Mark 9:13

9:13 The teachers of the law erred by not realizing that Elijah had already come (see Matt 17:11-13; cp. Mal 4:5-6). As a result, they failed to recognize that the Kingdom of God had already come and that the Messiah’s suffering and death that were predicted in Scripture were about to take place.

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Mar 9:13. Ὅτι καὶ) καὶ, even.—αὐτῷ, to him) to Elias. See by all means Mat 17:12.—καθὼς, even as) Refer this to is come. He intimates, that the coming of Elias rests, not upon the opinion of the Scribes, but on a prophecy of Scripture, which was less known to the disciples. Nor, however, is this not also to be referred to, they have done unto Him whatsoever, etc. For our Lord quickly followed after the forerunner; therefore the forerunner made room for Him, being quickly taken out of the way.

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

Mar 9:13 contains Christ’s own view of Elijah’s coming, which differs both from that of the scribes and from that of the disciples, who found it realised in the vision on the hill. καθὼς γέγραπται ἐπʼ αὐτόν : the reference is to the persecution of Elijah by Jezebel, the obvious intention being to suggest the identification of the expected prophet with the Baptist . All pointing to one conclusion suffering the appointed lot of the faithful servants of God in this evil world: Elijah, John, Jesus. That, the lesson Jesus wished by all means to inculcate: the δεῖ πολλὰ παθεῖν , now, and henceforth, to the end.

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

(13) As it is written of him.—The words are peculiar to St. Mark, and probably point (1) to the special prediction of the coming of Elijah in Malachi 4, and (2) to the parallelism between the career of the Baptist and that of the Tishbite prophet. What had been written of or for the one, the record of bold rebuke and consequent suffering for the Truth, had received its fulfilment in the other.

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

13. That Elias is indeed come] that is in the person of John the Baptist, to whom men acted even as it had been written of the persecution of the real Elijah. A few remarks here will not be out of place (i) On the three accounts of the Transfiguration; (ii) On the meaning and significance of the event itself.

(i) The three accounts. (a) All three Evangelists relate the conversation which preceded, and the Miracle which succeeded it. (b) St Matthew alone records the prostration of the disciples through excessive fear, and the Lord’s strengthening touch and cheering words uttered once before on the stormy lake (Mat_17:6-7; Mat_14:27), recalling, as the Hebrew Evangelist, the scene in the Exodus when the face of Moses shone, and the children of Israel were afraid to come nigh him (Exo_34:29-30). (c) St Mark, in describing the effect of the Transfiguration, uses the strongest material imagery, “white as snow,” “so as no fuller on earth can whiten,” and he alone has the sudden vanishing of the heavenly visitors, and the inquiring look around of the disciples, and their questioning amongst themselves what “the rising from the dead could mean.” (d) St Luke alone tells us that our Lord was engaged in prayer at the moment of His glorification (Luk_9:29), and mentions the slumbrous and wakeful condition of the three witnesses, the subject of mysterious converse between the Lord and His visitors from the other world (Luk_9:31), and the fact that the Heavenly Voice succeeded their departure (Luk_9:35). (e) Both St Matthew and St Mark place in immediate connection with the Event the remarkable conversation about Elias, but St Matthew alone applies the Lord’s words concerning that great prophet to John the Baptist (Mat_17:13).

(ii) The meaning and significance of the Event. This we may believe had respect (a) to the Apostles, and (b) to our Lord Himself.

(a) As regards the Apostles. This one full manifestation of His Divine glory, during the period of the Incarnation, was designed to confirm their faith, to comfort them in prospect of their Master’s approaching sufferings, to prepare them to see in His Passion the fulfilment alike of the Law and the Prophets, to give them a glimpse of the celestial Majesty of Him, whom they had given up all to follow.

(b) As regards our Lord. As regards the Redeemer we may conclude that the transaction marked His consecration as the Divine Victim, Who was to accomplish the great “Decease” at Jerusalem, even as the Baptism inaugurated the commencement of His public ministry; it was the solemn attestation of His perfect oneness with His Father in heaven at the very time when He was about to descend into the valley of the shadow of death. It was, as it has well been called, “the summit-level” of the Life Incarnate. From this time forward there is a perceptible change. (a) Miracles, which hitherto had abounded in prodigal profusion, well-nigh cease. Only five mark the period between the Transfiguration and the Passion. Those, for whom “signs” could avail, were already won. For the rest, no more could be done. They were like those, amongst whom in His earlier ministry, “He could do no mighty work because of their unbelief.” (b) As regards His teaching, public addresses, before the rule, now become few and rare; His special revelations of the future to the chosen Twelve become more frequent, and they uniformly circle, unenshrouded in type or figure or dark saying, round the Cross.

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.

But I say unto you, that Elias is indeed come,.... Meaning John the Baptist, who in prophecy is designed by him.

And they have done unto him whatsoever they listed; See Gill on Mat 17:12; which words should be read in a parenthesis, as they are in the Vulgate Latin version; for what follows, as

it is written of him, respects not what the Scribes and Pharisees, and the people of the Jews did to John at their pleasure; despising his ministry and message, rejecting the counsel of God delivered by him, and remaining impenitent and unbelieving, notwithstanding his powerful and awakening ministry, with many other things, which are no where written of him; but the words regard his coming, and the prophecies concerning him, and particularly, that under the name of Elijah, in Mal 4:5 and which had had their accomplishment.

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

13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

Ver. 13. {See Trapp on "Mat 17:12"} {See Trapp on "Mat 17:13"}

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.

That Elias See,

Mat 11:14; Luk 1:17

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

13. ἀλλὰ λέγω ὑμῖν. But, so far from this being a difficulty, I say to you that Elijah moreover is come. There is no ἐγώwith λέγω (contrast Mat 5:22; Mat 5:28; Mat 5:32, etc.), because there is no opposition between what Christ says and what the Scribes say. Christ confirms the belief that an Elijah must come. His statement goes beyond that of the Scribes. Not only must he come, but “moreover he is come and they did to him, etc.”

ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ. They did to him whatsoever they listed. They imprisoned him and put him to death. There was no need to say who had treated “Elijah” in this manner. The phrase is in O.T. style (1Ki 9:1; 1Ki 10:13; Psa 113:1; Dan 8:4; 1Ma 7:16), and indicates absolute power. Both Mk and Mt. have ἐποίησαν, which A.V. renders “have done.” R.V. has “did” in Mt., but leaves “have done” in Mk.

καθὼς γέγραπται ἐπʼ αὐτόν. Even as it stands written about him. Antipas and Herodias were foreshadowed in Ahab and Jezebel.

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.

13. ἀλλὰ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι κ. Ἡλείας ἐλήυθεν—but I say unto you, that also Elijah has come. καὶ before Ἡλείας means also, he too, as well as the Messiah. This contains the minor premise of the argument, which runs as follows: The fulfilment of the prophecy in regard to Elijah makes probable the fulfilment of that in regard to the Son of Man; the former prophecy has been fulfilled, therefore look for the fulfilment of the other. κ. ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ, etc.,—and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it has been written in regard to him. Here is another fulfilment in regard to the same man, which increases the probability just named. Moreover, this prophecy in regard to his fate puts his case on precisely parallel lines to that of the Messiah. He too, like the Messiah, is the subject of expectation on the one hand, and of prophecy on the other, which are entirely inconsistent. In his case it is the adverse event of prophecy that has been accomplished, which strengthens the conviction that the like will happen to the Messiah. ὅσα ἤθελον—whatever they wished. This might seem an inconclusive statement, without the addition of what it was that men wished. But in reality, this is a striking statement of the way in which the Divine plan differs from the human, which made the fate of John and of Jesus certain. Men expected it as a part of the Messianic programme that God would interpose in behalf of his servants, so that men could not do to them what they pleased. But in God’s spiritual kingdom, force is not opposed to force, and so men did to John what they pleased. The inference is, they will do to the Son of Man likewise. Only now, with the introduction of this

ἤθελον, instead of ἠθέλησαν, Tisch. Treg. WH. א BC* DL.

ὅσα ἤθελον, it becomes no longer a mere fulfilment of prophecy, but an application of the immutable Divine principle to parallel cases.

καθὼς γέγραπται—as it has been written. This might refer to the general statements in regard to the maltreatment of the prophets. But it is personal, something written about him, and this makes it more probable that the reference is to Elijah, who suffered for righteousness’ sake in the same way. It is this concrete case of such maltreatment that becomes a prophecy of the fate of the man who has succeeded to his spirit, and so to his fate. See 1 K. 18:17 sqq. 19:1 sqq. This becomes thus a good example of the broad way in which Jesus treats prophecy.

A DEMONIAC HEALED

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