Cornelius a Lapide
Mark I
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
First, the preaching of John the Baptist and the austerity of his life are described. Second, at verse 9, the baptism, fast, and temptations of Christ. Third, at verse 14, Christ's preaching and the calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Fourth, at verse 23, the healing of a demoniac; and, at verse 30, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, sick with a fever, and of many others. Fifth, at verse 40, the cleansing of a leper.
Vulgate Text: Mark 1:1-45
1. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 2. as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I send My angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee. 3. A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. 4. John was in the wilderness baptizing, and preaching the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins. 5. And all the country of Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leather belt around his loins, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying: 7. There cometh after me One mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8. I have baptized you with water, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. 9. And it came to pass in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee; and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10. And straightway, coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending and remaining upon Him. 11. And there came a voice from heaven: Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased. 12. And immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13. And He was in the wilderness forty days and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered unto Him. 14. Now after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, 15. and saying: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the Gospel. 16. And as He passed along by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea (for they were fishermen), 17. and Jesus said to them: Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18. And straightway, leaving their nets, they followed Him. 19. And going on a little further, He saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets; and immediately He called them. 20. And leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they followed Him. 21. And they entered into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath days, going into the synagogue, He taught them. 22. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes. 23. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24. saying: What have we to do with Thee, Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know who Thou art, the Holy One of God. 25. And Jesus rebuked him, saying: Hold thy peace, and come out of the man. 26. And the unclean spirit, tearing him, and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying: What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. 28. And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region of Galilee. 29. And straightway, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever; and at once they told Him about her. 31. And coming to her, He raised her up, taking her by the hand; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 32. And when evening was come, when the sun was set, they brought unto Him all who were sick and those who were possessed with devils; 33. and the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34. And He healed many that were sick with divers diseases, and cast out many devils, and did not allow the devils to speak, because they knew Him. 35. And rising up very early, He went out and departed into a solitary place, and there He prayed. 36. And Simon and those who were with Him followed after Him. 37. And when they had found Him, they said to Him: Everyone is looking for Thee. 38. And He said to them: Let us go into the neighboring towns and cities, that I may preach there also; for that is why I have come. 39. And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out devils. 40. And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him; and kneeling down, said to Him: If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. 41. And Jesus, having compassion on him, stretched forth His hand; and touching him, said to him: I will, be thou made clean. 42. And when He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean. 43. And He strictly charged him, and immediately sent him away; 44. and said to him: See thou tell no man anything; but go, show thyself to the high priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 45. But he, going out, began to preach, and to spread the word abroad, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter into the city, but was outside in desert places, and they came to Him from every quarter.
Verse 1: The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
1. THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, AS IT IS WRITTEN IN ISAIAH, etc. — Many place a full stop before "sicut," holding that the phrase "the beginning of the Gospel," etc., is the title of the book. But it is plain that these words are not a title, but the opening and preface of the book, both from the word "beginning" itself and because these words depend upon the "as it is written," etc.; hence a comma, not a full stop, must be placed before "sicut." Therefore the word "Gospel" does not here signify the writing of the Gospel which Mark composed (as when we say "the Gospel of Mark"); rather, it signifies the Evangelical preaching "of Jesus Christ," as follows. The sense, then, is as if He said: the Evangelical preaching of Christ had such a beginning as Isaiah and Malachi foretold, namely, the preaching of John the Baptist and his testimony concerning Christ; for John began to preach the kingdom of heaven, which was to be unlocked by Christ's preaching and death. Hence he led his own to repentance, so that through it they might become capable of Christ's grace and of the kingdom of heaven, saying: "Do penance; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Therefore his preaching was "the beginning of the Gospel," that is, of the Evangelical preaching which John began and which Christ was to complete. For Moses and the old law preached and promised the land of promise, flowing with milk and honey, if the Jews obeyed God's commandments: but Christ and the Evangelical law preach and promise the kingdom of heaven, if men repent of their sins and keep Christ's commandments. Therefore the preaching of repentance which John made was the preparation and beginning of the Evangelical preaching which Christ made, as He announced the good news of the kingdom of heaven.
Note: Matthew and John begin their Gospel with Christ Himself; but John with Christ's divine generation, Matthew with His human generation. Mark and Luke, however, begin from John the Baptist, but Luke from John's birth, and Mark from John's preaching.
Verse 2: As It Is Written in Isaiah the Prophet
2. AS IT IS WRITTEN IN ISAIAH THE PROPHET: BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE THY FACE, WHO SHALL PREPARE THY WAY BEFORE THEE. 3. THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. — The first quotation, at verse 2, is from Malachi 3:1; the second is from Isaiah 40:3. Hence the Greek at verse 2 reads: As it is written in the Prophets, that is, in Malachi and Isaiah; but the Latin Vulgate, together with some Greek copies, and the Syriac and Arabic versions, read: As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, and St. Jerome, in his book On the Best Kind of Translating of Scripture, shows that the Greeks used formerly to read it thus.
You will ask, why does Mark cite only Isaiah, and not Malachi? I answer: Because Isaiah is the more important here; for John's voice crying in the wilderness, "Do penance," was "the beginning of the Gospel," that is, of Christ's Evangelical preaching; but because Malachi indicates that this voice of John was sent, not from man, but from God, Mark therefore placed the words of Malachi first, so that by them he might stir up the reader's attention to revere and receive the voice of John foretold by Isaiah. Add that Malachi says in substance the same thing as Isaiah; for the messenger sent by God to prepare the way for Christ was none other than John, who by his own voice cried out and preached repentance, that he might prepare men's hearts for Christ's preaching and grace. This is therefore as it were one oracle of two Prophets, uttered in one and the same sense concerning one and the same John, though in different words which mutually confirm and explain each other. In Isaiah's oracle, then, Malachi's oracle is in fact contained; for what Malachi foretold, Isaiah foretold more clearly and more forcefully in other words. This, then, is the reason why Mark here and the other Evangelists and Apostles, when they cite two Prophets, or two or more sayings from the same book or from different books of the Old Testament, cite them as a single testimony — as is evident from 1 Peter 2:7, compared with Psalm 117:22 and Isaiah 8:14; and likewise from 1 Corinthians 15:54, compared with Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14. The reason, I say, is that one saying confirms and explains the other, and so in reality says the same thing as the other; for which cause both together appear not so much as two, as one and the same sentence about one and the same matter.
The remaining things said here about John I explained at Matthew 3:3 and 11:10, and at Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3; wherefore I shall not repeat them here, nor shall I heed that common saying: "cabbage warmed over."
Verse 4: John Was in the Wilderness Baptizing
4. JOHN WAS IN THE WILDERNESS BAPTIZING AND PREACHING THE BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE (that is, by stirring men up to repentance, so that through it they might be disposed) unto the remission of sins — to be received from Christ and from His baptism, which was the perfection and completion of John's baptism. For Christ, as King of heaven, preached a kingdom to be received by His grace, whose first part is the remission of sins, which Christ's baptism confers, inasmuch as it is equipped and, as it were, animated by Christ's Spirit and grace, according to that saying of John: "I baptize you with water unto repentance; but He who is to come after me, etc., shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matt. 3). Which Mark repeats here at verse 8.
Verse 12: And Immediately the Spirit Drove Him Into the Wilderness
12. AND IMMEDIATELY THE SPIRIT DROVE HIM INTO THE WILDERNESS. — In Greek, ἐκβάλλει, that is, sends forth, casts out, drives out. "The Spirit," namely the Holy Spirit, who a little before had descended upon Him in the form of a dove at His baptism. "Drove Him out," that is, with great force of spirit and fervor impelled Christ that of His own accord and spontaneously He might go "into the wilderness," so that there, as it were in the wrestling-ring, He might engage alone with the devil: there, then, Christ and Antichrist — that is, the devil or Lucifer — entered the duel.
Verse 13: Forty Days and Forty Nights, and Was Tempted by Satan
13. AND HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS, AND WAS TEMPTED BY SATAN. — In Greek, πειραζόμενος, that is, suffering temptation. Hence many think that Christ was frequently tempted by Satan throughout the forty days, through various apparitions and horrible monsters, such as the demon set before St. Anthony to terrify him and draw him away from prayer and solitude. So Franciscus Lucas. But it seems that Mark, by the single word πειραζόμενος (suffering temptation), wished to sum up and embrace in brief the three solemn temptations of Christ which Matthew relates at 4:2ff. Hence Luke, at 4:2, immediately after the word πειραζόμενος, narrates these three temptations. See the comments at Matthew 4:2. For indeed what Horace said applies here: "While I labor to be brief, I become obscure."
AND HE WAS WITH THE WILD BEASTS. — θηρίων, that is, with the wild beasts. This indicates both the extreme solitude of the place and the innocence of Christ, namely, that dwelling in the most deserted place with lions, wolves, leopards, and serpents, He neither feared them nor was harmed by them; just as Adam, while he remained innocent, dwelt unharmed with the same beasts in paradise, for all things looked upon and reverenced him as their lord.
AND THE ANGELS MINISTERED UNTO HIM. — Not before the temptation and victory, as Bede holds: for in that case Jesus would have been recognized by the devil as the Son of God from the attendance, reverence, and adoration of the angels, and the devil would not have dared to attack and tempt Him; but rather after the temptation, when the victory had already been won, as is plain from Matthew 4:11. And this was so that Jesus, duelling alone with the devil alone, and conquering and overcoming him, might show in Himself that for those who overcome temptation with God's help, there is prepared both consolation and the companionship and service of the angels.
Verse 14: After John Was Handed Over, Jesus Came Into Galilee
14. BUT AFTER JOHN WAS HANDED OVER (to prison by Herod), JESUS CAME INTO GALILEE, PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. — This was Christ's second coming from Judaea into Galilee, in order that He might flee from Herod, lest he should imprison Him too. For by now Christ had already preached and baptized in Judaea; wherefore, becoming well-known there, He incurred the envy of the Scribes and Pharisees, who, as a kind of innovator, denounced and accused Him before Herod. Hence this coming of Christ is the same as the one which Matthew describes at 4:12; Luke at 4:14; and John at 4:3 and 43. Although some hold that the coming mentioned by John is a different one, and a third coming of Christ into Galilee, because there (they say) Christ fled from the Pharisees, as John asserts, while in the second He fled from Herod, as Matthew and Mark assert — but, as I said, He fled the Pharisees precisely because He fled Herod: for it was before him that the Pharisees accused Him; therefore this was one and the same flight of Christ and one and the same coming into Galilee.
Note: Christ, having been baptized by John in Judaea, and there forming acquaintance with John's disciples, Andrew and Peter, went from there into Galilee, and called Philip, and at the wedding in Cana of Galilee turned water into wine. This was Christ's first coming from Judaea into Galilee, which John narrates at chapter 1:43ff. But as Passover drew near, Christ returned from Galilee into Judaea, that He might present Himself at the temple according to the law (John 2:13); and then He cast out the buyers and sellers from the temple, and after conversing with Nicodemus, openly began to baptize and preach. See John 3:26; wherefore, becoming well-known, He incurred the envy of the Scribes. Hence, fearing that they might accuse Him before Herod, as they had accused John the Baptist, and hearing that John had been killed, He withdrew again from Judaea into Galilee (John 4:3 and 43); and this is the withdrawal of which this chapter of Mark and Matthew 4:12 speak, as I noted there. And so at that time in Galilee, Christ called to Himself four fishermen — namely Peter and Andrew, James and John — as Mark narrates at verse 16 and following, and Matthew at chapter 4.
Verse 15: Because the Time Is Fulfilled
15. AND SAYING: BECAUSE THE TIME IS FULFILLED. — In Greek ὅτι, that is, "that." THE TIME IS FULFILLED — the time of the advent of the Messiah and of the kingdom of heaven; namely, that Christ, by His preaching and death and grace, might unlock and open that kingdom which had been closed for so many thousands of years.
DO PENANCE. — Do penance, that you may detest the sins you have committed, and resolve to change your life for the better. Beautifully says the Scholiast cited by St. Jerome: "The sweetness of the fruit," he says, "compensates for the bitterness of the root; the hope of gain delights in the midst of the sea's peril; the hope of health mitigates the pain of medicine; he who desires the kernel breaks the nut: so he who desires the joy of a holy conscience, let him swallow the bitterness of repentance as a pill."
Verse 19: James the Son of Zebedee and John
19. JAMES THE SON OF ZEBEDEE AND JOHN. — Beautifully says the Scholiast cited by St. Jerome: "By this four-horse chariot of fishermen," he says, "we are carried up to heaven, as Elijah was; on these four corners the first Church is built. By four virtues we are transformed into the image of God: by prudence, by obeying; by justice, by acting manfully; by temperance, by trampling the serpent; by fortitude, by meriting the grace of God." Theophylact says: "First Peter is called, who signifies action; then John, who signifies contemplation."
Verse 23: A Man With an Unclean Spirit
23. AND THERE WAS IN THEIR SYNAGOGUE A MAN WITH AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT. — That is, a man "of an unclean spirit," which is to say, one having an unclean spirit, namely one possessed by a demon. For such a man is so driven and carried away by the demon that he seems to be and to dwell in the demon. This is a Hebraism; for the Hebrews use ב beth, that is, "in," in place of the construct-state, by which one substantive governs another in the genitive.
AND HE CRIED OUT. — The spirit, that is, the demon, through the mouth of the man whom he possessed, "as though suffering torments," as the Scholiast cited in Chrysostom says, as one placed in pain, as unable to bear the lashes. For, as Bede says: "The presence of the Savior is the demons' torment." Christ willed this so that, through this public testimony of the demon concerning Him, and through his expulsion, the Jews assembled in the synagogue of Capernaum (for it was there that these things happened, as is plain from verse 21) might recognize that He is the Messiah. Matthew has nothing about this demoniac, but Luke does at 4:33.
Verse 24: What Have We to Do With Thee, Jesus of Nazareth
24. SAYING. — The Greek adds ἔα, which the translator of Luke 4:34 renders "sine," "let be," as being the imperative of the verb ἐάω, that is, "I let, I allow." That is, as Euthymius says: "Let us go," do not vex and cast us out. Others take ἔα as an adverb of lamenting, amazement, and entreaty; as if to say: Ah! alas! come now, good one, what harm have I done Thee? do not drive me from my possession.
WHAT HAVE WE TO DO WITH THEE, JESUS OF NAZARETH? ART THOU COME TO DESTROY US? I KNOW WHO THOU ART, THE HOLY ONE OF GOD. — That is: What business hast Thou with us, O Jesus, seeing that I and the other demons have done Thee no injury, that Thou shouldst wish to drive us out and to harm us? That is: We do not attack Thee, O Christ, who art holy, but sinners, as though they were under our jurisdiction. We have therefore no quarrel with Thee; do Thou therefore in turn not contend with us, nor destroy us.
ART THOU COME TO DESTROY US? — Some manuscripts add: "before the time;" but the Greek, Roman, Syriac, and Arabic texts omit this; it seems to have been transferred here from Matthew 8:29. Now as to the sense: First, Bede: "The demons, seeing the Lord on earth, believed they were immediately to be judged;" that is: Do not, O Jesus, by Thy coming, so quickly bring on the day of judgment, so that Thou castest us down into Tartarus without any hope of escape. Second, the Scholiast cited in Chrysostom explains: that is, Thou givest us no place among men while Thou teachest divine things; but this is mystical. Third, and more genuinely: "Art Thou come to destroy us," that is, "to torment us," as Matthew 8:29 has it, "to cast us out of men and send us into hell." Hence Theophylact says: "'To go out of a man,' he says, 'he calls his own destruction.'" For the supreme pleasure of demons is to possess, vex, and tempt men. This is what Luke says at 8:31: "And they begged Him not to command them to go into the abyss (hell)."
I KNOW WHO THOU ART, (namely), THE HOLY ONE OF GOD. — The Arabic: "I know who Thou art, Holy One of God;" in Greek ὁ ἅγιος, "that holy one," namely the singular and preeminent one, who art so holy that Thou dost communicate Thy holiness to others, and art as it were the fount and sun of holiness, who sanctifiest all saints, namely the Messiah and Son of God, whom for so many thousands of years all have most eagerly awaited, as other demons explain at chapter 3:12. So Theophylact, Euthymius, and others. He alludes to that saying of Daniel 9:24: "Let the Holy of Holies be anointed," that is, the Messiah. See what was said there. Moreover, this demon flatters Christ, lest He afflict and cast him out, and in order to lead Him into vainglory. Furthermore the Gloss says: "This is not a confession of the will, but a wringing out of necessity."
I KNOW, — that is, "I suspect, conjecture, have an opinion;" for, as the Scholiast cited in Chrysostom says, the demon did not have firm and certain knowledge of God's coming, because, as St. Augustine says in book 9 of The City of God, chapter 21: "He was known to them only as much as He willed; He willed only as much as was fitting; and He was known through certain effects of His power;" about which more in chapter 3:12.
Verse 25: And Jesus Rebuked Him, Saying: Hold Thy Peace
25. AND HE REBUKED HIM. — In Greek, ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῷ, that is, "He rebuked him," "He chided him with threats," namely by threatening that He would afflict him if he did not keep silent.
SAYING: HOLD THY PEACE. — The Arabic: "Close thy mouth." Why? I answer: First, because it was not fitting that Christ, that is God, should be praised by a demon; just as it is not fitting for a virgin to be commended by a harlot. So Tertullian, book IV Against Marcion.
Secondly, lest He should seem to be a friend of the demon and have commerce with him; for later they objected this to Christ, namely that by the power of Beelzebub He cast out demons (Matt. 12). And in doing this Christ taught us to avoid all commerce with the demon, because he is the sworn enemy of God and wholly bent on harming and destroying us, even when he promises or brings some aid to the body. Hence the Scholiast cited in Chrysostom says: "'Hold thy peace,' He says: 'let my praise be thy silence; let not thy voice praise me, but thy torments; thy punishment is my praise. I do not rejoice that thou praisest, but that thou goest forth.'"
Thirdly, to teach us that flattery must be resisted, lest it stir up in our heart some desire for vainglory. So Bostrensis on Luke chapter 8.
Fourthly, Euthymius: "He taught us," he says, "never to believe demons, even when they speak true things: for since they love lies, and are our deadliest enemies, they never speak truths except in order to use truth as a kind of bait for deception." For liars, in order to cloak their lies with the color of truth and make them persuasive, are accustomed to use this art: at first to relate certain true things, and then to weave false things onto them, so that those who believed the first things will believe the last as well. For this reason Paul, at Acts 16:18, shut the mouth of the python that was praising him — indeed, he cast him out.
Fifthly, because the demon here was inopportunely and too quickly making known that He was the Messiah, which would have harmed Christ and turned the people away from Him; for so great a secret had to be gradually revealed and persuaded to the people through many miracles — people who otherwise at the outset could not grasp and believe it, because they were not yet disposed and prepared for it. For which reason, at chapter 8:30, Christ also forbids the Apostles to say that He is the Christ. So Maldonatus, Franciscus Lucas, and others.
Symbolically, Bede: "The demon," he says, "because with his tongue he had deceived Eve, was punished in his tongue, that he might not speak."
Verse 26: The Unclean Spirit, Tearing Him and Crying Out, Came Out of Him
26. AND THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT, TEARING HIM AND CRYING OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, CAME OUT OF HIM. — "Tearing him," — not by lacerating, tearing apart, or mutilating the man whom he possessed; for Luke 4:35 says he harmed him in no way; but by twisting, colliding, and throwing his limbs this way and that, pulling at them, as if he wished to rend and pluck him apart. For the Greek σπαράττω means "to lacerate," "to rend," and "to tear apart," whence σπαραγμός means convulsion. Hence St. Augustine, in book IV of On the Agreement of the Evangelists, chapter XI, and Bede read "convexans" ("convulsing") for "discerpens," that is, "twisting;" and the translator of Mark at 9:19 renders it "conturbans" ("throwing into confusion"): "The spirit," he says, "threw him into confusion, and dashed to the ground he rolled about foaming." The demon did this out of angry rage, so that, compelled by Christ to come out, he might harm the man as much as he could: for the closer and stronger Christ's grace is, the more powerlessly the demon rages, to show how unwillingly he sends forth and yields to Christ those whom he possessed. But note that demons only make a tumult and stir up horrible commotions, but empty and fruitless ones; for they cannot harm when Christ forbids it. Christ permitted this for three reasons: first, that it might be plain that this man was truly possessed by a demon; second, that the demon's malice and indignation might be seen; third, that it might be clear that the demon departed not willingly, but compelled and conquered by Christ. So Theophylact, Euthymius, and others.
Tropologically: St. Gregory, in homily 12 on Ezekiel, teaches that the demon wondrously vexes, tempts, and torments sinners while they are being converted: "As soon," he says, "as the soul has begun to love heavenly things, as soon as it has gathered itself with its whole intention toward the vision of inward peace, that ancient adversary, who fell from heaven, is envious and begins to lie in wait all the more, and applies sharper temptations than he was wont, so that for the most part he tempts the soul thus resisting him as he had never tempted it before, when he possessed it. Whence it is written: 'Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.'" And a little later: "For what else does it mean that the ancient enemy, when he deserts the man whom he possessed and had not torn apart, then tears him apart, except that for the most part, while he is being cast out of the heart, he begets in it sharper temptations than he had stirred up before, when he quietly possessed it?"
AND CRYING OUT, — with a horrid wailing, with discordant shrieking and roaring, so as to show how unwillingly he was departing and how great a force was being done to him by Christ; for he said nothing articulate, nor uttered anything in words. For Christ had forbidden him to speak, saying: "Hold thy peace." So Euthymius: "'He cried out,' he says, 'with a loud voice, scourged by the Lord's command; but he does not say what he cried, because he uttered meaningless sounds.'" The same author adds on Luke 4:33: "For when his mind was restored and he had come to himself, the man used the speech of a sober and modest man."
Verse 27: What New Doctrine Is This?
27. WHAT NEW DOCTRINE IS THIS? FOR WITH AUTHORITY HE COMMANDS EVEN THE UNCLEAN SPIRITS, AND THEY OBEY HIM. — That is: What is this heavenly and divine doctrine, which indeed God confirms from heaven by so many and such powerful miracles? For Christ, its teacher, commands demons not by prayers, but by sheer authority and by command alone, that they depart, and they obey Him. Hence it follows necessarily that He is the Messiah, the Son of God and true God; for He alone commands demons by His own power.
Verse 32: When the Sun Had Set
32. WHEN THE SUN HAD SET. — In Greek, ὅτε ἔδυ ὁ ἥλιος, that is, "when the sun had as it were been swallowed up and submerged in the sea;" for δύομαι means "to be swallowed, plunged, submerged," and is used of islands that are swallowed up by the sea and are engulfed. This phrase, then, is taken from the common notion, which supposes that the sun, when it sets, is plunged into the ocean. Hence Virgil, in book VII of the Aeneid, sings:
...... The Sun, running his course, looks back on either ocean.
And Tibullus, in book II:
The river bathes the panting horses of the Sun.
And Boethius, in book II of The Consolation of Philosophy:
Whom Phoebus, coming from his farthest rising, sees as he hides his rays beneath the waves.
And in book III:
Phoebus falls into the western waves.
Matthew did the same at chapter 14, verse 21. So Theophylact and Euthymius. Learn here from Christ to give the dawn to prayer, and to rise at daybreak so that you may devote yourself to meditation and give the first-fruits of the day to God, for the dawn is a friend to the muses, but more a friend to God and the angels. See what is said at Deuteronomy 6:7.
Verse 33: And the Whole City Was Gathered at the Door
33. AND THE WHOLE CITY WAS GATHERED TOGETHER AT THE DOOR. — (Capernaum, as is clear from verse 21) — at the door of the house of Peter and Andrew, where Jesus was staying, as is clear from verse 29.
Verse 34: And He Healed Many
34. AND HE HEALED MANY. — Namely, all who were brought to Him, as Matthew 8:16 has it; for these were many. So Theophylact and Euthymius.
AND HE DID NOT ALLOW THEM TO SPEAK, BECAUSE THEY KNEW HIM. — That is, He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew that Jesus was the Messiah, for the reasons I set forth at verse 25. As to the quality and extent of this knowledge of the demons, I shall speak at chapter 3:12. The Arabic: "And He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew that He was He," that is, that He was the one who truly was, namely the Messiah and Savior of the world.
Verse 35: And Very Early in the Morning
35. AND VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING. — In Greek, καὶ πρωὶ ἔννυχον, that is, "and in the morning, while it was still deep in the night." For it was the earliest dawn, the first and farthest back, while it was still dark. Hence Mark could call it "night," though Luke, at 4:42, calls it "day," because in fact it was the "dawn of the day," or daybreak, at which day begins to rise.
HE WENT AWAY INTO A DESERT PLACE. — Both that He might there pray more quietly and attentively — whence follows, "and there He prayed" — and that after so many miracles He might flee the praise and applause of men, so that He might teach us to do the same.
Verse 43: And He Strictly Charged Him, and Immediately Sent Him Away
43. AND HE STRICTLY CHARGED HIM, AND IMMEDIATELY SENT HIM AWAY. — In Greek, "and having rebuked him, He immediately cast him out." That is: gravely and with threats He commanded him to conceal the miracle of healing that He had wrought, and therefore "immediately sent him away," that is, He dismissed him, sent him off, and bade him go, so that it might not be known that He had cured him of leprosy — and this to give us an example of fleeing vainglory and the applause of men. Hence explaining Himself He adds: "See thou tell no man."
Verse 44: Show Thyself to the High Priest
44. SHOW THYSELF TO THE HIGH PRIEST. — In Greek, ἱερεῖ, that is, "to the priest." For not only the high priest alone, but also any priest whatever could judge of leprosy, whether it had been cured or not, as is clear from Leviticus 13:2. Yet it is likely that, because the matter of leprosy was grave and difficult, the judgment of it was reserved, by the pontiffs' interpretation and decree, to the "chief priest," as is said here, that is, to one of the twenty-four principal priests who in turn presided week by week over the other priests and sacrifices and over the other offices and rites of the temple, by the ordinance of David, as is clear from 1 Chronicles 24:3ff.
Verse 45: But He, Going Out, Began to Preach and Spread the Word Abroad
45. BUT HE, GOING OUT, BEGAN TO PREACH AND TO SPREAD ABROAD THE WORD. — ("diffamare" means "to make known abroad;" the Arabic has "to promulgate") — that is, the thing and the fact, namely the miracle of the healing of leprosy which Christ had wrought upon him, because he felt that this was to the glory of God and Christ, even though Christ, out of zeal for humility and modesty, had commanded him to be silent; but he judged that this command was not a binding precept.
SO THAT HE COULD NO LONGER OPENLY ENTER INTO THE CITY, — without embarrassment, because of the honor and applause of the people, who were cheering Christ for so great a miracle; or "could not," that is, "would not." For that "to be able" is sometimes taken for "to will," Nazianzen teaches with many examples in his fourth Oration on Theology.