Mark 2:8

Mar 2:8. Τῷ πνεύματι Αὐτοῦ, in His Spirit) The prophets became cognisant of things through the Spirit of God, but not with their own spirit: Christ, with His own Spirit, which is omniscient and Divine; comp ch. Mar 8:12. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is not called the Spirit of Christ before that great Pentecost recorded in Acts 2 The conclusion therefore remains, that we are to understand the Spirit of Jesus as applying to His Divine nature, which had its dwelling in His human nature.—τὶ, why) An allusion to their Why? in Mar 2:7.

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

Mar 2:8 . εὐθὺς ἐπιγνοὺς : Jesus read their thoughts at once , and through and through ( ἐπὶ ). τῷ πνεύματι , by His spirit , as distinct from the ear, they having said nothing.

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

Why reason ye these things in your hearts--or, as in Matthew, (Mat 9:4) "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?"

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(8) When Jesus perceived in his spirit.—The special mention of the spirit as the region of our Lord’s consciousness is, as part of this narrative, peculiar to St. Mark, and is not without importance in its bearing on the reality and completeness of our Lord’s human nature.

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

8. in his spirit] His soul was human, but His “Spirit” was divine, and by this divine faculty He penetrated and then revealed to them the “thoughts and counsels of their hearts,” comp. Heb_4:12. On this peculiarly Divine faculty see 1Sa_16:7; 1Ch_28:9; 2Ch_6:30.

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.

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy,.... This question was put to them by Christ, in order to prove his deity, and clear himself from the charge of blasphemy; for he that could cure the sick of the palsy, by a word speaking, had power to forgive him his sins: and therefore proposes it to them, which was easiest to say,

thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? Both of them were easy to say, but not with power and effect: they were both instances of divine power, and proofs of deity; and only he that could do the one, could do the other, and the one was as easy to be performed, by a divine person, as the other: and though it may be hard to say which is the greatest instance of power, or the strongest proof of deity, to pardon a sinner, or to cure a paralytic by a word speaking; perhaps forgiveness of sin may be the greatest evidence of divine power and goodness; however, it is certain, it is a greater blessing to be pardoned, than to be cured of a palsy; yet curing of a palsy, in the manner in which Christ did it, was a more sensible proof of his deity to the Scribes and Pharisees, than pronouncing a man's sins forgiven; because this was visible, and could not be denied; whereas the other, though pronounced, they might question whether it had its effect: but by the one, which they would see done before their eyes, there would be left no room for them to doubt of the reality of the other; See Gill on Mat 9:5.

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

8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

Ver. 8. Perceived in his spirit] That is, by his Deity, as 1Ti 3:16; Heb 9:14. Or by his own spirit, as 1Pe 3:18, not by inspiration, as 2Pe 1:21.

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.

8. Perceived in his spirit — Not by the Divine Spirit, but by his own spirit in a supernatural clearness.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 8-11. It does not clearly appear whether these murmurers communicated their thoughts audibly to one another. At all events, their words were evidently not heard beyond themselves. But Jesus perceived in his spirit their reasonings. He knew their thoughts, not by communication from another, as the prophets of old had things made known to them by revelation, but by his own Spirit pervading and penetrating all things. From this the Christian Fathers, against the Arians, infer the divinity of Christ, that he inspected the heart, which it is the prerogative of God alone to do. St. Chrysostom says, "Behold the evidences of the divinity of Christ. Observe that he knows the very secrets of your heart." Nor did Christ only perceive their thoughts. He perceived also the direction in which these thoughts were moving. Their feeling was no doubt this: "It is an easy thing to claim the power of forgiving sin, since this is a power which cannot be challenged by any outward sign." Now, it is to this form of unbelief that the next words of our Lord are the answer. It is as though he said, "You accuse me of blasphemy. You say that I am usurping the attributes of God when I claim the power of forgiving sin. You ask for the evidence that I really possess this power; and you say it is an easy thing to lay claim to a power which penetrates the spiritual world, and which is therefore beyond the reach of material proof. Be it so. I will now furnish that evidence. I will prove, by what I am now about to work upon the body, that what I have just said is effectual upon the spirit. I have just said to this paralytic, "Thy sins are forgiven." You challenge this power; you question my authority. I will now give you outward and sensible evidence that this is no fictitious or imaginary claim. You see this poor helpless, palsied man. I will say to him in presence of you all, " Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house." And if simply at my bidding his nerves are braced, and his limbs gather strength, and he rises and walks, then judge ye whether I have a right to say to him, "Thy sins are forgiven." Thus, by doing that which is capable of proof, I will vindicate my power to do that which is beyond the reach of sensible evidence; and I will make manifest to you, by these visible tides of my grace, in what direction the deep under-current of my love is moving." (See Trench on the Miracles, p. 205)

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

in his spirit

"in his inner being" or "in himself"

they were thinking among themselves

Each of the scribes was thinking to himself; they were not talking to each other.

Why are you thinking this in your hearts?

Jesus uses this question to tell the scribes that what they are thinking is wrong. AT: "What you are thinking is wrong." or "Do not think that I am blaspheming." (See: Rhetorical Question)

this in your hearts

The word "hearts" is a metonym for their inner thoughts and desires. AT: "this inside yourselves" or "these things" (See: Metonymy)

What is easier to say to the paralyzed man ... take up your bed, and walk'?

Jesus uses this question to make the scribes think about what might prove whether or not he could really forgive sins. AT: "I just said to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven.' You may think that it is harder to say 'Get up, take up your bed, and walk,' because the proof of whether or not I can heal him will be shown by whether or not he gets up and walks." or "You may think that it is easier to say to the paralyzed man 'Your sins are forgiven' than it is to say 'Get up, take up your bed, and walk.'" (See: Rhetorical Question)

translationWords

Jesus

heart

sin

forgive

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

8. καὶ εὐθὺς ἐπιγνοὺς κ.τ.λ. Mk alone states that Christ knew instantaneously, and that it was in His spirit that He did so. It was in the higher part of His human nature (Mar 8:12), in which He had communion with the Father, that Jesus possessed this supernatural knowledge (Joh 2:25). In Joh 11:33; Joh 13:21, it is Christ’s πνεῦμα which is affected by the presence of moral evil. In Mar 14:34; Mat 26:38; Joh 12:27, it is His ψυχή that is troubled at the thought of impending suffering. Bengel draws a questionable distinction when he says that prophetae cognoscebant res in Dei spiritu, non in suo, Christus in spiritu suo divino. Was it not in Dei spiritu in both cases? The difference may have been that this exceptional knowledge was always open to Christ, but not always to the Prophets. Lk. also has ἐπιγνούς here. That the compound sometimes, and perhaps often, implies more complete knowledge than the simple verb, is clear from 1Co 13:12. Here, as in Mar 5:30, the compound has fuller meaning. All three use ἐπιγινώσκω much less often than γινώσκω: the case is not parallel to ἀποθνήσκω, which takes the place of θνήσκω without difference of meaning and almost drives θνήσκω out of use. In all three Synoptists, as well as in Jn, Christ shows Himself as ὁ καρδιογνώστης (Act 1:24; Act 15:8).

Τί ταῦτα διαλογίζεσθε; This reply to the Scribes’ unuttered criticism is almost verbally the same in all three, with the parenthesis in the same place in each—clear evidence that the narratives are not independent. The Scribes themselves hardly knew how far their adverse judgment was provoked by jealousy of a rival teacher rather than by jealousy for God’s honour. By reading their thoughts Christ gave them evidence of His authority, for only He who knows the hearts of men can pardon men’s sins.

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.

8.] The knowledge was immediate and supernatural, as is most carefully and precisely here signified.

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

8. τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ—in his spirit. This is contrasted with the knowledge acquired through the senses, e.g. in this case, by hearing what was said. Without their saying anything, he knew inwardly, intuitively, what was going on in their minds. Jesus knew generally their intellectual attitude, and their position towards any attempt to live according to the spirit, instead of the letter of things, and the mere look of their faces would put him on the track of their thoughts. λέγει αὐτοῖς—says to them.

λέγει, instead of εἶπεν, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BL 33, mss. of Lat. Vet. Vulg.

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

Perceived [επιγνους] . The preposition ejpi gives the force of fully. He was not only immediately aware of their thought, but clearly and fully aware.

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