Mark 11:23

Mar_11:23

That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed.

This mountain

This mountain, which Christ promised His disciples power to remove, and which in after years they did most effectually remove, was the holy mount on which the Hebrew temple once stood, but which is now crowned with churches and a mosque. He saw that even the Jewish religion was waxing old and ready to vanish away. And yet how impossible it seemed that they, a few simple and unlettered men, with no force but their faith in Him, should achieve this mighty task. The whole world, heathen and Hebrew, was against them: the unbroken power of Rome, the unsurpassed wisdom of the Greeks, the ancient philosophies and hereditary customs of the unchanging East, the fierce barbarism of the North, the jealous and tenacious bigotry of the Jews; the lusts of the flesh and of the mind, the pride and splendour of life; all to which men leaned with all the weight of habit, tradition, and inclination. And yet, in a few years, all these mighty forces went down before the power of faith; and, where they still survive, their doom is written on them in characters which it takes no prophet to read. All this the disciples had to believe before, as yet, any jot of it had come to pass. Their faith in God, and in the redeeming purpose of His love, was to be their sole warrant and evidence that the temple, with all which it symbolized, was to pass away; that this mountain, with all its pile of sacred fabrics, all its weight of sacred memories, was to be cast into the sea; and that the world, banded in an apparently impregnable unity against them, was nevertheless to be overcome. And in this faith they both destroyed the temple and conquered the world. (S. Cox, D. D.)

This mountain-Difficulties in the Christians path

Our Lord here presupposes that believers will be called by God to the undertaking and doing of great and difficult works, such as are above and beyond the power of nature, and as hard and difficult to flesh and blood as the removing of a mountain. Such great and difficult works may a Christian be called by God to perform: yea, every Christian is actually called by God to the performance of such hard and difficult works, so soon as he is called to believe and to be a Christian-e.g., a Christian is called to deny himself, and to take up his cross and follow Christ: which are most difficult works, impossible to nature and contrary to it. A Christian is also called to the practice of repentance, i.e., to die unto sin, to mortify his sinful lusts, etc., a most hard, difficult, and painful work. Again, we are called to obey God in all things which He requires: in all parts of His will, though never so hard and contrary to our nature. We are called to despise the world, and to use it as if we used it not; yea, to be crucified and dead to it; and to forsake all we have for Christ and the gospel. All these are most hard and difficult duties, which every Christian and true believer is called to undertake and perform; and he must indeed perform them, in some measure at least; otherwise, he cannot be a good Christian. If we wish to be good Christians indeed, we must not promise ourselves a life of ease; we must think seriously and often what we are called to; and we must daily pray and labour for supernatural strength and grace. Not of ourselves can we accomplish this arduous task; but God, who calls us to it, will enable us to perform it, if we seek from Him that which we have not in ourselves. (G. Petter.)

Mountain removed

When William Carey went to India, many a wise man would have said to him, You may lust as well walk up to the Himalaya mountains, and order them to be removed and cast into the sea. I would have said, That is perfectly true; this Hinduism is as vast and as solid as those mountains; but we have faith-not much, yet we have faith as a grain of mustard seed; and William Carey said, I will go up to the mountain. Lonely and weak he walked up towards the mountain, which in the eye of man seemed verily one of the summits of human things, far above all power to touch or shako it; and with his own feeble voice he began saying, Be thou removed! be thou removed! And the world looked on and laughed, a celebrated clergyman, looking down from his high place in the Edinburgh Review, was much amused with the spectacle of that poor man down in Bengal, thinking in his simple heart that he was going to disturb Hinduism; and from his high place he cast down a scalding word, which he meant to fall just as of old boiling lead used to fall upon a poor man from the height of a tower. He called him a consecrated cobbler. All the wise world laughed, and said he was treated as he ought to be treated. However, he went on saying to the mountain, Be thou removed! be thou removed! And one joined him, and another joined him; the voice grew stronger; it was repeated in more languages than one: Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the depths of the sea! and now there is a large company who are uttering that one word, Be thou removed! I ask the living representatives of the very men who first smiled at this folly, What say ye now? Well, they answer, you have not got into the sea yet. That is true; but do you say that the mountain during the last forty years has not moved? No man can say that it is in the same position as it was when William Carey first went up to it. It is moving fast; and I call upon you to swell that voice, the voice of Gods Church, which seems to say, Be thou removed, be thou removed, and be thou east into the depths of the sea! Cast into those depths it will be; and a day will come when the nations of a regenerated East will write in letters of gold upon the first pages of their Christian history the name of the consecrated cobbler. (William Arthur.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 11:23 in Mat 17:20 , Luk 17:6 ; Mar 11:24 in Mat 7:7 , Luk 11:9 ; Mar 11:25 in Mat 18:35 ; of course in somewhat altered form. Mk. seems here to make room for some important words of our Lord, as if to compensate for neglect of the didache which he knew to be an important feature in His ministry, doing this, however, as Meyer remarks, by way of thoughtful redaction, not by mere random insertion. πίστιν Θεοῦ , faith in God, genitive objective as in Rom 3:22 and Heb 6:2 ( βαπτισμῶν διδαχὴν ).

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

23. [2565][2566][2567][2568] omit γάρ, [2569][2570][2571][2572] omit δ ἐὰν εἴπῃ.

[2565] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[2566] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[2567] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mar 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[2568] Codex Athous Laurae. 8th cent. Like N and Σ, it is written in silver letters on purple vellum. Contains Mar 9:5 to Mar 16:20, and, as in L, the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9. As in Δ, the text of Mark is specially good.

[2569] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[2570] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[2571] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[2572] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

23. ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν. See crit. note, and on Mar 3:28.

ὃς ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ. “Removing mountains” was a Jewish figure of speech for a very great difficulty, and it would be familiar to the disciples. Like many Oriental teachers, Christ was accustomed to use strong and picturesque language which to Western ears sounds extravagant (Mar 9:45-47, Mar 10:25). Sanday, The Life of Christ in Recent Research, pp. 26 f. Lk. omits the withered tree, but has a similar Saying in a different connexion, with a sycamine tree instead of a mountain (Luk 17:6). In each case the miraculous passage from land to sea is effected by faith. The most difficult results are attainable when faith and prayer are directed towards objects which are in accordance with the Divine Will (Mar 9:23). St Paul may have known that our Lord had used this figure (1Co 13:2), but he may equally well have employed it independently. Origen interprets “this mountain” as “this hostile object presented by the devil.” Armed with faith and prayer we may say to Satan himself, “Depart,” and he will go. E. A. Abbott, The Son of Man, p. 387.

Ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι. Aor. of what takes place once for all; cf. λύσατε (Mar 11:2; Joh 2:19), βοήθησον (Mar 9:22).

μὴ διακριθῇ. Hort says that Jas 1:6 is “taken from our Lord’s words in Mar 11:23. Not the mere petition avails, but the mind of the asker, the trust in God as one who delights to give. Wavering is no doubt the right translation of διακρινόμενος in this verse (Act 10:20; Rom 4:20; Rom 14:23), though singularly enough this sense occurs in no Greek writing, except where the influence of the N.T. might have led to its use. It is supported by the versions, the Greek commentators from Chrysostom and Hesychius, as well as by the context of all the passages. Cf. διαλογίζομαι, ‘dispute with oneself’ in the Gospels.” N.T. usage makes διακρίνομαι the negation of πιστεύω, for each, so far as it is true, excludes the other. See crit. note.

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.

(23) Those things . . . he shall have whatsoever he saith.—The better MSS. give, “that the thing which he saith cometh to pass,” and “he shall have it.” The promise is specific rather than general in its form, and so prepares the way for the wider generalisation of the next verse.

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

23. verily I say unto you] With great solemnity He seeks to impress upon them a truth which would be of the greatest import to them, when they went forth, as His Apostles, to establish and spread His kingdom—that an unfaltering faith in God would overcome all difficulties, even the most insuperable to the eye of sense.

shall say unto this mountain] Language like this was familiar in the schools of the Jews. They used to set out those teachers among them, that were more eminent for the profoundness of their learning, or the splendour of their virtues, by such expressions as these, “He is a rooter up or remover of mountains.” “They called Rabbah Bar Nachmani, A rooter up of mountains, because he had a piercing judgment.” Lightfoot, Hor. Heb.

shall not doubt in his heart] The word here translated “doubt” (a) in the active voice means to discriminate, distinguish, discern, as Mat_16:3, “ye can discern the face of the heaven;” Act_15:9, “He put no difference between us and them;” 1Co_11:29, “not discerning the Lord’s Body.” (b) In the passive and middle voice, it means (i) to get a decision, to go to law, to dispute, as Act_11:2, “they of the circumcision contended with him;” Jas_2:4, “are ye not partial (become litigants or partisans) in yourselves?” (ii) to dispute with oneself, to doubt, waver, as Act_10:20, “go with them, doubting nothing;” Rom_4:20, “he staggered not at (i. e. with regard to) the promise through unbelief;” Jas_1:6, “but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea.”

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.

Therefore I say unto you,.... For encouragement in prayer more particularly, without which nothing should be attempted, and especially which is above the power of nature, and is of a miraculous kind:

whatsoever things ye desire when ye pray; that is, according to the revealed will of God, is for the confirmation of his Gospel, and for the glory of his name:

believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them; the petitions that are desired, and the things asked in them: that is, be as much assured of having them, as if you had already received them, and you shall have them; for the sense can never be, that they should believe they received them before they had them; this would be a contradiction in terms; and Beza's ancient copy, and one of Stephens's copies read it, "believe that ye shall receive", as in Mat 21:22, and so the Vulgate Latin version; with which agree the Arabic and Ethiopic versions, which render it, "believe that ye shall enjoy", or "obtain"; and the Syriac version, "believe that ye are about to receive"; and great faith it is so to believe; and this is the prayer of faith; see Jo1 5:14.

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

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Ver. 23. {See Trapp on "Mat 21:21"}

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.

Ecclesiastical history informs us, that St. Gregory of Neo-Cæsarea, surnamed Thaumaturgus (whose feast is kept Nov. 17.) performed this miracle, removing by his prayers a mountain that obstructed the building of a church. (Ven. Bede)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

whosoever

See, Mat 17:20; Luk 11:1 (See Scofield "Luk 11:1"); Luk 17:6; Joh 14:13; Joh 14:14

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There are two qualifications requisite in prayer, if we expect to find acceptance with God, namely, faith and love; to the first Christ had spoken in the former verse, to the latter in this. When ye shall stand praying, forgive. It was ordinary for the Jews to pray standing, yet in their solemn days of fasting they did kneel, and prostrate themselves before the Lord; but the Christians usually kneeled down and prayed, Act 9:40.

Now the command here to forgive those that offend us before we pray, shews,

1. That no resentments of what our brother doth, should stick long upon our spirits, because they indispose us for that duty we are to be continually prepared for.

2. That there is some sort and kind of forgiveness to be exercised towards an offending brother before he asks it, and though he doth not shew any token of repentance and sorrow for it; because I am to pray for him out of love to him, and must lift up pure hands, without wrath.

Learn hence, That they who are sueing for, and expecting forgiveness from, God, must exercise forgiveness towards others, or else their prayers are a sort of imprecations on themselves.

2. Observe, Christ speaks indefinitely; When ye pray, forgive. He doth not say, your brethren, but men: If we forgive men their trespasses Mat 6:14; that is, all men, good and bad, friends and enemies; if we forgive one another freely, our heavenly Father will forgive us fully. Our forgiving one another is the indispensible condition of God’s forgiving us, and of hearing the prayers which are put up by us.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Shall come to pass [γινεται] . Rather cometh to pass, as Rev.

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