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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
AN ANGEL ANNOUNCES THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
16:1-8. With the end of the Sabbath, the women, who are the only ones left to perform the service, bought the spices necessary, and came at sunrise to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. On the way, they discussed among themselves whom they should get to roll away the heavy stone from the entrance of the tomb. But they found it removed, and on entering, they saw a young man seated at the right clothed in a long white robe. Naturally, they were amazed, but he tells them that there is no reason for their amazement; that Jesus whom they are seeking, the Nazarene, the crucified, is not there, he is risen! And he points them to the place where they had put him, in proof. But he bids them announce to the disciples, and especially to Peter, that he is going before them into Galilee, and that they will see him there, as he had told them on the night of the betrayal. The effect of this on the women was fear and amazement, such that they fled from the place and were restrained by their fear from telling any one.
1. ἠόαα ἀώααthey bought spices. Lk. says that they bought the spices on the day of his crucifixion, and rested on the Sabbath. As the day closed at sunset, they may have bought the spices that evening. They went to the tomb at sunrise, which would not allow time to buy them in the morning. ἀεψσνanoint. The process was not an embalming, which was unknown to the Jews, but simply an anointing.
2. Κὶλα πω* (τ) μᾷτνσβάω1 ἔχνα ἐὶτ μηεο, ἀαελνο τῦἡίυAnd very early, the first day of the week, they come to the tomb, the sun having risen. Not at the rising of the sun. AV.
τ μᾷ instead of τςμᾶ, Tisch. RV. (Treg. marg. WH.) אL Δ33, Memph. μᾷ without τ, Treg. WH. B 1. Insert τνbefore σβάω, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. אBKL Δ33, 69.
3. ἔεο πὸ ἑυά—they were saying to each other.2 The impf. denotes what they were saying on the way.
4. ἀαεύιτιὁλθς ἦ γρμγςσόρ—the stone has been rolled back; for it was very great. The greatness of the stone is really the reason of their question, but he adds to the question the way that it turned out, as a part of the one event, before he introduces the explanation.
ἀαεύιτι instead of ἀοεύιτι Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. and practically all sources.
5. εσλοσιεςτ μηεο—having entered into the tomb. Mt. says that the angel was sitting on the stone outside.1 Lk., that there were two angels, who appeared to the women, not on their first entrance into the tomb, but in the midst of their perplexity at not finding the body of Jesus.2 J. speaks of only one woman, Mary Magdalene, who came to the sepulchre, and got no farther than to see the stone rolled away, when she turned back and told Peter and John, who came immediately and found the tomb empty. Mary meantime had returned and saw two angels in the sepulchre, and then Jesus himself.3
ναίκνa young man. This is the form which the angel took. ἐεαβθσνthey were utterly amazed. ἐ in composition means utterly, out and out.
6. Ἰσῦ …τνΝζρνντ ἐτυωέο—Jesus the Nazarene, the crucified. Mt. omits τνΝζρνν Lk. makes the angels ask, why seek the living among the dead?5 The exact language is not preserved in such cases. The statement common to all the narratives is, that the one whom they are seeking is not there, but is risen. ἴε ὁτπςsee, the place.6
7. ἀλ ὑάεε επτ τῖ μθτῖ ατῦκὶτ Πτῳbut go, tell his disciples and Peter. Peter’s name is not mentioned separately because his denial puts him out of the group of disciples, but it specifies him among the disciples as the one whose faith, having been most shaken, needs most the restoring effect of this announcement. πογιὑᾶ εςτνΓλλῖνhe goes before you into Galilee. This is in accordance with our Lord’s prediction in 14:28. κθςεπνὑῖ—as he told you. He has not told them directly that they will see him, but that is implied in the rest of the statement, that he will rise and will go before them into Galilee. This does not absolutely rule out the appearances in Jerusalem, which are narrated in v. 9-20, but it makes it probable that they were not included in the scheme of this book. We can scarcely think of a writer recording this language who had in his mind several appearances in Judæ before they went into Galilee. And especially, it is quite improbable that the promise should be of appearances in Galilee, and that the appearances themselves in the same account should be all in Judæ
8. κὶἐεθῦα ἔυο ἀὸτῦμηεο·εχ γρατςτόο κ ἔσαι—and having gone out, they fled from the tomb; for trembling and amazement possessed them. ἔσαι is a transport of wonder, and amazement that carries men out of themselves, makes them beside themselves. ἐοονοfor they were afraid. This shows the state of mind that produced the τόο κὶἔσασς Mt. says that great joy, as well as fear, entered into their feelings.1 Here probably our Gospel ends. What follows comes evidently from a later hand, and is intended to remove the abruptness of the ending of the original. All that Mk. tells us therefore of the resurrection is the announcement of it by the angel, and the promise that Jesus would appear to his disciples in Galilee, showing that this appearance is included in the scheme of this book, though not narrated by it. The appendix contains no account of this appearance in Galilee, but only of appearances in Jerusalem and its vicinity. This confinement of the appearances of Jesus to Galilee is common to this Gospel with Mat_2 Lk., on the other hand, records only appearances in Jerusalem and its neighborhood, and while his narrative does not so definitely exclude appearances in Galilee, as Mt. and Mk. do appearances in Judæ it certainly leaves that impression.
Omit τχ, quickly, before ἔυο, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. and most sources. γρ for, instead of δ, and, after εχ, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. אBD, mss. Lat. Vet. Vulg. Memph. Pesh.
THE APPENDIX
Verses 9-20 are omitted by Tisch., double-bracketed by WH., inserted in the Revisers’ Text, but with a space between it and the preceding passage, and Treg. inserts in the same space κτ Μρο. WH., in their Notes on Special Passages, pronounce against the genuineness. This is done primarily on the authority of אB, one ms. Lat. Vet. and mss. of the Arm. and Æ versions. L, 274 marg., the ms. of Lat. Vet. mentioned above, Harcl. marg. and Æ m and a give what is known as the Shorter Conclusion, as follows: Πναδ τ πργεμν τῖ πρ τνΠτο σνοῶ ἐήγια·μτ δ τῦακὶατςὁἸσῦ ἀὸἀαοῆ κὶἄρ δσω ἐαέτιε δʼατντ ἱρνκὶἄθρο κργατςαωίυστρα—And they reported briefly to Peter and those in his company all the things commanded. And after these things Jesus himself also sent forth through them from the east even to the west the holy and incorruptible message of eternal salvation. L virtually closes the Gospel with v. 8, and gives this shorter ending as current in some places, and then the longer ending as also current. The testimony of Eusebius, Victor, and Jerome is that these verses were to be found in some mss., but not in the oldest or best. They are not recognized in the Ammonian sections nor the Eusebian canons. And there is an ominous lack of reference to them in those passages of the Fathers which treat, for instance, of baptism, the resurrection, and the ascension. It is very true that this external evidence is not enough by itself, though it is always to be remembered that אB are the most important witnesses to the text.
But the internal evidence for the omission is much stronger than the external, proving conclusively that these verses could not have been written by Mk. The linguistic differences alone are enough to settle this,—enough to show, even if we had Mk.’s autograph, that they were not original with him, but copied directly from another source. ἐενςis used in the passage five times in a way quite unknown to the Synoptics, but common to the fourth Gospel. πρύμιis used three times, but does not occur elsewhere in the Gospel. This is the more remarkable, as it is in itself so common a word, and the occasions for its use occur on every page. In this section, it is the favorite word for going. τῖ μτ ατῦγνμνι, as a designation of the disciples, is another unfamiliar expression. θάμι as a verb of seeing, does not occur elsewhere in Mk., and is infrequent elsewhere, but is used twice in this passage. In fact, it is the only verb for seeing in the passage. ἀιτωalso occurs twice in this passage, but not elsewhere in this Gospel. Μτ (δ) τῦαis a phrase not found in Mt. or Mk. It occurs a few times in Lk., and constantly in Jn. Ὕτρνis another expression used to denote succession of events, not found elsewhere in Mk. θνσμνoccurs only here in the N.T. βάτ occurs elsewhere in the N.T. only in Luk_4:35. σνρονο is a good Pauline word, and is found once in Jas., but only here in the Gospels. ββιῦ is found in Paul’s epistles and in Heb., but not elsewhere in the Gospels. ἐαοοθῖ occurs twice in 1 Tim., and once in 1 Pet., but not elsewhere in the Gospels. To sum up, there are in all 163 words in this passage, and of these, 19 words and 2 phrases are peculiar, not occurring elsewhere in this Gospel. There are 109 different words, and of these, 11 words and 2 phrases do not occur elsewhere in this Gospel. Of these, the use of πρύμι ἐενς and θάμι would of themselves constitute a case, being, from the frequency of their use, characteristic and distinctive in this vocabulary, while the entire disuse of these common words is a peculiarity of the rest of the Gospel.
But the argument from the general character of the section is stronger still. In the first place, it is a mere summarizing of the appearances of our Lord, a manner of narration entirely foreign to this Gospel. Mark is the most vivid and picturesque of the evangelists, abbreviating discourse, but amplifying narration. But this is a mere enumeration. The first part of the chapter, relating the appearance of the angels to the women, is a good example of his style, and is in marked contrast to this section.
But a graver objection arises from the character of the σμῖ that are promised here to follow believers. The casting out of demons, and the cure of the sick, belong strictly to the class of miracles performed by our Lord. They are miracles of beneficence performed on others. And in the speaking with tongues, possibly we do not get outside of that sphere. But we do have an anticipation of the new conditions of the apostolic era and of the charismata which distinguish its activity from our Lord’s, that is, to say the least, unexampled in the teaching of Jesus. Moreover, this refers either to the speaking with foreign tongues of the day of Pentecost, or to the ecstatic speech which St. Paul calls speaking with tongues in 1 Cor. If the former, then it is not repeated. And if the latter, then St. Paul depreciates it, and for good reasons. Either would be against our Lord’s selection of it here as a representative miracle. But the taking up serpents, and the drinking of deadly things without harm, belong strictly to the category of mere thaumaturgy ruled out by Jesus. Our Lord does not exempt himself nor his disciples from the natural consequences of their acts. The very principle of his kingdom is, that he and they shall take their place in the ordinary conditions of human life, and shall there be exposed, not only to the ordinary dangers of that life, but to the extraordinary perils incident to an uncompromising righteousness in an evil world, and without any miraculous safeguards. But here, that miraculous safeguarding is promised as the condition distinctly supplanting the ordinary.
But the most serious difficulty with this passage is, that it is inconsistent with the preceding part of the chapter in regard to the place and time of the appearances to the disciples, following Lk.’s account, whereas the first part accords with Mt.’s very different scheme. The angels tell the women that Jesus precedes them into Galilee, and will be seen by his disciples there. But the appearance to Mary Magdalene was on the day of the resurrection, and near the tomb. The appearance to the two on their way into the country was evidently that to the disciples going to Emmaus, also on the day of the resurrection. And that to the eleven as they were reclining at table, was evidently also identical with that recorded in Luk_24:36 sq., and was therefore in Jerusalem, and on the evening of the resurrection. Immediately after this, in both accounts, comes the ascension, and leaves no time for appearances in Galilee. In St. Matthew, on the other hand, there are no appearances in Judæ except that to the women on their way from the sepulchre. They have received from the angels the same message as in Mar_16:7, that Jesus precedes them into Galilee, and in accordance with this, the disciples go there, and Jesus appears to them on the mountain. Plainly, then, the first verses of our chapter are framed on Mt.’s scheme of the Galilean appearances, and v. 9-20 on Lk.’s scheme of appearances in Judæ And the two are mutually exclusive. On the other hand, the ending of the Gospel, with these verses omitted, is abrupt. But if this abruptness were foreign to Mk.’s manner, it would not show that this ending is genuine, only that the difficulty was felt by copyists, one of whom supplied this ending, and another the shorter ending. The existence of the two is presumptive proof of the original omission. But really, the brevity of this ending is quite parallel to the beginning of the Gospel, the beginning and ending being both alike outside the main purpose of the evangelist. It is not strange therefore, but rather consonant with Mk.’s manner.1
VARIOUS APPEARANCES TO THE DISCIPLES
9-20. The first appearance is said to be to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. Then there is the appearance “in another form” to two of the disciples on their way into the country. Both of these reports were brought to the disciples, and were received with incredulity. The third appearance is to the eleven as they were reclining at table, when Jesus rebukes their lack of faith and their spiritual obtuseness, and gives them his final instructions and promises. They were to go into all the world, and proclaim the glad-tidings to all creation. He who believes their message and is baptized will be saved; and he who disbelieves will be condemned. Moreover, believers were to be accredited by certain signs done in his name. They were to cast out demons, speak with tongues, handle serpents and drink poisons with impunity, and heal the sick with the laying on of hands. After this discourse, the Lord was taken up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And the disciples went out everywhere with their message, the Lord helping them, and confirming their word with the promised signs.
9. Ἀατςδ πω πώῃσβάο ἐάηπῶο Μρᾳτ Μγαηῇ πρ ἧ ἐββήε ἑτ διόι—And having arisen early on the first day of the week, he appears first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. This is not a callida junctura, and could scarcely have been written by Mk. himself, with what he had just written in mind. The identification of Mary Magdalene, after she had been mentioned three times in the preceding narrative, is especially inconsistent. πρ ἧ—this is the only case of the use of this prep. in describing the casting out of demons, and it is as strange as it is unexampled. This appearance to Mary Magdalene is given in J. 20:14. The story of the different appearances, in this paragraph, though taken from different gospels, is told by the compiler in his own manner, with some marked variations, and in all cases in a condensed form. The incident of the seven demons is from Luk_8:2.
πρ ἧ, instead of ἀʼἧ, Treg. WH. RV. CDL 33. It should be remembered that אB do not contain this paragraph.
10. ἐεν—this unemphatic use of ἐενςreminds us of the fourth Gospel, but is foreign to Mk. And yet, in this paragraph, it is found in v. 10, 11, 20. The use in v. 13, while it is more or less emphatic, is foreign to Mk.’s style. πρυεσ—Here is a more striking anomaly. For this word, though it occurs here three times, v. 10, 12, 15,—in fact, is the staple word for going,—is not found elsewhere in Mk., though it is so common a word, and the occasions for its use are so frequent. This makes the striking feature, that this common word is dropped from Mk.’s vocabulary, and suddenly appears here. The other evangelists use it constantly. τῖ μτ ατῦγνμνι—to those who had come to be (associated) with him. This paraphrase for his disciples is also unknown to Mk., and to the other evangelists. πνοσ—weeping. This word πνοσ is also a word occurring only here in this gospel, but that does not count, as it is about the rate of its use in the other books of the N.T.
11. Mark agrees with Luke that the first report of the resurrection was disbelieved.1 Mt., however, states that the message of Jesus was acted upon, and so implies their belief in the report of the resurrection.2 This appearance to Mary Magdalene is condensed from J. 20:11-18. The verbal anomalies are in the use of ἐενι ἐεθ, and ἠίτσν ἐεθ is used twice in the paragraph here, and in v. 14, and nowhere else in Mk. ἠίτσνis found here and in v. 16 (twice in Lk.), and nowhere else in Mk.
12, 13. This appearance to the two on their way into the country is condensed from Lk.’s account of the appearance to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus.3 It differs from that in its account of their non-recognition of Jesus, and of the reception given to their story. Instead of the ἐ ἑέᾳμρῇ in another form, Lk. attributes their failure to recognize him to the fact that their eyes were restrained from knowing him. And instead of the unbelief of their story told here, Lk., on the contrary, says that the eleven met them with the story of Christ’s actual resurrection (ὄτς and his appearance to Peter.4 The verbal peculiarities are in the use of μτ τῦαand πρυμνι. μτ τῦαis found in Lk., is very frequent in J., but is not found in Mt. and Mk.
14. This appearance to the eleven on the evening following the resurrection is given in both Lk. and J.5 It differs from both accounts again in the matter of Jesus’ reproach of their unbelief of the stories of his resurrection. In Lk. it is not this for which he chides them, but for their idea, in spite of their acceptance of those stories, that his present appearance was that of a ghost. J. records only their gladness.6 The verbal peculiarities are in the use of ὕτρν and θααέος ὕτρνis found in the other gospels, but not elsewhere in Mk.
Insert δ after ὕτρν Treg. (Treg. marg. WH.) RV. AD, mss. Latt. Memph. Syrr. Add ἐ νκῶ, from the dead (Treg. marg. WH.) AC* X ΔHarcl.
15. These last words in Mt. are given on the mountain in Galilee.1 In Lk., the farewell is said at Bethany.2 These instructions in Lk. are given, the same as here, at the supper in Jerusalem, but they are separated from the ascension and the final words.3 πσ τ κίε—to all creation. Every creature, AV., would require the omission of the article. The two elements prominent in these instructions, the preaching and the baptizing, are common to Mt. and Mk.
16. We have here a group of things common to the apostolic teaching, but new to the Gospels. This is the first mention of baptism since the baptism of John. In the fourth Gospel even, it is not mentioned after the early Judæ ministry of our Lord.4 Then, while faith is enjoined in Jesus’ teaching, it is nowhere, in the Synoptics, singled out as the condition of salvation, as, of course, baptism is not, since it is not mentioned at all. In fact, if one should gather up into a single statement our Lord’s teaching about the condition of salvation, the necessary attitude of men towards the word, it would be obedience. This statement inaugurates and prepares the way for the apostolic teaching.
17, 18. Of the signs promised here, the healing, and the casting out of demons, are characteristic of our Lord’s activity; the speaking with tongues is new, and belongs to the apostolic period; and the taking up of serpents and drinking poisons with impunity is absolutely foreign to our Lord’s principle.5 The verbal peculiarities are in the use of πρκλύηε(?), and θνσμν the former occurring only here in Mk., and the latter only here in N.T.
ἀοοθσι instead of πρκλυήε, Treg. WH. CL. πρκλυήε, Act_2:33 (Δῥκλυήε). There is a meaning of closeness of attendance which makes πρκλυήε much more individual and probable. Omit κιας new, after γώσι, Treg. WH. RV.marg. CL ΔMemph. Insert. κὶἐ τῖ χρὶ, and in their hands, before ὄεςἀοσ, Treg. (Treg. marg. WH.) C* and 2 LM marg. ΧΔ Grk. 1, 22, 33, Memph. Cur. Harcl.
THE ASCENSION
19. μτ τ λλσιατῖ—after speaking to them. This can refer only to the words spoken by our Lord at the supper in Jerusalem. If it had been after the entire event, and not a part of the event coming after the discourse, something less specific than this μτ τ λλσιwould have been given as the mark of time. The ascension therefore, according to this, was on the evening after the resurrection. So Lk., even supposing that the omission of κὶἀεέεοεςτνορνν(Tisch. omits, and WH. RV.marg. double bracket) is accepted.1 Mt., however, gives the appearance to the disciples on a mountain in Galilee.2 κὶἐάιε ἐ δξῶ τῦΘο—and sat down on the right hand of God. This belongs to the creed, not to history.
Insert Ἰσῦ after ὁΚρο, Treg. (Treg. marg. WH.) RV. CKL Δ1, 22, 33, 124, mss. Lat. Vet. Vulg. Syrr. Memph.
20. The Lord helps the disciples in their subsequent work. This statement is introduced to show how both command and promise were fulfilled in the missionary activity of the disciples. The verbal peculiarities are in the use of ἐενι πναο, σνρονο, ββιῦτς and ἐαοοθύτν πναο is not found elsewhere in Mk. (once in Lk.). σνρονο, ββιῦτς ἐαοοθύτν are not found elsewhere in the Gospels. They belong to the vocabulary of the Pauline Epistles.
Omit Ἀή at the end, Treg. WH. (Tisch.) Act_2:1, Act_2:33, mss. Latt. Syrr.
THE RESURRECTION
Mk. does not himself recount any appearance of the risen Lord. But he makes the angel at the tomb announce the resurrection, and promise that the Lord would meet his disciples in Galilee. The difficulty with this part of the history is that Mt. and Mk. give one version of it, Lk. another, the Acts still a third, and 1 Cor. a fourth. The account in Acts coincides with Lk. in regard to the final appearance, but, in regard to the time, differs from it more radically than either of the others, while Paul differs from them all in regard to the persons to whom Jesus appeared. But these differences of detail do not invalidate the main fact. The testimony of Paul is invaluable here. He writes his account about a.d. 58, and we know that he had had intercourse with both Peter and John, and James, who are named by him as among those to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection. This first-hand testimony to the fact of the resurrection entirely outweighs any discrepancy in the details. It puts the latter in the class of varieties of account which do not invalidate nor weaken the historicity of any record. There is a false impression made by the unusual consistency of the Synoptical Gospels which weakens unduly their testimony in the parts where they show more independence and variety. Of course, Mt. and Mk., on the one hand, and Lk., on the other, give independent and varying accounts of the resurrection. But the variety is caused by the independence; it is no greater than the ordinary variations of independent narratives, and it does not therefore invalidate the main fact of the resurrection. But the Synoptical Gospels, in the main, in their record of the public ministry of Jesus, are interdependent, and so there is an unusual sameness about them. This should not weaken their testimony, when they become independent, and so variant.
THE ASCENSION
The result of textual criticism is to render it doubtful if there is any account of the ascension of our Lord in the Gospels. Mt., Mk., and J. contain no account of it. And the passage in Lk. which gives it is put in the column of doubtful passages, being omitted by Tisch., and double-bracketed by WH. RV. On the other hand, there is no doubt that Lk. means by the δέτ ἀʼατν he was parted from them, a final separation from the disciples on that first day following the resurrection. And this brings it directly into conflict with the account of the forty days in Acts. Moreover, the story in Acts is the only one that relates, or even implies, a visible ascent. The ἀεέεοin Lk., and ἀεήθ in Mk., though their presence in the originals is impossible in Mk., and doubtful in Lk., can be traced back to first century sources through the old Latin and Syriac versions, so that they can be taken as witnesses to the event. But neither of them can be taken as independent witnesses to a visible ascent. That is supplied by the account in Acts.
1 τ μᾷτνσβάω is a purely Hebrew phrase, using the cardinal for the ordinal, and the plural σβάω for the week. Win. 37, 1.
AV. Authorised Version.
Tisch. Tischendorf.
RV. Revised Version.
Treg. Tregelles.
marg. Revided Version marg.
WH. Westcott and Hort.
אCodex Sinaiticus.
L Codex Regius.
ΔCodex Sangallensis
33 Codex Regius.
Memph. Memphitic.
B Codex Vaticanus.
1 .Codex Basiliensis
K Codex Cyprius.
69 Codex Leicestrensis.
2 On this reciprocal use of the reflexive pronoun, see Thay.-Grm. Lex.
1 Mat_28:2.
2 Luk_24:4.
3 J. 20:1-14.
4 Mat_28:5.
5 Luk_24:5.
6 On this use of ἴεas an interjection,—in this case not governing the noun which follows,—see on 15:35.
1 Mat_28:8.
2 Mat_28:10, Mat_28:16-20.
D Codex Ephraemi.
Lat. Vet. Vetus Latina.
Vulg. Vulgate.
Pesh. Peshito.
Harcl. Harclean.
1 See Introduction.
C Codex Bezae.
1 Luk_24:11.
2 Mat_28:10, Mat_28:16.
3 Luk_24:13-34.
4 Luk_24:16, Luk_24:34.
5 Luk_24:36-49, J. 20:19.
6 Luk_24:34, Luk_24:37, J. 20:20.
A Codex Alexandrinus.
Latt. Latin Versions.
Syrr. Syriac Versions.
X Codex Wolfi A.
1 Mat_28:16-20.
2 Luk_24:50, Luk_24:51.
3 Luk_24:47-49.
4 J. 3:26, 4:1, 2.
5 See Note on the Appendix.
M Codex Campianus.
1 Luk_24:51-53.
2 Mat_28:16-20.