and of affectionate diminutives.^969 He observes time and place of important events.^970 He has a
number of peculiar expressions not found elsewhere in the New Testament.^971
Characteristic Details.
Mark inserts many delicate tints and interesting incidents of persons and events which he
must have heard from primitive witnesses. They are not the touches of fancy or the reflections of
an historian, but the reminiscences of the first impressions. They occur in every chapter. He makes
some little contribution to almost every narrative he has in common with Matthew and Luke. He
notices the overpowering impression of awe and wonder, joy and delight, which the words and
miracles of Jesus and his very appearance made upon the people and the disciples;^972 the actions
of the multitude as they were rushing and thronging and pressing upon Him that He might touch
and heal them, so that there was scarcely standing room, or time to eat.^973 On one occasion his
kinsmen were about forcibly to remove Him from the throng. He directs attention to the human
emotions and passions of our Lord, how he was stirred by pity, wonder, grief, anger and
indignation.^974 He notices his attitudes, looks and gestures,^975 his sleep and hunger.^976
He informs us that Jesus, "looking upon" the rich young ruler, "loved him," and that the
ruler’s "countenance fell" when he was told to sell all he had and to follow Jesus. Mark, or Peter
rather, must have watched the eye of our Lord and read in his face the expression of special interest
in that man who notwithstanding his self-righteousness and worldliness had some lovely qualities
and was not very far from the kingdom.^977
The cure of the demoniac and epileptic at the foot of the mount of transfiguration is narrated
with greater circumstantiality and dramatic vividness by Mark than by the other Synoptists. He
supplies the touching conversation of Jesus with the father of the sufferer, which drew out his weak
and struggling faith with the earnest prayer for strong and victorious faith: "I believe; help Thou
mine unbelief."^978 We can imagine how eagerly Peter, the confessor, caught this prayer, and how
often he repeated it in his preaching, mindful of his own weakness and trials.
All the Synoptists relate on two distinct occasions Christ’s love for little children, but Mark
alone tells us that He "took little children into his arms, and laid his hands upon them."^979(^969) As παιδίον, κοράσιον, κυνάριον, θυγάτριον, ίχθύδιον, ὠτάριον.
(^970) Time: Mark 1:35; 2:1; 4:35; 6:2; 11:11, 19; 15:25; 16:2. Place: 2:1; 5:20; 7:31; 12:41; 13:3; 14:68; 15:39; 16:5.
(^971) Asἀγρεύειν, ἄλαλος, ἀλεκτοροφωνία, γναφεύς , εκθαμβεῖσθαι, ἐναγκαλίζεσθαι, ἐξάπινα, ἐνειλέω, ἐξουδενόω, ἔννυχον,
μογιλάλος, πρασιαὶ πρασιαί, προσάββατον, προμεριμνᾶν, προσορμίζεσθαι, συνθλίβειν, τηλαυγῶς , ὑπολήνιον, and others.
(^972) Mark 1:22, 27; 2:12; 4:41; 6:2, 51; 10:24, 26, 32.
(^973) Mark 3:10, 20, 32; 4:1; 5:21, 31; 6:31, 33.
(^974) Mark 6:34: "he had compassion on them;" 6:6: "he marvelled because of their unbelief" (as he marvelled also at the great
faith of the heathen centurion, Matt. 8:10; Luke 7:8); Mark 3:5: "when he had looked round about them with anger, being grieved
at the hardening of their heart;" 8:12: "he sighed deeply in his spirit;" 10:14: "he was moved with indignation," or "was much
displeased" with the conduct of the disciples.
(^975) Mark 1:31; 3:5, 34; 5:32; 7:33, 34; 8:12, 33 ("but he, turning about, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter") 9:35; 10:23,
32; 11:11.
(^976) Mark 4:38; 6:31; 11:12.
(^977) Mark 10:21, 22: ἐμβλέψας αὐτῷ ἡγάπησεν αὐτόν. This must be taken in its natural meaning and not weakened into " kissed
him," or " spoke kindly to him," or " pitied him." Our Saviour, says Morison, in l., " would discern in the young man not a little
that was really amiable, the result of the partial reception and reflection of gracious Divine influences. There was ingenuousness,
for instance, and moral earnestness. There was restraint of the animal passions, and an aspiration of the spirit toward the things
of the world to come."
(^978) Mark 9:21-25. Comp. Matt. 17:14-18; Luke 9:37-42.
(^979) Mark 9:36; 10:16; comp. with Matt 18:2; 19:13; and Luke 9:48; 18:16.
A.D. 1-100.