Lange Commentary - Mark 16:9 - 16:13

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Lange Commentary - Mark 16:9 - 16:13


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

2. Mary Magdalene and the two Disciples. Mar_16:9-13

(Parallels: Mat_28:9-15; Luk_24:9-35; Joh_20:11-19)

9Now, when Jesus was risen early, the first day of the week, he appeared first to 10Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

See Matthew and Luke.—According to Meyer, the apocryphal fragment of some other evangelical writing begins here. Compare the Introduction on this point. The epithet apocryphal, would not be appropriate, even if the section were an addition taken from another Evangelist’s narrative. The narrative contained in our Gospel comprehends within its very brief hints the detailed statement of John regarding the Easter-message of Mary Magdalene, and the still more detailed account by Luke of the Easter-message sent by the disciples met on the road to Emmaus. Mark groups both accounts under the single head of two duly-authorized embassies, which do not meet with full credence. The first and second halves of this chapter are, however, united into an inseparable unity in the one fundamental thought, that the risen Saviour is the absolute and universal conqueror of unbelief, which was already, even in the circle of disciples, throwing obstacles in the way of Jesus; and that Christ, as the subduer of this unbelief, stands raised above all the messages of men and angels.

Mar_16:9. Was risen early.—The manifestation of the Risen One by the angels had been preceded by His own personal appearances. The first day of the week is again named, of course, for the purpose of bringing into prominence, even at that early period, the Christian day of rest. We would translate: Upon the first of the seven days ( ôὸ óÜââáôïí indicating here, as frequently, the week, after the later and more extended custom of the Jewish language). Upon this day He appeared to the Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils. Christ, as the Risen One, has sanctified the week as a holy period; and at the beginning of the holy week, He reveals Himself to one who was preëminently sanctified and susceptible, because He had cleansed her from seven demons. The Evangelist has, accordingly, not merely before him the contrast,—the risen Saviour revealing Himself to a poor woman,—but the spiritual relationship,—she who had been freed from seven devils stands especially near to the conqueror of demons on the morning of His great triumph, and she is peculiarly fitted in spirit to be the first to see Him, and to announce to the disciples His resurrection. Accordingly, in this revelation we have the activity of the Saviour, in His conquest over devils, set over against the passivity of the pardon-seeking woman, who had been freed from the seven devils. Meyer considers this remark concerning Mary as not belonging to this passage. We view the expulsion of seven devils in connection with the sacred number seven, and regard the term symbolic of a glorious deliverance out of the great snares which Satan had prepared. (Comp. Matthew.) Mark is wont to employ ἐêâáëëåéí in other passages to express strongly a glorious redemption. It is questionable whether the words, “early on the first day of the week,” go back to ἀíáóôὰò äÝ (Beza, Ewald, etc.), or are to be construed with ἐöÜíç (Grotius and others). We prefer the first construction, because the second mention of the resurrection as having occurred upon the first day of the week appears to point at the sanctification of that period. In verse second, ìßá óáââÜôùí had reference to Jewish customs; but here the allusion is to the renewed week, the ðñþôç óáââÜôïõ .

Mar_16:10. And she went.—That is, even she. It must be conceded that Mark employs ðïñåõåóèáé to express a solemn proclamation of the Gospel only in this place (Mar_16:15 excepted). By this, however, he reminds us of the mode of expression employed by his teacher, Peter: 1Pe_3:19.—Them that had been with Him.—This also is a peculiar expression to indicate the disciples in a wider sense. It indicates, however, their scattered condition, their present despairing state, as opposed to their former blessed communion with Him. The expression itself is not an unusual one with Mark; see Mar_1:36.—As they mourned and wept.—Comp. Luk_6:25. This has undoubtedly a special reference to the sorrowful and weeping Peter. To bring prominently out that Jesus revealed Himself to Peter, after the message given to Mary, consists not with the matter-of-fact disposition of Mark.

Mar_16:11. And had been seen of her, ἐèåÜèç .—A strong expression. “That èåᾶóèáé is not found elsewhere in the Gospel by Mark, considering how frequent is its use by others, is one of the marks of a strange hand.” Meyer. Hermeneutics might, we think, have taught him: new facts, new words.

Mar_16:12. In another form.—An explanation of the expression in Luk_24:16, but by no means a condensation of Luk_24:13-35, as Meyer would represent. Jesus’ form was, on the one hand, changed: different clothes (Joh_20:15), traces of the sufferings during the crucifixion: on the other hand, more sublime in its appearance, Jesus being in the transition-state from humiliation to glorification.

After that.—The three specifications, ðñῶôïí , ìåôὰ äὲ ôáῦôá , ὕóôåñïí , relate manifestly to one another. Hence it cannot be at all remarkable that ìåôὰ ôáῦôá is not elsewhere to be found in Mark (comp. Mar_13:24).—Of them—of the unbelieving disciples in a wider sense.

Mar_16:13. Neither believed they them.—Even they did not gain credence. Meyer: “A different tradition from that given in Luk_24:34.” It is certain that no interpolator would have allowed this manifest appearance of a discrepancy. But the Evangelist, who was writing from the stand-point of a special idea of the resurrection, was not afraid to employ it. And Luke gives the means of knowing what is meant. The Eleven knew for a certainty, in the evening, that Christ had appeared to Simon, and were consequently for the moment believing. Now the Emmaus disciples arrive, and declare that Jesus had revealed Himself unto them. Not being able to comprehend this new mode of existence on the part of Christ, that He now is here, and now there, new doubts fill them. The thought of a spiritual apparition occurs to them; and hence they are affrighted when Jesus at length appears in their midst, and imagine that a ghost is present. And now the Lord must convince them as to the truth of His new corporeality. The point brought forward by Mark testifies, accordingly, to an exceedingly accurate, and moreover, a perfectly independent, knowledge of the facts of the resurrection. The expression is, of course, explained by Luke 26:34, without, however, referring to it (Schulthess). And so it is unnecessary to suppose, with Augustine, that the ëÝãïõíôåò were certain believing disciples, to be distinguished from certain who did not believe; or to say, with Calvin, “At first they doubted, then they believed.” The situation of affairs was of such a nature as to lead them into new difficulties on hearing the message of the Emmaus disciples, instead of strengthening them in their belief. Because, as yet they were not in possession of the idea of a glorified body; and hence they thought very naturally, that if the Lord had appeared to Simon in Jerusalem, He could not at the same time have appeared unto others at a distance from the city. Not to speak of this, that several of the Eleven might very reasonably have thought: Why should He reveal Himself to these two at Emmaus earlier than to us at Jerusalem?

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. See Matthew and the parallels in Luke and John: also the foregoing Note on Mar_16:13.

2. The Easter-embassy of the angelic world to the human world has been replaced by the message of the resurrection passing from man to man, at first from the female disciples to the male disciples, then the message passing between individual disciples and the disciple-band. The Risen One has destroyed, in His resurrection, the bands and bolts of the grave; He must now destroy, likewise, the doubts, the weak faith, the unbelief of His own, in order with them to destroy in like manner the unbelief of the world. The certainty of His resurrection presses gradually forward; but the Church comes only to perfect knowledge when He reveals Himself in her midst.

3. The appearing and disappearing of Jesus in the circle of disciples is a type of His appearance in, and of His disappearance from, the Church.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

See Matthew, and the parallel passages in Luke and John.—The risen Saviour presents Himself to be recognized by one who stood especially near to the kingdom of heaven and of the Unseen, because He has freed and cleansed her heart from seven devils.—Mary Magdalene, the much-forgiven sinner, sent as a comforter to the weeping Peter, to the sorrow-laden and mourning disciples.—The two Maries, who had remained with Jesus beside His grave, late into the night of His dying day, are to be the first to see Him on His resurrection morn.—The distinction made in the case of the two disciples going into the country: 1. Because they, like Magdalene and Peter, especially required consolation; 2. because they united in going before the Lord as two messengers and witnesses unto the Church.—The risen Saviour brings His own at once together again.—Jesus appearing in another and new form, as the Prince and Pledge of another, new world: 1. In the form of one who had passed through death; 2. with the glorified crucifixion-marks; 3. with the signs of the new life (even the Magdalene did not at once recognize Him).—The threefold form of the unbelief which departed not, even from the community of believers, without assistance: 1. They cannot conceive to themselves the mysterious majesty in which Christ caused an angel to represent Him; 2. they cannot conceive to themselves the greatness of the grace, in consequence of which He appears to Mary Magdalene first; 3. they cannot conceive to themselves the might of His exaltation, by reason of which He appears now here, now there.—Neither the angels, nor the women, nor the two Evangelists, satisfy their faith: they wish to be assured of His actual existence by His own appearance.—Not having yielded themselves to faith in His prediction, they find it difficult to believe in its fulfilment.

Starke:—As the woman was the first to sin, so hath Christ, after finishing salvation, chosen to reveal Himself to a woman first.—The most despised in the opinion of the world are often the most precious in the eyes of God.—Quesnel:—God delights in blessing those who have remained faithful to Him in persecution, and have not been ashamed of the cross.—Christ imparts His grace according to the need for it, Mat_5:4.—Jesus ever, even upon our journeyings, with us.

Braune:—The intelligence brought by Mary and the women concerning the resurrection of the Saviour is believed neither lightly nor superstitiously; and hence we see that their belief, and their testimony, is the more firmly founded, and the more trustworthy.



Footnotes:

 [The reasons for assuming that Mar_16:9-20 are an original portion of Mark’s Gospel much outweigh those to the contrary. 1. They are found in the Uncial Codd. A., C., D., X., Ä ., E., G., H., K., M., S., U., V.; as well as in 33, 69, and the res t of the Cursive MSS. which have been collated. They are in copies of the Old Latin, in the Vulgate, Curetonian Syriac, Peshito, Jerusalem Syriac, Memphitic, Gothic, and Æthiopic. 2. Irenæus (Cont. Hær. iii. 10, 6) recognizes their existence; as do also Hippolytus, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose, Augustine, Nestorius. Scholz also claims that Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, and Clement of Alexandria sanction the passage; but Tregelles regards this as an error. The chief argument against the genuineness of this section is found in the fact, that it was wanting in some of the early copies of Mark’s Gospel. This is attested by Eusebius, Gregory Nyssa, Victor of Antioch, and Jerome. But this is certainly an insufficient reason for affirming its spuriousness in the face of the strong testimonies upon the other side. See Tregelles on the Printed Text of the Greek Testament, p. 246 seq. Its genuineness is affirmed by Simon, Mill, Bengel, Matthæi, Eichorn, Kuinoel, Hug, Scholz, Guericke, Olshausen, Ebrard, Lachmann; is denied by Griesbach, Rosenmüller, Schulz, Fritzsche, Paulus, wieseler, Ewald, Meyer, Tischendorf.—Ed.]

[Lange seems to have in his eye the objection of Meyer (in loc.) to the genuineness of the section, drawn from the fact that the word ðïñåýù occurs three times in it.—Ed.]