Mark 9:12

Mar 9:12-13. Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things, and how it is written — That is, And, he told them, how it is written. As if he had said, Elijah’s coming is not inconsistent with my suffering. He is come; yet I shall suffer. The first part of the verse answers their question concerning Elijah; the second refutes their error concerning the Messiah’s continuing for ever.

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

9:12 The teachers of the law were correct: Elijah must return before the consummation of God’s Kingdom, but Scripture also said that the Son of Man would suffer greatly (e.g., Ps 22; Isa 52:13–53:12).

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

Mar 9:12. Εἶπεν, told) In this discourse, Jesus acts as a president would in a discussion, allowing its just weight to the argument of the opponent, and then meeting it fully in His reply.—πρῶτον, first) This is construed with coming, ἐλθὼν, and with restoreth, ἀποκαθιστάνει, although in the preceding verse it is joined with come, ἐλθεῖν, only. For so also forty years is construed in a double connection, Heb 3:9 [Tempted and Saw My works forty years], 17 [was He grieved forty years].—ἀποκαθιστᾷ, restoreth) The present indefinite, as in Mat 2:4.—καὶ πῶς, and how[4]) That is, the expectation of Elias as a restorer of all things, and the Scripture concerning the death of the Messiah, seems to you as not capable of standing together [seem irreconcileable]: but yet, for all that, they do stand together.—ἵνα, in order that) Because it was written, therefore He was bound to suffer.—ἐξουδενωθῇ, be set at nought) Isa 53:3. To reason, the restoration of all things seems not possibly compatible with this setting at nought.

[4] Engl. Ver. has no interrogation at Mar 9:12, but seems to mean (Ye should know) how it is written of the Son of Man, that He must suffer, etc. Lachm. puts an interrogation at ἀνθρώπου; and so in Vulg.: and (yet) how is it written concerning the Son of Man? (It is written) that He must suffer, etc. Tisch. puts the interrogation at ἐξουδενήθῃ; and (yet) how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer, etc.?—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 9:12 . The construction of this sentence also is somewhat puzzling. After Ἡλίας comes μὲν in the best MSS., raising expectation of a δὲ in the apodosis, instead of which we have καὶ ( πῶς γέγραπται ). Examples of such substitution occur in classic authors; concerning which Klotz, Devar. , p. 659, remarks: when καὶ , τὲ , or the like are put for δὲ after μὲν , it is not properly a case of construction, but rather: “quaedam quasi legitima orationis ἀνακολουθία ”. Perhaps we are at a loss from merely reading the words instead of hearing them spoken with a pause between first and second half of sentence, thus: Elias, indeed, coming first, restoreth all things (so teach the scribes) and how stands it written about the Son of Man? that He should suffer many things and be set at nought! The aim is to awaken thought in the mind of the disciples by putting together things incongruous. All things to be restored in preparation for Messiah; Messiah Himself to suffer and be set at nought: what then can the real function and fate of Elijah the restorer be? Who is Elijah? ἐξουδενηθῆ : this form, found in [74] [75] and adopted by W.H [76] , is rare. The verb occurs in three forms ἐξουδενέω , ἐξουδενόω (T.R.), ἐξουθενέω ; the latter two in more common use. The word in any form is late Greek. Vide Grimm’s Lexicon , and Lobeck, Phryn., p. 181 (from ἐξ , οὐδέν or οὐθέν =to treat as nought).

[74] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[75] Codex Bezae

[76] Westcott and Hort.

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

Verse 12. And how it is written] Rather, as also it is written. Instead of και πως, AND HOW it is written, I read καθως, AS ALSO it is written of the Son of man, &c. This reading is supported by AKM, seventeen others, the later Syriac in the margin, Slavonic and Armenian. Some think the propriety of adopting this reading is self-evident.

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

12. and how] Rather, but how is it written of the Son of Man that He must suffer many things and he set at naught? See Tischendorf, Synop. Evang. The words that He must, or in order that He may, are very striking. They set before us the design of the It is written. “Elias cometh first. But how or to what purpose is it written of the Son of Man that He cometh? In order that He may suffer, not conquer like a mighty prince.”

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 answered, and told them,.... Allowing that their observation was right, and that this was the sense of the Scribes, and that there was something of truth in it, when rightly understood:

Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things: See Gill on Mat 17:11;

and how it is written of the son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. The sense of Christ is, that John the Baptist, whom he means by Elias, comes first, and restores all things: and among the rest of the things he sets right, this is one, and not of the least; namely, that he gives the true sense of such passages of the sacred writings, which related to the contemptuous usage, rejection, and sufferings of the Messiah; as that in these he was the Lamb of God typified in the sacrifices of the law, who by his sufferings and death takes away the sin, of the world; and therefore he exhorted and directed those to whom he ministered, to look unto him, and believe in him; see Joh 1:29.

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 answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.

Ver. 12. Set at nought] Vilified and nullified mean ουτιδανος, or one that had nothing in him, εξουθενωθη. Vermis sum et non homo, I am a worm, and no man, saith the Psalmist in the person of Christ.

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.

Elijah verily coming first restoreth all things: and how it is written - That is, And he told them how it is written - As if he had said, Elijah's coming is not inconsistent with my suffering. He is come: yet I shall suffer. The first part of the verse answers their question concerning Elijah; the second refutes their error concerning the Messiah's continuing forever.

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

12. [1886][1887][1888][1889][1890] omit ἀποκριθείς. See on Mar 5:9.

[1886] 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.

[1887] 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.

[1888] 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.

[1889] 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.

[1890] 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.

12. Ἠλείας μὲν ἐλθών. The μὲν is concessive; “It is true,” “indeed.” The corresponding δέ is lost in the interjected question; ἀλλὰ λέγω takes its place. Cf. 1Co 5:3; 1Th 2:18; Rom 7:12; Rom 10:1. The correlation μὲν … δὲ … is much less freq. in N.T. than in class. Grk.

ἀποκαθιστάνει. MSS. differ as to the form used, whether from ἀποκατιστάνω, which W.H. “with hesitation” prefer (App. p. 168), or ἀποκθίστημι, or ἀποκαθιστάνω.

καὶ πῶς γέγραπται; This is a direct (R.V.) and not an indirect (A.V.) question. Christ answers their question with another, which points to the answer to theirs. “How is it that it stands written that the Messiah is to suffer? If the Messiah is about to surfer, Elijah must already have come.” This repetition of the prediction that He must suffer is remarkable, so soon after the glory on the mount.

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.] Meyer and others place the interrogation after τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, and regard ἵνα πολ.… as its answer. But not to mention that such a sentence would be without example in our Lord’s discourses, the sense given by it is meagre in the extreme. As it stands in the text, it forms a counter-question to that of the Apostles in ver. 11. They asked, How say the Scribes that Elias must first come? Our Lord answers it by telling them that it is even so; and returns the question by another: And how is it (also) written of the Son of Man, that He, &c.? then comes the conclusion in ver. 13 with ἀλλὰ λέγω ὑμῖν, stating that Elias has come, and leaving it therefore to be inferred that the sufferings of the Son of Man were close at hand. Notice how the γέγρ. ἐπʼ αὐτόν binds both together. Just as the first coming of the Son of Man is to suffer and to die, so has the first coming of Elias been as it was written of him; but there is a future coming of Elias ἀποκαθιστάνειν πάντα, and of the Son of Man in glory. See further in notes on Matt. The first καί in ver. 13 is also, binding what is said of Elias to that which has been said of the Son of Man: the second καί is simply and.

[On the various forms of ἐξου. see Moulton on Winer, p. 113, note 2.]

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

12. Ὁ δὲ ἔφη—And he said.

ἔφη, instead of ἀποκριθείς, εἶπεν, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BCL Δ Memph. Pesh.

Ἡλείας μὲν—The particle here is concessive; I grant you Elijah does come; and ἀλλὰ introduces the modifying statement about the manner of his coming, which was not in keeping with their expectation. He comes, to be sure, but not as a mere appearance that keeps him out of the hands of men and the grasp of fate, but in such a way that men do as they please with him. ἀποκαθιστάνει πάντα—restores all things.

ἀποκαθιστάνει, instead of ἀποκαθιστᾷ, Tisch. Treg. אc AB3 L Δ 1, 28, 33, 118. ἀποκατιστάνει, WH. B*. ἀποκατάστανει, א * D.

This is Jesus’ brief rendering of the prophecy (Mal 3:5, Mal 3:6), that Elijah will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and of the children to the fathers. His coming, too, is put in connection with an injunction to remember the law of Moses, meaning that it signifies an enforcement of the Divine law. Such a restoration, bringing things back to their standard in the law, was accomplished in the work of John the Baptist, to whom evidently Jesus refers. Mat 17:13 says that the disciples understood him to refer to the Baptist. κ. πῶς γέγραπται ἐπὶ τ. υἱὸν τ. ἀνθρώπου;—the question probably ends here—and how has it been written about the Son of Man? The answer is given in ἵνα πολλὰ πάθῃ κ. ἐξουδενωθῇ,—that he suffer many things and be set at naught.1 Jesus matches their prophecy quoted by the scribes with another in regard to the Son of Man, meaning to imply that the fulfilment of the one makes probable the fulfilment of the other. The prophecy that the Messiah should suffer (in the prophecy itself it is the Servant of Jehovah) is found in Isa_53. ἐξουδ(θ)ενω(η)θῇ2—be set at naught.

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