Ver. 6.—And he saith unto them, Be not amazed—p}) éxdauBeicbe, the same word— ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, which hath been crucified; heis risen; he isnot here: behold, the place where they laid him ; thatis, behuld, here ts the place where they laid him (Ge, 6 tém0s). St. Matthew (xxviii. 6) says, ‘“‘ Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Acire, Were Tv réwov). This seems to imply that the women actually entered the inner ehamber, and saw the very place where the Lord lay. Who does not see here how irre- fragable is the evidence of his resurrection ?
Ver. 7.—But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He goeth betore you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. St. Gregory (‘Hom. in Evan.’) says, “If the angel had not named Peter, he would not have dared to come amongst the disciples. Therefore he is specially name, lest he should despair on account of his denial.” It was evidently intended as a special message of comfort to Peter. St. Luke (xxiv. 34) records the personal appearance of our Lord first to Peter. Here St. Mark, with characteristic modesty, keeps Peter in the background. In ch. xiv. 23 our Lord is recorded to have said, “ After Iam raised ap, I will go belore you into Galilve.” He would go before them as their Shepherd, and lead them to that part of the !loly Land which, as he had honoured it before his resurrection, 80 he would honour it again now.
Ver. 8.—And they went out—the word (taxh) “quickly ” is omitted—and fled from
the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them (rpduos Kal Exoracis\— agitation and ecstasy; they were in a state of the utmost excitement. And they said nothing to any one; for they were afraid. The vision of angels had terrified them. They were probably afraid to say anything to any one, on account of the Jews, lest it should be said that they had stolen the body of Jesus. It has been well remarked that independent accounts of events occurring in a time of supreme excitement, and related by trustworthy witnesses, but from different points of view, naturally present difficulties which cannot be cleared up without a full knowledge of all the particulars. (See ‘Speaker’s Commentary’ in Matt. xxviii. 9.5
Ver. 9.—Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven devils. St. Luke (viii. 2) mentions that “seven devils had gone out of her;” and St. Mark repeats it here, to show the power of love and penitence, that she was the first to be permitted to see the risen Saviour. ‘The vision of the angel had scared her, and she said nothing; but the actual sight of her risen Lord gave her confidence, and she went immediately, in obedience to his command, and told the disciples (see John xx. 11—18). She had lingered about his tomb; her strong affection riveted her to the spot.
Ver. 10.—She went and told éxelyyn wopeu- Ocioa dariyyetAc) them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. The aorist here indicates immediate action. This word mopeveoOa: occurs again in vers. 12 and 15, but nowhere else in St. Mark’s Gospel. It is to be noticed, however, that it occurs twice in the First Epistle of St. Peter, and once in his Second EH,istle. This seems to con- nect St. Peter with the writer of these verses.
Ver. 11.—And they, when they heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, disbelieved (jmicrnoay). They refused to believe on the bare statement of Mary Magdalene, although M, Renan says, “Sa grande affirmation de femme, ‘II est res- suscité!’ a été la base de la foi de Vhumanité.” ‘They did not believe her until the risen Lord stood before them. (See ‘Speakex’s Commentary’ (St. Mark), p. 297.)
Ver. 12.—And after theso things he was manifested in another form unto two of them, as they walked (mopcvomévois) on their way into the country, This appearance is doubt- less the same as that which is related fully by St. Luke (xxiv. 13).
Ver. 13.—And they went away and told it unto the rest: neither believed they them. This want of faith happened by the per-
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mission and providence of God. “This their unbelief,” says St. Gregory, ‘‘ was not so much their infirmity as owr future con- stancy on the faith.”
Ver. 14.—And afterward (#orepoy 52) he was manifested (épavepé67) unto the eleven themselves (avrots Tots évdexa) as they sat at meat. There is an emphasis here on the word “themselves.” The former appear- ances had been to persons not having any official character. But now he appears to the eleven apostles, when they were all gathered together at the close of that memorable day. “ Unto the eleven.” If, as seems evident, this appearauce refers to the day of our Lord’s resurrection, there would be only ten present; for Thomas was not then with them. Still, they might be called the eleven, because the apostolic college was reduced to eleven after the betrayal by Judas; so that they might still be called the eleven, although Thomas was absent. St. Bernard says on this, “If Christ comes and is present when we sit at meat, how much more when we kneel in prayer!” He upbraided them (aveldice). This is a strong word of rebuke. They ought to have received the testimony of competent wit- nesses. But their doubts were only removed by the evidence of their senses; just as afterwards in the case of Thomas. St. Mark is always careful to record the rebukes administered by our Lord to his apostles.
Vers. 15, 16.—And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation (rasy tH xrloe:), He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. Here is a considerable interval of time, not noticed in any way by the evangelist. And he saith unto them; not on the day of his resurrection. It would seem that this charge was delivered to them in Galilee, and that it is the same as that recorded in St. Matthew (xxviii. 19), which was again repeated immediately before his ascension from Bethany. Go ye intoall the world ; not into Judea only, but everywhere. This command has expanded with the discovery in later times of new portions of the in- habited earth; and must ever be coex- tensive with geographic discovery. Preach the gospel to the whole creation; that is, “among all nations.” Man is the noblest work of God, All the creation is gathered up in him, creatcd after the image of the Creator. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. ‘lhese words are very im- portant. The first clause opposes the notion that faith alone is sufficient for sal- vation, without those works which are the fruit of faith. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; that is, he that