Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Mark 6:5 - 6:5
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
5. οὐκ ἐδύνατο … δύναμιν. The verbal play is perhaps intentional; “He had no power to do any work of power” (McLaren). Mt. does not like οὐκ ἐδύνατο of Christ and says οὐκ ἐποίησεν. Origen points out that Mk does not say οὐκ ἤθελεν: the defect was on their side not His. Faith was necessary on both sides, where faith was possible. Christ always believed that He had the ἐξουσία to heal, but faith on the part of the afflicted (or those who were responsible for them) might be wanting; then, οὐκ ἐδύνατο· ἐνεπόδιζε γὰρ αὐτῷ ἡ ἀπιστία. οὐκ ἔδει βιαίως εὐεργετεῖν αὐτούς (Euthym.). He was not ἀσθενής, but they were ἄπιστοι (Theoph.). Jerome needlessly remarks that He could do much good even to those who did not believe; but the good in question was healing of body, not of soul: and Bede introduces an idea foreign to the passage when he suggests that it was in mercy that Christ did few mighty works, for, had He done many, the guilt of their unbelief would have been increased. Dr Abbott thinks that Jn (Mar 5:19; Mar 5:30) may be covering Mk’s statement, which was disliked by some, when he quotes Christ as saying “The Son can do nothing of Himself” (The Fourfold Gospel, Introd. p. 23).
ποιῆσαι. Aor. infin. after δύναμαι. See on Mar 1:40.
οὐκ … εἰ μὴ. Cf. Mar 8:14; and for ἐπιθεὶς τ. χεῖρας, Mar 5:23.