Israel, into Galilee, a low country, to make their observations upon him; and take every advantage they could against him, being men, in their way, letter learned, and artful, and cunning: thesesaid, he hath Beelzebub: or, as the Syriac and Persic versions render it, "Beelzebub is in him": sometimes they call him Beelzebub; sometimes say that he cast out devils by him; and here, that he had him, or was in him; Beelzebub possessed him, and assisted him, and there was a confederacy and familiarity between them:and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils; for so they reckoned Beelzebub to be; See Gill on "Mt 10:25",See Gill on "Mt 12:24". Mark 3:23Ver. 23. And he called them unto him,.... The Jerusalem Scribes, to come nearer to him, and attend to what he had to say in defence of his character and miracles:and said unto them in parables: similitudes, and proverbial expressions, as the following seem to be,how can Satan cast out Satan? or one devil cast out another? how unreasonable is it to suppose it? can it ever be thought that such, whose interest it is to unite, would ever oppose and dispossess one another? if therefore, as if he should say, I am Beelzebub, or have him, and he is in me, and I am in confederacy with him; was this the case, can any think I should ever cast him out of others, as I do? Mark 3:24Ver. 24. And if a kingdom be divided against itself,.... Any of the kingdoms of this world, and the kingdom of "Satan":that kingdom cannot stand: not long; its internal broils and divisions will, soon bring it to desolation; See Gill on "Mt 12:25". Mark 3:25Ver. 25. And if a house be divided against itself,.... Any family, small or great,that house cannot stand; its contentions and discords will soon bring it down from a comfortable and flourishing situation, to a very distressed one; See Gill on "Mt 12:25". Mark 3:26Ver. 26. And if Satan rise up against himself,.... As he must do in such a case as this, if devils are cast out by Beelzebub, the prince of devils:and be divided; one devil against another, as the above calumny supposes;he cannot stand, but hath an end: his kingdom cannot stand long, but must soon come to an end; his power and authority will soon be destroyed, both over his own species, and among men;See Gill on "Mt 12:26". Mark 3:27Ver. 27. No man can enter into a strong man's house,.... This is properly a parable; the other seem to be proverbs, or sayings, that were commonly used to show the ill consequences of discords, factions, and divisions, as is explained in the note onSee Gill on "Mt 12:29". Mark 3:28Ver. 28. Verily I say unto you,.... The Scribes and Pharisees, who had not only blasphemed him, but the Spirit of God also:all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme; God; or the Son of God, angels, and men, and that through the blood of Christ, and when brought to a sense of the evil of them; for though pardon is procured before, it is not applied till then; See Gill on "Mt 12:31". Mark 3:29Ver. 29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost,.... Against his person, and the works performed by him, by ascribing them to diabolical power and influence, as the Scribes did,hath never forgiveness: there is no pardon provided in the covenant of grace, nor obtained by the blood of Christ for such persons, or ever applied to them by the Spirit;but is in danger of eternal damnation. The Vulgate Latin reads it, and so it is read in an ancient copy of Beza's, guilty of an eternal sin; a sin which can never be blotted out, and will never be forgiven, but will be punished with everlasting destruction;See Gill on "Mt 12:32". Mark 3:30Ver. 30. Because they, said, he hath an, unclean spirit. They charged Christ with having a devil, and his miracles with being wrought by the help of the devil; when, at the same time, they knew in their own consciences they were works which were wrought by the finger and Spirit of God, and so were guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost; the unpardonable sin, for which there is no remission: and this is mentioned as a reason why our Lord said what he did concerning that sin; because they had been guilty of it, and so were liable to everlasting punishment on account of it. Mark 3:31Ver. 31. There came then his brethren and his mother,.... At the same time he was speaking to the Scribes, who seem to be different persons from his friends and kinsmen, Mr 3:21,and standing without; for Christ was within, in the house, talking with the Scribes and Pharisees, and preaching to the people; and the crowd being so great, that they could not get into the house; theysent unto him, calling him: they not only sent one in to let him know who they were, and that they were without doors, desirous to speak with him; but also, with a voice as loud as they could, called to him themselves; See Gill on "Mt 12:46". Mark 3:32Ver. 32. And the multitude sat about him,.... In a circle, all around him, to hear him preach; so that there was no such thing as the messenger coming near him; but the message being whispered from one to another, it came to those who sat nearest him:and they said unto him, behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee: in five of Beza's ancient copies, and in his most ancient one, are added, and thy sisters: agreeably, Christ hereafter makes mention of sister, as well as mother and brother;See Gill on "Mt 12:47", and so it is read in the Alexandrian copy. Mark 3:33Ver. 33. And he answered them,.... The multitude that sat about him, and informed him of his mother and brethren being without, and desirous of speaking with him:saying, who is my mother, or my brethren? which is said not through ignorance or contempt, but either, as displeased with the interruption given him; or with a view to take an opportunity from hence of expressing his superior value to his spiritual relations; which looks with no favourable aspect on the superstitious notions, and veneration of the virgin Mary among the papists;See Gill on "Mt 12:48". Mark 3:34Ver. 34. And he looked round about on them which sat about him,.... To find out his disciples among them, and point them out particularly, by stretching forth his hand towards them: and said,behold my mother and my brethren: not in a natural, but in a spiritual sense; his mother, because, in regeneration, he was formed in them; his brethren, because, by adoption, his God was their God, his Father their Father; See Gill on "Mt 12:49". Mark 3:35Ver. 35. For whosoever shall do the will of God,.... By believing in Christ, receiving him as a Saviour and Redeemer, and submitting to him in all his ordinances, as King of saints:the same is my brother, and my sister, and my mother: such are openly, and manifestly related to Christ in a spiritual sense; and are as dear to him, and more so, than such persons are who stand in such a relation to others, or did to him according to the flesh. And this shows not only the near relation, and strong affection which Christ has for his people, but that he is not ashamed of them; and it may be concluded, that he will resent, in the keenest manner, every injury that is done them; See Gill on "Mt 12:50".
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.