Mark 8:12

8:12 I tell you the truth: Jesus’ response was as strong as an oath meaning, “[May God’s judgment fall upon me] if I give this generation any such sign.” Such oaths express an unbending commitment (see Gen 14:22-23; Num 32:10-11; Ruth 1:17; 1 Sam 3:17; 20:13; 2 Sam 3:35; 19:13). • Jesus elsewhere describes this generation as “adulterous and sinful” (Mark 8:38) and “faithless” (9:19).

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

Mar 8:12. Ἀναστενάξας) When He has betaken Himself to [having commenced] sighing. The word is inchoative or inceptive, as ἀναβοάω, etc. And yet to begin to groan or sigh remains a πάθος, or mental emotion.[56]

[56] Not a premeditated act of the mind: though to begin to groan might seem to imply it was the latter.—ED. and TRANSL.

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

Mar 8:12 . ἀναστενάξας , fetching a deep sigh, here only in N. T.; in Sept [68] , Lament. Mar 1:4 , Sir 25:18 , etc. τῷ πνεύματι α ., in His spirit. The sigh physical, its cause spiritual a sense of irreconcilable enmity, invincible unbelief, and coming doom. εἰ δοθήσεται , if there shall be given = there shall not ( οὐ ) be given a Hebraistic form of emphatic negative assertion. The suppressed apodosis is: may I die, or God punish me. Other instances in Heb 3:11 ; Heb 4:3 ; Heb 4:5 . In Mark there is an absolute refusal of a sign. In Matthew the refusal is qualified by offer of Jonah. But that was an absolute refusal of signs in their sense .

[68]Septuagint.

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

These sighs came even from the heart root, for the Lord was very much moved with these men’s so great infidelity.

Word for word, If a sign be given: It is a cut kind of speech very common among the Hebrews: wherein some such words as these must be understood. Let me be taken for a liar, or some such like. And when they speak out the whole, they say, The Lord do thus and thus by me.

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

Verse 12. And he sighed deeply in his spirit] Or having deeply groaned - so the word αναστεναξας properly means. He was exceedingly affected at their obstinacy and hardness of heart. See Mt 16:1-4.

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

(12) There shall no sign be given.—We note the omission of “the sign of the prophet Jonas,” as given in Mat_16:4.

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

12. he sighed deeply in his spirit] Not merely, we may conclude, at their hardened disbelief, but also with the feeling that the decisive crisis of the severance from the ruling powers had come. “For the demand for a sign from heaven was a demand that He should, as the Messiah of their expectation, accredit Himself by a great overmastering miracle; thus it was fundamentally similar to the temptation in the wilderness, which He had repelled and overcome.” Lange.

There shall no sign be given] Literally, If a sign shall be given to this generation, a Hebrew form of strong abjuration. Comp. Heb_3:11, where see the margin; Mar_4:3; Mar_4:5; Gen_14:23; Num_14:30. St Mark does not mention the sign of “Jonah the prophet” mentioned by St Matthew (Mat_16:4).

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 sighed deeply in his Spirit,.... In his human soul; and which shows that he had one, and was subject to grief and sorrow, and all passions and infirmities, excepting sin. This deep sigh was on account of the hardness of their hearts, the malignity of their minds, and insincerity of their intentions; who had no view to come at truth by this inquiry, but to ensnare him:

and saith, why doth this generation seek after a sign? when so many have been shown among them, and they will not believe:

verily I say unto you, there shall no sign be given to this generation: such as they desired; namely, one from heaven. The Evangelist Matthew adds, "but the sign of the Prophet Jonas"; See Gill on Mat 16:4, Mat 12:40.

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

12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

Ver. 12. And he sighed deeply] His heart was straitened (as the word αναστεναξας signifies) and would have burst, but for a vent.

" Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor."

So those marked mourners sighed and cried for others, who were altogether insensible of their own miseries, Eze 9:4. So Habakkuk trembled and quivered for the Chaldeans’ calamities, Hab 3:16.

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.

Jesus Christ fetches a deep sigh on account of their obduracy, and says; why do these ask for a miracle to confirm their belief, when they resist the authority of so many miracles, which are daily performed under their eyes? (Bible de Vence) --- A sign shall not be given. But by a Hebrew form of speech, if divers times is put for a negative. (Witham)

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).

He sighed deeply in his spirit (anastenaxav) Another graphic touch of this evangelist; such as he had learnt in all probability from St. Peter. The word occurs nowhere but here. It is the outcome of grief and indignation, in which, however, grief predominates. There shall no sign be given unto this generation (ei doyhsetai shmeion). This is a Hebrew idiom, based upon a form of taking an oath which prevailed amongst the Jews. The full form would be, "God do so and so to me, if so and so." Hence the hypothetical part of the clause came to be used alone, expressing a very strong form of denial or refusal.

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

Matt. xvi, 4.

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

12. ἀναστενάξας. “Sighed from the bottom of His heart”; stronger than στενάζω (Mar 7:34; Rom 8:23; etc.), and here only in N.T. In Lam 1:4 of the sighing of Zion’s priests; Sir 25:18 of the husband of a wicked wife. Syr-Sin. has “He was troubled in spirit.” Cf. ἀνακρίνω, ἀναλύω, ἀναπαύω. Once more we have evidence of the reality of Christ’s human nature; see on Mar 3:5.

τῷ πνεύματι. The higher part of His being, which was distressed by moral obliquity; see on Mar 2:8.

Τί ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη; He is not asking for information, but expressing regret. See on Joh 2:23-25; Joh 10:38; Joh 11:45. His own generation (Mar 8:38, Mar 13:30; Mat 11:16; Mat 12:41-45; Luk 11:29; Luk 17:25; Luk 21:32; not in Jn) was as wrong-headed towards Him, as the generation to which Moses belonged was towards him (Deu 1:35; Deu 32:5; Deu 32:20). As usual, Mt. omits a question which seems to imply that Christ needed to be informed; see on Mar 5:30.

ἀμὴν λέγω. See on Mar 3:28.

εἰ δοθήσεται. A Hebraistic mode of making a strong asseveration equivalent to an oath. “May God punish me,” or some such thought, is understood; Gen 14:23; Num 14:30; Deu 1:35; Psa 95:11. From 1Sa 3:17 we see how such a form arose. Elsewhere in N.T. it occurs only in quotations from LXX. (Heb 3:11; Heb 4:3; Heb 4:5). Blass, § 78. 2. Mt. and Lk. add to “There shall no sign be given” the words “but the sign of Jonah.”

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.

12.] εἰ δοθ., a Hebrew form of strong abjuration: see reff., and Winer, § 55 end.

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

12. ἀναστενάξας τῷ πνεύματι—having groaned in spirit, i.e. inwardly, not audibly. Τί ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη ζητεῖ σημεῖον;—Why does this generation seek a sign?

ζητεῖ σημεῖον, instead of σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BCDL Δ 1, 28, 33, 118, 209.

εἰ δοθήσεται … σημεῖον—if a sign shall be given—! This is a case of suppressed apodosis, and is a common Hebrew form of oath or asseveration.1 By σημεῖον is meant a work which has either for its object, or result, the proof of the Divine presence and power. This is a denial that his own miracles had this purpose. All of them were uses of Divine power, but not displays of it. Any self-respecting man will refuse to show himself off, but he will constantly do things having other legitimate objects, which do show incidentally his intelligence, or strength, or goodness. This is the attitude of Jesus. He refuses to do anything merely as a sign, and yet his life was full of signs; nay, it was a sign, he himself was the sign. Indeed, the only element about his miracles which will save them from the general disbelief of the miraculous is the consonance of their objects with the character of Jesus. No one could have devised the story of a miracle-working person, and have kept the story true to Jesus’ principles and character. The wonderful thing about the miracles is that the Divine power shown in them is kept to uses befitting the Divine Being. τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ—to this generation. Jesus refuses especially to give a sign to that generation. It was an age full of signs; it was the period of the Incarnation, and yet its leaders went about asking for signs, and refused to believe the self-witness of the Son of God.

WARNING AGAINST THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND OF HEROD

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

Sighed deeply in his spirit. Peculiar to Mark.

There shall no sign be given [ει δοθησεται σημειον] . Lit., if a sign shall be given. The expression, is elliptical. It is a Hebrew idiom, and is really, at bottom, a form of imprecation. If I do not thus or so, may some judgment overtake me. Compare Heb 3:11.

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