Mark 5:37

Mar 5:37. John, the brother of James — John is thus described here, because, when Mark wrote his gospel, not long after our Lord’s ascension, the memory of James, lately beheaded, was so fresh, that his name was more known than that of John himself.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5:37 Peter, James, and John became Jesus’ inner circle (see 3:16-17; 9:2; 14:33).

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

Mar 5:37. Τὸν ἀδελφὸν, the brother) Mark wrote his Gospel not long after the Ascension, at the time when the memory of James, who had been beheaded, was still fresh in the disciples’ minds, so that he was better known than even John himself.

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

Mar 5:37 . συνακολουθῆσαι : here with μετά , in Mar 14:51 , and Luk 23:49 with dative. τὸν Πέτρον , etc., Peter, James, and John; earliest trace of preference within the disciple-circle. Not in Mt., but followed by Lk. The three chosen to be witnesses of a specially remarkable event. Perhaps the number of disciples was restricted to three not to crowd the house.

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

37. save Peter, and James, and John] This is the first time we hear of an election within the election. “That which He was about to do was so great and holy that those three only, the flower and crown of the Apostolic band, were its fitting witnesses.” The other occasions when we read of such an election were equally solemn and significant, (1) the Transfiguration (Mat_17:2); and (2) the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mat_26:37).

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 he suffered no man to follow him,.... To the house of the ruler, but dismissed the multitude, being not desirous of the honour and applause of men: probably what he said to the ruler, was privately, and with a low voice, so that the multitude did not hear him; and understanding by the messengers that the child was dead, were the more easily prevailed upon to depart, since they might conclude there was nothing now to be done;

save Peter, and James, and John, the brother of James: three favourite disciples, who were a sufficient number of witnesses; and who were taken alone along with Christ on some other occasions, as at his transfiguration, and when in the garden.

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

37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

Ver. 37. Save Peter, and James, and John] Still Andrew is excluded, though Peter’s brother, an apostle of equal standing, and a good man: yet he is not offended, but content to be accounted a loyal subject for the general, though he was no favourite in these particulars.

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.

37. No man to follow him — Amid the chosen twelve there was a lesser chosen number. This was an occasion of deep solemnity, and our Lord allowed but three disciples present.

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

Here we have the first occasion of the selection of three of the apostles to be witnesses of things not permitted to be seen by the rest. The other two occasions are those of the transfiguration, and of the agony in the garden. We now follow our Lord and these three favored disciples, Peter and James and John, to the house of death. They are about to witness the first earnest of the resurrection.

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

John, the brother of James - When St. Mark wrote, not long after our Lord's ascension, the memory of St. James, lately beheaded, was so fresh, that his name was more known than that of John himself.

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

James

(See Scofield "Mat 4:21")

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

37. Suffered no man to follow him. Into the house of the ruler. The mourners were excluded and only the parents and three apostles, the same three that saw him transfigured, and in the agony of Gethsemane, were allowed to enter. Matthew omits this fact.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

37. μετʼ αὐτοῦ συνακολουθῆσαι ([1027][1028][1029][1030][1031]) is the text from which several other readings have sprung.

[1027] 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.

[1028] 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.

[1029] 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.

[1030] 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.

[1031] 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.

37. οὐκ ἀφῆκεν οὐδένα. Double negative; see on Mar 1:44. Perhaps most of the crowd dispersed at the news of the girl’s death, and Christ dismissed the rest. He wished to disturb the mourning household as little as possible; but a few independent witnesses might be needed. Peter, James and John is the order in Mk (Mar 3:16, Mar 9:2, Mar 13:3, Mar 14:33). Lk. usually puts John before James (Luk 8:51; Luk 9:28; Act 1:13). When Lk. wrote, John was the better known of the two. It was to these three, and to these three alone, that Christ Himself gave names, Peter and Boanerges. 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.

37. μετʼ αὐτοῦ συνακολουθῆσαι—Literally, to accompany with him. The ordinary construction is the dat.

μετʼ αὐτοῦ, instead of αὐτῷ, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BCL Δ one ms. Lat. Vet. Pesh.

Πέτρον, κ. Ἰάκωβον, κ. Ἰωάννην—The prominence here given to these three is repeated at the Transfiguration and in Gethsemane (9:2, 14:33). The reason for admitting only these in this case is the same which led him to enjoin secrecy in regard to his miracles generally, but which is enhanced by the extraordinary nature of this miracle. His miracles generally earned him an undesired notoriety, but this would startle even one accustomed to them, and would excite a furor among the people. Note on 1:45.

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