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Mar_6:7-13. Comp. Mat_10:1-14; Luk_9:1-6. Mark here adopts, with abridgment and sifting, from the collection of Logia what was essentially relevant to his purpose; Luke follows him, not without obliteration and generalizing of individual traits.
ἤρξατο ] He now began that sending forth, to which they were destined in virtue of their calling; its continuance was their whole future calling, from the standpoint of which Mark wrote his ἤρξατο .
δύο δύο ] binos, in pairs. Sir_36:25. A Hebraism; Winer, p. 223 [E. T. 312]. The Greek says κατά , ἀνά , εἰς δύο , or even συνδύο (see Valckenaer, ad Herod. p. 311; Heindorf, ad Plat. Parm. p. 239). Wherefore in pairs? “Ad plenam testimonii fidem,” Grotius. Comp. Luk_7:19; Luk_9:1.
Mar_6:8. αἴρωσιν ] should take up, in order to carry it with them, 1Ma_4:30.
εἰ μὴ ῥάβδον μόνον ] The variation in Matthew and Luke betokens the introduction of exaggeration,[96] but not a misunderstanding of the clear words (Weiss). There is an attempt at a mingling of interpretations at variance with the words in Ebrard, p. 382; Lange, L. J. II. 2, p. 712. It ultimately comes to this, that εἰ μὴ ῥ . μ . is intended to mean: at most a staff. Even Bleek has recourse to the unfounded refinement, that the staff in Mark is meant only for support, not as a weapon of defence.
Mar_6:9. ἀλλʼ ὑποδεδεμ . σανδάλ .] There is no difference from μηδὲ ὑποδήματα , Mat_10:10, not even a correction of this expression (Bleek, comp. Holtzmann). See on Matt. l.c. The meaning is, that they should be satisfied with the simple light foot-covering of sandals, in contrast with the proper calceus ( ὑπόδημα κοῖλον ), which had upper leather, and the use of which was derived from the Phoenicians and Babylonians (Leyrer in Herzog’s Encykl. VII. p. 729). Comp. Act_12:8. The construction is anacoluthic, as though παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς πορεύεσθαι had been previously said. Then the discourse changes again, going over from the obliqua into the directa ( ἐνδύσησθε ). See Kühner, II. p. 598 f., and ad Xen. Mem. i. 4. 15, iii. 5. 14, iv. 4. 5. A lively non-periodic mode of representing the matter; comp. Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 330 [E. T. 384 f.].
Mar_6:10. καὶ ἔλεγ . αὐτ .] a new portion of the directions given on that occasion. Comp. on Mar_4:13.
ἐκεῖ ] in this house: but ἐκεῖθεν : from this τόπος (see the critical remarks).
Mar_6:11. εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς ] which is to serve them for a testimony, namely, of that which the shaking off of the dust expresses, that they are placed on a footing of equality with heathens. Comp. on Mat_10:14.
Mar_6:12 f. ἵνα ] the aim of the ἐκήρυξαν .
ἤλειφον ἐλαίῳ ] The anointing with oil (the mention of which in this place is held by Baur, on account of Jam_5:14, to betray a later date) was very frequently applied medically in the case of external and internal ailments. See Lightfoot, p. 304, 617; Schoettgen, I. p. 1033; Wetstein in loc. But the assumption that the apostles had healed by the natural virtue of the oil (Paulus, Weisse), is at variance with the context, which narrates their miraculous action. Nevertheless it is also wholly unwarranted to regard the application of the oil in this case merely as a symbol; either of the working of miracles for the purpose of awakening faith (Beza, Fritzsche, comp. Weizsäcker), or of the bodily and spiritual refreshment (Euthymius Zigabenus), or of the divine compassion (Theophylact, Calvin), or to find in it merely an arousing of the attention (Russwurm in the Stud. u. Krit. 1830, p. 866), or, yet again, a later magical mingling of the supernatural and the natural (de Wette). In opposition to the latter view the pertinent remark of Euthymius Zigabenus holds good: εἰκὸς δὲ , καὶ τοῦτο παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου διδαχθῆναι τοὺς ἀποστόλους . Comp. Jam_5:14. The anointing is rather, as is also the application of spittle on the part of Jesus Himself (Mar_7:33, Mar_8:23; Joh_9:6), to be looked upon as a conductor of the supernatural healing power, analogous to the laying on of hands in Mar_6:5, so that the faith was the causa apprehendens, the miraculous power the causa efficiens, and the oil was the medians, therefore without independent power of healing, and not even necessary, where the way of immediate operation was, probably in accordance with the susceptibility of the persons concerned, adopted by the Healer, as Jesus also heals the blind man of Jericho without any application of spittle, Mar_10:46 f. The passage before us has nothing to do with the unctio extrema (in opposition to Maldonatus and many others), although Bisping still thinks that he discovers here at least a type thereof.
[96] Inverting the matter, Baur holds that the “reasoning” Mark had modified the expression. Comp. Holtzmann and Hilgenfeld.