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Mar_3:7-12. Comp. Mat_12:15 f., Luk_6:17-19, who with their difference of historical arrangement make but brief use of the description in Mark, which is more accurate and more fresh and does not blend heterogeneous elements (Hilgenfeld).
εἱς ] direction whither.
Mar_3:8. Ἰδουμαία ] on the southeastern border of Palestine.
A point is not to be placed, as by Beza, Er. Schmid, and Fritzsche, after Ἰορδάνου , but—as is required by the two distinct predicates based on the local relations, ἠκολούθησεν and ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτόν —before καὶ ἀπὸ τ . Ἰουδαίας . It is first of all stated, who followed Jesus from Galilee, where He Himself was, to the sea, and then, from καὶ ἀπὸ τ . Ἰουδ . onward, who came to Him from other regions. Namely: and from Judaea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea and Peraea ( καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδ .; observe that here ἀπό is not repeated), and those (the Jews) about Tyre and Sidon, in great multitudes ( πλῆθος πολύ belongs to the whole as a more precise definition of the subject), they came to Him,
Observe, moreover, the different position of πλῆθος in Mar_3:7-8; in the one case the greatness of the mass of people preponderates in the conception, in the other it is the idea of the mass of people itself.
ἐποίει ] imperfect, used of the continuous doing.
Mar_3:9. ἵνα ] What He said to them is conceived of as the design of the speaking (comp. on Mat_4:3): in order that a vessel should be continually at His service.
διὰ τὸν ὄχλον κ . τ . λ .] therefore not for the purpose of crossing over; ἔμελλε γὰρ ἐμβὰς εἰς αὐτὸ μὴ ἐνοχλεῖσθαι , Euthymius Zigabenus. Comp. Mar_4:1; Mat_13:2. It is not said, however, that He wished to teach out of the vessel (Kuinoel and others).
Mar_3:10 f. Information regarding this pressing towards Him.
ἐθεράπευσεν ] not sanaverat (Castalio, Kuinoel, Fritzsche), but He healed just at that time. The ὥστε ἐπιπίπτειν αὐτῷ , so that they fell upon Him, depicts the impetuous thronging unto Him of those seeking aid. “Admirabilis patientia et benignitas Domini,” Bengel. προσέπιπτ . αὐτῷ in Mar_3:11 is different: they fell down before Him (Mar_5:33, Mar_7:25).
μάστιγας ] plagues, Mar_5:29; Mar_5:34; Luk_7:21; Psa_35:15; Sir_40:9; 2Ma_7:37. In accordance with the context: plagues of sickness.
τὰ πνεύματα κ . τ . λ .] a statement in conformity with the appearance; the sick people identified themselves with the demons.
ὅταν ] with the praeterite indicative: whenever they saw Him, i.e. as soon as ever they got sight of Him. See Winer, p. 276 [E. T. 388]. This rare and late linguistic phenomenon is to be explained to the effect, that the conception of the uncertain ( ἄν ) has become completely blended with ὅτε , and the whole emphasis rests upon this whenever. See Klotz, ad Devar. p. 690. It does not mean: if they ever saw Him.
Mar_3:12. ἵνα ] design of the πολλὰ ἐπετίμα αὐτοῖς (the demons). How colourless is Mat_7:16! According to Hilgenfeld, Mark has exaggerated. As to the prohibition itself of their making Him known as Messiah, comp. Mar_1:43, and on Mat_8:4; Mar_5:43.