Mark 14:58

Mar 14:58 . ὅτι , etc.: Mk.’s version of the testimony borne by the witnesses differs in important respects from that of Mt.; viz. , by the insertion of the words τὸν χειροποίητον and ἄλλον ἀχειροποίητον . Mt.’s form doubtless comes nearest to what the witnesses actually said. Mk.’s puts into their mouths, to a certain extent, the sense in which he and his fellow-Christians understood Christ’s saying, viz. , as a prophecy that the material temple would be superseded by a spiritual temple = the community of believers in Jesus. If they had really spoken, as here reported, the falsehood would have lain rather in the animus of their statement than in its meaning: the animus of men who regarded it as impious to speak of the temple of God being destroyed, as contemptuous to characterise it as hand-made, and as blasphemous to suggest that another could take its place.

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

(58) This temple.—The word here, as in Mat_26:61 and Joh_2:19, is that which indicates generally the sanctuary or shrine, and here the “Holy Place” of the Temple.

Made with hands . . . made without hands.—The antithesis is peculiar to St. Mark, but we may, perhaps, trace an echo of it in the “more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,” of Heb_9:11.

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

58. We heard him say] The statements now made are given with more detail by St Mark than any other of the Evangelists. He alone tells us they said that they had heard our Lord declare, “He would destroy the Temple made with hands and in three days build another made without hands.” In the opposition made with hands and made without hands we have proof of the falseness of the accusation.

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 said, I am,.... That is, the Son of God; in proof of which he adds,

and ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power; that is, of God, who is all power, the Lord God Almighty:

and coming in the clouds of heaven; either at the destruction of Jerusalem, or at the last day, referring to the prophecy in Dan 7:13; See Gill on Mat 26:64.

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

We heard him say - It is observable, that the words which they thus misrepresented, were spoken by Christ at least three years before, John ii, 19. Their going back so far to find matter for the charge, was a glorious, though silent attestation of the unexceptionable manner wherein he had behaved, through the whole course of his public ministry.

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

58. οἰκοδομήσω ([3261][3262][3263][3264] etc.) rather than ἀναστήσω ([3265][3261] 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.

[3262] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.

[3263] 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.

[3264] 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.

[3265] odex 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.

58. Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ. We ourselves heard Him. This characteristic fulness is again peculiar to Mk. The report of the words is in Mt. different and shorter; “I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.” How far the report of what the witnesses said has been influenced by the recollection of what Christ actually said, or by the interpretation of what He said, it is impossible to determine. It is not incredible that Christ’s remarkable utterance made two years before (Joh 2:19) was remembered, and was now brought up against Him in a perverted form. Of course Christ had not said that He would destroy the Temple. On the other hand it is possible that He had said something similar recently. His prediction of the destruction of the Temple (Mar 13:2) may have become known, and to a Jew that would seem to be blasphemy, for the Temple was the token of the Presence of God. Cf. Rev 11:1-2. They did not see that in killing the Messiah they doomed the Temple to destruction. Cf. Act 6:14, where Stephen’s saying on the subject is quoted against him. For διὰ τριῶν see on Mar 2:1, and for ἀχειροποίητον see on 2Co 5:1.

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.

58.] ἡμεῖς and ἐγώ are emphatic. Some have imagined (De Wette, Meyer) that they find in these words χειροπ. and ἀχειρ. traces of later Christian tradition, and an allusion to Heb 9:11: Act 7:48; but such conjectures are at best very unsafe, and the words are quite as likely to have been uttered by the Lord as they here stand. The allusion is probably to Dan 2:34.

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

58. Ἐγὼ καταλύσω τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, etc.—I will destroy this temple made with hands, and after three days I will build another without hands. The nearest approach to this is found in J. 2:19, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it.” This omits the only damaging part of the testimony, the “I will destroy this temple.” ἀχειροποίητον2—not made with hands.

WH. marg. has the singular reading ἀναστήσω, I will raise another not made with hands. It is found in D and four mss. Lat. Vet.

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

Made with hands. Mark adds this detail; also made without hands, and the following sentence.

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