Mark 5:19

5:19-20 Jesus’ mission for the man was to tell others the great things the Lord had done for him. Mark thus identifies Jesus as the Lord. • tell them everything: Unlike other occasions, Jesus did not try to keep his identity secret (see 3:11-12), perhaps because it was less dangerous in this Gentile area. • Ten Towns: See study note on Matt 4:24-25.

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

Mar 5:19. Τοὺς σοὺς, thine own people) implying the obligation by which we are bound towards relatives.—ἀνάγγειλον, announced) There is a time for speaking; see Mar 5:30 and following verses; and also a time for being silent, Mar 5:43.—ὁ Κύριος, the Lord) Jesus; comp. Mar 5:20 [‘Jesus.’]

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

Mar 5:19 . Jesus refuses, and, contrary to His usual practice, bids the healed one go and spread the news, as a kind of missionary to Decapolis, as the Twelve were to Galilee. The first apostle of the heathen (Holtz. (H. C.) after Volkmar). Jesus determined that those who would not have Himself should have His representative. πεποίηκεν , perfect, the effect abiding: hath done for me, as you see. ἠλέησέν σε : pitied thee at the time of cure. ὅσα may be understood before ἠλ . = and how, etc., or καὶ ἠλ . may be a Hebraising way of speaking for ἐλεήσας σε (Grotius). Κυριός : the subject to the two verbs = God, as in O. T. Sept [34] [34] Septuagint.

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

Verse 19. Suffered him not] ο δε ινσους, Howbeit Jesus, is omitted by ABKLM, twenty-seven others, both the Syriac, both the Persic, Coptic, Gothic, Vulgate, and one of the Itala. Mill and Bengel approve of the omission, and Griesbach leaves it out of the text.

Go home to thy friends, &c.] This was the cause why Jesus would not permit him to follow him now, because he would not have the happiness of his relatives deferred, who must exceedingly rejoice at seeing the wonders which the Lord had wrought.

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

(19) The Lord hath done for thee.—Coming from our Lord’s lips, and having “God” as its equivalent in Luk_8:39, the word “Lord” must be taken in its Old Testament sense, as referring, not to the Lord Jesus, but to the Father.

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

19. and tell them] On others (comp. Mat_8:4; Luk_8:56) after shewing forth towards them His miraculous power, He enjoined silence; on this man He enjoined publicity. He appoints him to be a living memorial of His own saving Power, and so to become the first great preacher in the half-heathen district.

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.

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not,.... He being as able to preserve him from those evil spirits, when absent, as present; and besides, to take him along with him, would look like ostentation and boasting, which Christ was averse unto; and more especially, as is clear from what follows, he chose he should stay behind, because he had work for him to do in those parts, which would be for the glory of God, the spread of the knowledge of himself, and his Gospel, among his friends, relations, and countrymen: wherefore it follows,

but saith unto him, go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee: he bids him go to his "own house", as it is in Luke, Luk 8:39 to the place of his former abode; to the town, or city, where he before dwelt, and where his father and mother, brethren and sisters, wife and children might live; and there relate to them what great things the Lord, or God, as the Ethiopic version reads, had done for him; by casting out a legion of devils from him, and had restored him to his perfect senses and health, and had had compassion on him, both as of his soul and body, and had wrought a great salvation for him. So such as are called by grace, and are turned from darkness to light; and from the power of Satan unto God, ought to go, to their Christian friends, and to the church of God, and declare in Zion the great things which God has done for their souls; in enlightening, quickening, converting, and comforting them, to the glory of his rich mercy, and abundant grace. They are "great things" indeed which the Lord has done for his people: he has done great things for them in eternity; he has loved then with an everlasting love; he has chosen them in his Son to holiness and happiness; he has made a covenant with him, for them, full of spiritual blessings and promises; he has provided him, as a Saviour, for them, and has appointed, and called him to that work; all which is more or less made known to them in the effectual calling, when they receive the Spirit of God, that they may know the things which are freely given to them of God. The Lord Jesus Christ has done great things for them, as before time, by engaging for them as their surety; so, in time, by taking upon him their nature, by bearing their sins, and suffering in their room and stead, thereby working out a great salvation, which, in conversion, is brought near, and applied unto them. And the Lord, the Spirit, does great things for them, when he calls them by his grace, and afterwards; in opening their eyes who were born blind, and who otherwise must have lift them up in hell; and in bringing them into the marvellous light of, the Gospel; in quickening them, when dead in trespasses and sins, who otherwise must have died the second death; in causing them, to hear the voice of Christ in the joyful sound of the word, who otherwise must have heard the curses of a righteous law; in taking away their stony hearts, and giving them hearts, of flesh; in rescuing them out of Satan's hands; in leading them to Christ for righteousness, life, and salvation; in discovering pardoning grace and mercy to them, through the blood of Christ; in delivering out of many and great temptations; in applying great and precious promises, suitably and seasonably; and in restoring them when backslidden, and speaking comfortably to them; in witnessing to their spirits, their adoption; and in sealing them up to the day of redemption; and all this flows from divine "compassion", and not from any motive and merit in the creature. It was sovereign pity and compassion; the Lord "has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and has compassion on whom he will have compassion", Rom 9:15. It was discriminating mercy: this man was not only dispossessed of Satan, but possessed of special grace, which caused him to desire to be with Christ, when his countrymen desired him to depart from them; it was shown him, when he had no pity on himself, when he cut and wounded himself; and it was bestowed upon him, when he could, not help himself, when he had a legion of devils within him: and now these great things, which spring from great love and mercy, should be told to others, especially to them that fear the Lord, to the churches of Christ: this is the will of God, and has been the practice of the saints in former ages; it rejoices the hearts of God's: people to hear of these things, and enhances the glory of the grace of God: and what may serve to encourage souls, to such a work is, that it is to their "friends" they are to declare these things; who are well disposed to: them, rejoice at their conversion, sympathize with them in their troubles, know what the things they speak of mean, and gladly receive them into their affections and fellowship.

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

19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Ver. 19. Tell how great things, &c.] This was all the fee Christ looked for for his cures. Words seem to be a slender and slight recompence; but Christ (saith Nazianzen) calleth himself the Word.

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.

And he admitted him not: By Christ’s conduct on this occasion, he teaches his disciples that they ought sometimes to make known their own good works, when either the glory of God or the edification of their neighbour were likely to be advanced by such a manifestation: otherwise they ought to conceal them, out of a spirit of humility. (Denis the Carthusian)

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).

19. Go home… tell — This time our Lord does not forbid his miracle to be proclaimed abroad. There is a very plain reason. In other cases the publication of the miracles subjected our Lord to be overwhelmed by a throng, (see on Mat_8:4.) But here he was about to leave the country. Besides, an evil report was liable to be spread by the losers of the swine. For this reason he desired the man not to go with himself, but to remain and proclaim his miracle of mercy at his own home. So that home shall be doubly blessed, with the restoration of its own lord, and with a reception of new mercy from God. Very touching is the poor man’s gratitude. He would be forever with his benefactor.

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

Tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee - This was peculiarly needful there, where Christ did not go in person.

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

19. καί ([990][991][992][993][994][995] 33) rather than ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ([996] etc.). See on Mar 5:13-14.

[990] 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.

[991] 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.

[992] 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.

[993] 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.

[994] 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.

[995] 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.

[996] 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.

19. Ὕπαγε … καὶ ἀπάγγειλον. It is startling to find that, while the Twelve are kept to be trained at His side (Mar 3:14), this healed demoniac, who wishes to be kept with Him, is at once sent to be an evangelist and prepare the way for Christ’s teaching (Mar 7:31); also that, whereas He usually told those who were cured to say nothing about these benefits (Mar 1:44, Mar 5:43, Mar 7:36; Mat 9:30), He charges this man to let his family and his acquaintances know all the mercy that had been shown to him. The explanation seems to be that there was no one else to send; Christ would be there again before any one could be trained for evangelistic work, and the man could do more good at home than by remaining with Christ. Secondly, in Peraea there was no risk of political capital being made out of His fame as a Worker of miracles. See on Mar 1:44. Here ὃσα refers to importance rather than number; see on Mar 3:8. Great things had been done for the man, but not very many.

ὁ κύριος. In Lk., both Κύριος and ὁ Κύριος are used of Jehovah, while ὁ Κύριος (but never Κύριος) is sometimes used of Christ. In Mk, Κύριος is always Jehovah, while ὁ Κύριος occurs only twice, here and Mar 11:3. Here it doubtless means Jehovah, as Lk. interprets it, placing ὁ θεός at the end with emphasis. In Mar 11:3 it means Christ, but probably in the sense of “Master” rather than “Lord.”

πεποίηκεν καὶ ἠλέησεν. The change from perf. to aor. is remarkable. Actual confusion of tenses is not uncommon in illiterate writings, and perfects are used without much difference of meaning from aorists; but in most examples in N.T. of mixture of tenses, as here, each tense may have its proper force; “what things the Lord hath done for thee, the results of which still remain, and how in expelling the demons He had mercy on thee.” The perf. gives the permanent cure, the aor. the moment of deliverance. Such changes are rather freq. in Rev. (Mar 3:3, Mar 8:5, Mar 11:17). Cf. 1Jn 1:1. Conversely (Act 21:28; Rev 5:7). It is more difficult to give a distinctive force to each tense in ἑώρακεν καὶ ἤκουσεν (Joh 3:32); and still more difficult in πέπρακεν καὶ ἠγόρασεν (Mat 13:46). Winer, p. 340; Burton § 80, 88; Blass § 50. 3, 4; J. H. Moulton, p. 142. The irregularity here is not in the change of tense, but in carrying on ὅσα to ἠλέησεν instead of supplying ὡς.

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.

19.] There was perhaps some reason why this man should be sent to proclaim God’s mercy to his friends. His example may in former times have been prejudicial to them:—see note on Matt. ver. 32 (I. 4).

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

19. Καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν—and he did not permit him.

καὶ, instead of ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א ABCKLM ΔΠ 1, 33, two mss. Lat. Vet. Vulg. Memph. Syrr.

Καὶ ἀπάγγειλον ὄσα ὁ Κύριός σοι πεποίηκεν—and report how much the Lord hath done for thee.

ἀπάγγειλον, instead of ἀνάγγειλον, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BC Δ etc. πεποίηκεν, instead of ἐποίησε, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א ABCL Π etc.

This command, the exact opposite of the injunction of secrecy usually enforced by Jesus, is due to the fact that this was a region not frequented by him, and in which, therefore, the ordinary reasons for such silence were inoperative. His enemies were not here, nor his injudicious friends, nor the people to be blinded by his miracles to his more spiritual work. But it was a region rarely visited by him, and out of which he himself had just been driven, where therefore the story told by this man would be the only message of glad-tidings brought to the people. Moreover, the message which Jesus gives him does not concern our Lord himself, but God, to whom ὁ Κύριος evidently refers. The effect produced would thus be, not a false Messianism, as in Galilee, but a sense of God’s presence and pity. The demoniac’s story would counteract the impression made by the destruction of the swine. And it would be kept in Decapolis, where it would do no harm, and away from the already excited Galilee.

ὅσα ὁ Κύριός σοι πεποίηκεν, καὶ ἠλέησέ σε—how much the Lord hath done for thee, and pitied thee.1

ὁ Κύριος—is evidently used of God, as neither the man himself nor his friends would understand its application to Jesus. And besides, this is a case in which Jesus would especially desire to call attention to what God had done for him. Lk. says ὁ Θεὸς, 8:39.

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