Mark 14:4

14:4-5 Some (cp. Matt 26:8; John 12:4-5) were indignant over what they considered a waste of the expensive perfume, said to have been worth a year’s wages for the average worker. This large amount of money could have been given to the poor, and it was obligatory to remember the poor during Passover.

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

Mar 14:4 . τινὲς , certain persons; who, not indicated; Mt. says the disciples, John singles out Judas. τοῦ μύρου γέγονεν : these words omitted in Mt. Observe the repetition in Mar 14:5 , τοῦτο τὸ μύρον ( [127] [128] [129] , etc.). Mt. simply has τοῦτο (so here in T.R.). Mt. more elegant in style, but Mk. truer to life = “To what purpose this waste of the myrrh? For this myrrh might, etc.” the style of men speaking under emotion.

[127] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[128] Codex Ephraemi

[129] Codex Regius--eighth century, represents an ancient text, and is often in agreement with א and B.

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

Rash judgments are frustrated before God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(4) There were some that had indignation.—Note St. Mark’s limitation of the murmurers to “some,” as an intermediate stage between St. Matthew’s “the disciples” and St. John’s naming “Judas.”

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

4. And there were some] The murmuring began with Judas Iscariot (Joh_12:4), and his spirit of murmuring infected some of the others, simple Galileans, little accustomed to such luxury.

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 there were some that had indignation within themselves,.... The Syriac version reads, "some of the disciples": agreeably to Mat 26:8, particularly Judas, and others might be incensed by his means:

and said, why was this waste of the ointment made? See Gill on Mat 26:8.

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

4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

Ver. 4. {See Trapp on "Mat 26:8"}

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.

It was chiefly Judas Iscariot that murmured here. St. John only mentions him; perhaps some others had been excited to complain, by the traitor. This is certain, that if any concurred in murmuring with Judas, they afterwards repented, on hearing the answer given immediately by our Saviour. (Dionysius)

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).

But there were some that had indignation the word in the original is aganaktountev , ached with vexation among themselves. St. Mark says, "there were some;" avoiding any more particular mention of them. St. Matthew (Mat_26:8) says that the disciples generally had indignation. The murmuring seems to have been general. At length it found a definite expression in Judas Iscariot. (see Joh_12:4)

Vers. 4, 5. The spirit that betrays.

I SELFISHNESS. An exaggeration of the natural principle of self-love. Judas, as chief representative of this spirit, shows the virtues of his great vice, and naturally enough becomes keeper of the bag, containing the earthward dependence of the band. He looks at everything from this point of view. Already his thrift or prudence has degenerated into avarice, the more quickly owing to the grace which he resisted. The money value of the offering is at once appraised, the spiritual worth being wholly discounted.

II THIS IS REPRESENTED (by St. Matthew and St. Mark) AS NOT CONFINED TO ONE INDIVIDUAL. In truth, every disciple had a share of it, although in a few it was more strongly manifest, and in one it may be said to have become incarnate. St. John, who is more given to this personalization of principles, speaks only of Judas. This, then, is a general danger to which the Church is liable, and requires the most careful self-examination. It can only be washed out of the soul by frequent and copious baptisms of Divine purity; it can only be consumed by the constant fire of the Divine love.

III HERE IT IS CALLED INTO GREATER STRENGTH BY THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE. It is provoked by the display of self-forgetful affection. Why so?

1. Because it fails to discern the imminence and significance of the Divine event spiritually revealed to the soul of Mary.

2. Because, in resisting that spirit, its own evil is exaggerated and confirmed. It seeks, therefore, to discredit the special manifestation of the spirit of devotion taking place. The indirect form of Divine charity, viz. alms, is declared preferable to the direct, viz. self-sacrificing devotion to God in Christ. How often is this exchange actually made in the history of the Church; almsgiving (with all its attendant corruptions) taking the place of the soul"s immediate allegiance to Jehovah! But on this occasion it is only a cloak for a deeper depth of selfishness, perhaps hardly confessed to himself by the chief culprit, he would by-and-by have stolen the worth of the gift, diverting it thus wholly from its rightful destination. Soon this self-seeking will declare itself in selling the Christ himself for money; a lesser sum (thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave) being temptation enough. M.

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

Some had indignation - Being incited thereto by Judas: and said - Probably to the women.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

4. [3045][3046][3047][3048][3049] omit καὶ λέλοντες.

[3045] 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.

[3046] 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.

[3047] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[3048] 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.

[3049] 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.

4. ἦσαν δέ τινες. By his silence as to who these were Mk again spares the Twelve. Mt. says that it was the disciples who were indignant, while Jn states that it was Judas who gave utterance to the resentment, because the loss of the costly ointment meant the loss of money which he could have stolen. In all these cases, Mary, Judas, Peter and Malchus, earlier Evangelists may have been ignorant of the names or may have suppressed them. Jn knew the names, and when he wrote there was no need for suppression. It is not often that Mk is more considerate of the Twelve than Mt. is.

πρὸς ἑαυτούς. Among themselves (R.V.) rather than “within themselves” (A.V.). There would be some exclamations or looks of disapproval. See on Mar 11:31, where Vulg. has secum; but here intra semet ipsos.

ἡ ἀπώλεια. A very rare use of ἀπώλεια, which usually has the intrans. meaning of “perdition” (Mat 7:13; Joh 17:12; etc.). Cf. ὁ οἶνος ἀπόλλυται (Mar 2:22).

γέγονεν. The destruction has taken place and the loss abides.

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.

4. ἦσαν δὲ τινες ἀγανακτοῦντες πρὸς ἑαυτούς, Εἰς τί ἡ ἀπώλεια αὕτη—And there were some indignant to themselves.—“Why this destruction,” etc.? πρὸς ἑαυτούς means probably that they kept their indignation to themselves, though it may mean among themselves, denoting an indignation which they expressed to each other.1 The omission of καὶ λέγοντες, and saying, adds to the force of the statement, while detracting from its smoothness.

Omit καὶ λέγοντες, Tisch. (Treg.) WH. RV. א BC* L, one ms. Lat. Vet.

Mat 26:8 says that it was the disciples who expressed this indignation. J. says it was Judas Iscariot, and attributes it to his peculating habits, which this interfered with. It is a part of J.’s evident attempt to belittle Judas. Obviously, the true account is given by Mt., who gives us the ugly form of the fact.

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

To what purpose, etc. See on Mt 26:8.

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