Mark 10:22

10:22 Mark records the rich man’s tragic choice. The man departed, still possessing his earthly riches (Matt 6:19) but lacking eternal treasure (Matt 13:44-46). His demeanor (face fell . . . sad) showed his awareness that his awful choice had brought him sorrow rather than joy.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 10:22 . στυγνάσας : in Mat 16:3 , of the sky, here, of the face, λυπούμενος , following, referring to the mind: with sad face and heavy heart.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 22. And he was sad at that saying] This young man had perhaps been a saint, and an eminent apostle, had he been poor! From this, and a multitude of other cases, we may learn that it is oftentimes a misfortune to be rich: but who is aware of this?-and who believes it?

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(22) And he was sad at that saying.—Better, He frowned. The word is the same as that translated “lowering” in Mat_16:3.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. he was sad] “Sorrowful,” says St Matthew (Mat_19:22); “very sorrowful,” says St Luke (Luk_18:23); “sad,” says St Mark, or rather lowring, with a cloud upon his brow. The original word only occurs in one other place, Mat_16:3, “for the sky is red and lowring.”

he had great possessions] and these he preferred to possessions in heaven, and made, as Dante calls it, “the great refusal!” “Yet within a few months,” to quote the words of Keble, “hundreds in Jerusalem remembered and obeyed this saying of our Lord, and brought their goods, and laid them at the Apostles’ feet” (Act_4:34-37).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jesus looked round about,.... To see what effect the discourse he had with the young man, and the consequence of it, had upon his disciples; as also to raise their attention to what he was about, to say:

and saith unto his disciples, how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! the Gospel dispensation, by embracing the doctrines, and submitting to the ordinances of it; See Gill on Mat 19:23.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Ver. 22. Went away grieved] Which he would have not done, if he had loved God and his neighbour, as he professed to do. The Greek word λυπουμενος signifies, that he went away pouting and louring, fronte nubila, with a cloudy forehead, betokening his great discontent; he came hastily, but went away heavily.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But his countenance fell at the saying (o de stugnasav epi tw logw). The same word is used in St. Matthew (Mat_16:3) for a "lowering," "frowning sky" (ouranozwn). And he went away sorrowful (aphlye lupoumenov)literally, for he was one that had (hn ga)great possessions.

Vers. 22-31. Parallel passages: Mat_19:22-30 Luk_18:23-30. Act_4:34, Act_4:35, we read, "As many as were possessed of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles" feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." Peter, however, supplements his statement of fact by the inquiry, "What shall we have therefore?" as St. Matthew informs us. Peter reckons on a reward he calculates on a quid pro quo; and so far forth he shows that he has failed in the spirit of the requirement, though he has fulfilled it in the letter. An earthly kingdom with its attractive rewards was still looming before the eyes of these partially enlightened men.

5. The promised compensation. In the compensatory reward the equivalents for "father" and "wife" are omitted. The reason is not far to seek; we have not many fathers in Christ. As the apostle writes to the Corinthians, "Though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers;" but contrariwise we may have many spiritual mothers, as well as brothers and sisters. Thus Paul reckons among his spiritual mothers the mother of Rufus, when he says, (Rom_16:13) "his mother and mine." The jeer of Julian, with respect to a multiplicity of wives, is referred to by Theophylact in the following terms: he then also have a hundred wives? Yes. Though the cursed Julian mocked this." Theophylact then proceeds to explain it of the ministry of holy women supplying food and raiment, and relieving the disciples of care about all such things. The compensation of a hundredfold for all we abandon or lose for Christ"s sake must be understood figuratively and spiritually figuratively as to the quantitative proportion, spiritually with regard to quality or kind. The apostles enjoyed the fulfillment of this promise to the utmost in the presence and companionship of their Lord and Master, his instructions, his guidance, and his grace. There is no one who will make a similar sacrifice for his names sake, according to St. Matthew that is, as read in the light of the other evangelists, for sake of Christ and his cause, or Christ and his kingdom, not by reason of a calculation of reward that will not gain what is a hundred times more valuable than all they sacrifice: Divine favor, pardon of sin, purity of heart, peace of conscience, spiritual consolations, friends in Jesus; and all these not only in the present dispensation, but at the present season (kairw); while in the coming dispensation we shall have eternal life; that is to say, every blessing we need in this world, and eternal blessedness in the world to come. One of the items here enumerated is generally understood as a limitation; but meta diwgmn does not denote

(1) after persecutions, which would require the accusative, nor

(2) amidst persecutions, but

(3) with persecutions,

implying that persecutions have a place among the enumerated blessings, just as in the sermon on the mount we read, "Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness" sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." We should also compare with this promise of the Savior the inventory of the Christian"s possessions, as reckoned up by the apostle in 1Co_3:22, 1Co_3:23. Further, strictly temporal blessings are not excluded, but either directly or indirectly included. Godliness enables us in a certain sense to make the best of both worlds, being profitable for all things, and "having the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come." The blessing of the Lord maketh rich; for with "his blessing and the enjoyment of his favor men cultivate those virtues and habits that tend to temporal as well as spiritual well-being, such as industry, thrift, temperance, health, purity, prudent management, proper economy, and consequent credit, all of which bear directly on worldly wealth and present happiness. J.J.G.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

[22. ‘O δὲ, but he) How quickly do men refuse the happiest of all conditions!—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. στυγνάσας … λυπούμενος. Cf. Gen 4:5. All three record the grief, but Mk alone has στυγνάσας, for which Mt. and Lk. have ἀκούσας. He was gloomy and sullen with a double disappointment; no perilous exploit was required of him, but he was asked to part with what he valued most. With a lowering look (Mat 16:3), instead of coming to follow Christ (Mar 1:18; Mar 1:20, Mar 2:14), he turned away, deeply pained (note the participles). This is the sorrow of the world which leads to death, τῆς φιλαργυρίας ἡ ἄκανθα τὴν λιπαρὰν ἄρουραν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ διελυμήνατο (Euthym.). Στυγνός is freq. in tragedians, but rare in prose; στυγνἀζω is rare everywhere. On the Τίς ὁ σωζόμενος πλούσιος of Clem. Alex., which is apparently a popular address on this incident, see D. of Chr. Biog. I. p. 565; Swete, Patristic Study, p. 49.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22.] ἦν γὰρ ἔχων—so also Matt.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. Ὁ δὲ στυγνάσας1—And his countenance fell, RV. The word denotes the outward sign of sorrow, gloom.

ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά—for he had great wealth. The grief was caused by his having to go away without obtaining his object; the going away was caused by what seemed to him the impossibility of Jesus’ conditions. It might be comparatively easy for a man having only small or moderate possessions to give them up, but it involved too great a sacrifice in his case.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He was sad [στυγνασας] . Applied to the sky in Mt 16:3; lowering. The word paints forcibly the gloom which clouded his face.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.