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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Mar_3:13-19. Comp. Mat_10:2-4; Luk_6:12-16.
τὸ ὄρος ] upon the mountain there. See on Mat_5:1.
οὓς ἢθελεν αὐτός ] so that no one might come forward of his own will. Jesus first of all made a wider selection, and then out of this, Mar_3:14, the narrower one of the Twelve. To raise a doubt of the actual selection of the latter (Schleiermacher, L. J. p. 370), as if they to some extent had become apostles with less of assent on Christ’s part, is at variance also with Joh_6:70.
Mar_3:14 f. ἐποίησε ] He made, that is, He ordained, appointed. Comp. Act_2:36; 1Sa_12:6. On the clause ἵνα ὦσι μετʼ αὐτοῦ , comp. Act_1:21.
ἀποστέλλῃ αὐτούς ] namely, subsequently. See Mar_6:7.
καὶ ἔχειν ] conjoined with the κηρύσσειν as an aim of the sending forth, in which it was contemplated that they were to preach and to have power,[71] etc. Comp. Mar_6:7. The simple, naive detail of the appointment and destination of the Twelve bears the stamp of originality, not of elaboration after Matthew and Luke (Zeller in Hilgenfeld’s Zeitschrift, 1865, p. 396 ff.).
Mar_3:16 ff. Inexactly enough Mark relates, instead of Simon’s appointment, only his being named; but he leaves his appointment to be thence understood of itself, and then, as if he had narrated it in connection with ἐποίησε , continues by ΚΑῚ ἸΆΚΩΒΟΝ , which still depends on ἘΠΟΊΗΣΕ ,—an awkwardness which is scarcely to be attributed to a reflecting reviser.
As to the arrangement—generally according to rank, but in Mark and Act_1:13 giving precedence to the three most intimate disciples—of the twelve names in three quaternions, see on Mat_10:2; Ewald, p. 205 f.
Mark narrates the naming of Peter as having taken place at that time, which is not incompatible with Mat_16:18 (see in loc.), although it is doubtless with Joh_1:43.
Mar_3:17. And He assigned to them names, (namely) Boanerges. The plural ὀνόματα (for which D reads ὊΝΟΜΑ ) depends on the conception that the names bestowed on the two brothers are included in Boanerges. Βοανεργές ] ܒܢܳܝܪܓܷܫ, áÌÀðÅé øÆâÆùÑ . The Sheva, according to Aramaic pronunciation (see Lightfoot): oa. øÆâÆùÑ , in the Hebrew, a noisy crowd, Psa_55:15; in the Syriac, thunder; comp. the Arabic ÑÌÓ , tonuit.[72] The historical occasion of this appellation is altogether unknown. It has been sought in the mighty eloquence of the two (Victor Antiochenus, Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus, Calvin, Wetstein, Michaelis, and others, comp. Luther’s gloss); but it may be objected to this view that such a quality could hardly have appeared at that time, when the men had not yet taught; and also that in the case of John at least, a thundering eloquence (as in Pericles; Cic. Orat. 29) is not to be supposed. Others (Heumann, Kuinoel, comp. also Gurlitt in the Stud. u. Krit. 1829, p. 715 ff.) have understood it to be a name of reproach, and referred it to Luk_9:54, so that the meaningless, destructive power (Gurlitt) would be the point of comparison; but the time of the giving this name is not in accordance with this view, as it is also in itself improbable, and at variance with the analogy of Peter’s name, that Jesus should have converted a reproach into a name and thereby have made it the signature of their character; to which we may add, that in Luke, l.c, there is nothing at all said about thunder. Moreover, it is historically demonstrable that the disciples were of impetuous, ardent temperament (Mar_9:38; Luk_9:54; comp. Mat_20:20 ff., and Mar_10:35 ff.), and it is therefore not arbitrary to conjecture that some special exhibition of this peculiarity at the time suggested the name, of which, however, it is absolutely unknown for what reason it did not become permanent, like the name of Peter, and in fact is no further mentioned elsewhere, although it was given by Jesus.
Θαδδαῖον ] see on Mat_10:3. As to Ὁ ΚΑΝΑΝΑῖΟς , see on Mat_10:4.
[71] Observe the correctness of the expression ἔχειν ἐξουσ . κ . τ . λ . (in opposition to de Wette). For the destination of the apostles in fact was not: to teach and to drive out the demons, but to teach and in so doing to possess the power of driving out demons, in order that they might apply this power on appropriate occasion for the confirmation of their teaching. Comp. Mar_16:20; 2Co_12:12.
[72] Jerome’s reading (in Daniel 1, Isaiah 62): Benereem, is an emendation ( øòí , thunder).