Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 1:27
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine [is] this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
Verse 27. What thing is this?] Words of surprise and astonishment.
And what new doctrine] I have added the particle and, from the Syriac, as it helps the better to distinguish the members of the sentence; but there is a vast diversity in the MSS. on this verse. See Griesbach.
For with authority] They had never heard such a gracious doctrine, and never saw any teaching supported by miracles before. How much must this person be superior to men! – they are brought into subjection by unclean spirits; this person subjects unclean spirits to himself.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Jews had exorcists amongst them, who sometimes cast out devils by some forms of invocation they had; but Christ commanded them out; he neither did it by any kind of entreaty from any compact with the devil, nor yet by any invocation of God, but by an authoritative command. This was new to the Jews, and especially confirming a new doctrine that he had published. But still we read of no believing, no agnation of him as God, or the Son of God, or the Messias and Saviour of the world; only the generality are amazed they could not obtain of themselves to believe this new doctrine, nor yet so far command their passions, but they must be startled and amazed at it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
27. What thing is this? what newdoctrineteaching
is this?The audience,rightly apprehending that the miracle was wrought to illustrate theteaching and display the character and glory of the Teacher, begin byasking what novel kind of teaching this could be, which was somarvellously attested.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they were all amazed,…. The people that were in the synagogue, who were met together for divine worship, were astonished, not only at his doctrine, as before, but at this miracle and power of his in casting out devils:
insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, what thing is this? They spake among themselves, as Luke says, Lu 4:36; they inquired of one another; they conferred together, talked over the point, and disputed among themselves, concerning both the doctrine and power of Christ, what, and how wonderful they were:
what new doctrine is this? This they said, not as fixing a brand of novelty upon it, as the Athenians did on Paul’s doctrine, Ac 17:19, but as admiring it; being what was rare and unusual, and which they had never heard of from their Rabbins and Scribes, and which was confirmed by miracles;
for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him: they not only observed the authority with which he delivered his doctrine, but the authority with which he cast out devils, by a word speaking; he not only commanded them to come out, but they immediately came out; their exorcists took authority upon them to command, but could not oblige the devils to obey; but these men took notice, that such was the authority of Christ in commanding, that the unclean spirits were obliged to obey, and did.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They questioned among themselves ( ). By look and word.
A new teaching ( ). One surprise had followed another this day. The teaching was fresh (), original as the dew of the morning on the blossoms just blown. That was a novelty in that synagogue where only staid and stilted rabbinical rules had been heretofore droned out. This new teaching charmed the people, but soon will be rated as heresy by the rabbis. And it was with authority (‘ ). It is not certain whether the phrase is to be taken with “new teaching,” “It’s new teaching with authority behind it,” as Moffatt has it, or with the verb; “with authority commandeth even the unclean spirits” ( ). The position is equivocal and may be due to the fact that “Mark gives the incoherent and excited remarks of the crowd in this natural form” (Swete). But the most astonishing thing of all is that the demons “obey him” ( ). The people were accustomed to the use of magical formulae by the Jewish exorcists (Matt 12:27; Acts 19:13), but here was something utterly different. Simon Magus could not understand how Simon Peter could do his miracles without some secret trick and even offered to buy it (Ac 8:19).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
They questioned among themselves ( )
Stronger than Luke, who has they spake together. Tynd., They demanded one of another among themselves.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And they were all amazed,” (kai ethambethesan hapantes) “And they (of the synagogue) were all astounded,” all who heard and saw what Jesus said and did in the synagogue that Sabbath day.
2) “Insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying,” (hoste suzetein autous legontas) “So that they debated among themselves, repeatedly asking, inquiring;” It appears that both the Jewish laity and the official Synagogue attendants and interpreters of the law of Moses, from among the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, were dumbfounded.
3) “What thing is this? What new doctrine is this?” (ti estin touto; didache kaine) “What new thing or new teaching (doctrine) is this?” It was the Father of Jesus, bearing witness of the Divinity of Jesus, through the power of miracle deeds which He gave to Him to do, Joh 4:36. That Jesus was Imperial King, Ruler over fallen spirits, was new to them.
4) “For with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits,” (kati eksousian kai tois pneumati tois akathartois epitassei) “Because as by administrative authority He commands the unclean spirits,” something the Synagogue rulers could not and did not presume to do, Mat 7:28-29; Luk 5:24.
5) “And they do obey Him.” (kai abouousin auto) “And they do obey Him,” respond to His mandate, immediately. Thus the miracle ministry of Jesus began with a public concession or admission of Synagogue attendants in Capernaum that this ministry of Jesus was superior to anything they had ever seen; Joh 3:2; Joh 20:30-31.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Mar 1:27
What new doctrine is this? They call it new doctrine, not by way of reproach, but as an acknowledgment, that there was something in it unusual and extraordinary. It is not for the sake of blame, or to lessen its credit, that they speak of it as new. This is rather a part of their admiration, that they pronounce it to be not common or ordinary. Their only fault lies in this, that they remain in their state of hesitation, (346) whereas the children of God ought to make increasing progress.
(346) “ En leur doute et estonnement.” — “In their doubt and astonishment.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(27) What new doctrine is this?A various-reading gives a different structure, What thing is this? A new doctrine with power. He commandeth even the unclean spirits . . . Doctrine is, as elsewhere, the teaching taken as a whole, including manner as well as substance.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
27. What new doctrine A new set of facts was coming to light; a new power was being disclosed. Men’s ideas must open to the new views and new doctrines as soon as a being has appeared on earth superior to and in antagonism with the powers of darkness. Indeed, it is important to remark that, striking as was the testimony rendered to the heavenly mission of Jesus, from the fact that his miracles were in opposition to the ills of men, to their diseases, their sorrows, and deaths, including the whole ruin that sin produces, there was needed this miracle of casting out devils from their dominion over men, to place the opposition between him and the powers of hell in the clearest view. He is the friend of man; an opponent of sin, death, and hell. Hence it seems, in fact, that it was this very miracle of casting out devils that his enemies subsequently felt themselves most called upon to explain by perverting.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And they were all amazed in so much that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching. He commands with authority even the unclean spirits and they obey him”.’
The people were all amazed. They thought that it must be some new teaching, not in a wrong sense but in the sense of being more powerfully true. This suggests that while there were exorcists around, they had not been quite as effective as this. They had used incantations and special formulae, but they had not been able to dismiss the evil spirits with a word. And they recognised that it meant that He had a special divine authority, which went hand in hand with divine knowledge.
‘What is this? A new teaching.’ We might bring in ‘with authority’ here as part of the phrase and translate, ‘What is this? A new authoritative teaching (a new teaching with authority)? He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him?’ This would agree with what seems to be the correct text. But either way the significance is the same.
‘He commands the unclean spirits and they obey Him.’ Jesus will Himself later point out what this proved, that Satan in his strength was being defeated, and that this could only be by the Spirit of God (Mat 12:28), thus demonstrating that He Himself was a man of the Spirit and a ‘man of God’. But His claim to be ‘the Stronger than he’ would go even further than that.
It is noteworthy that although He did this on the Sabbath it was not at this stage questioned, (but perhaps that was only because it required simply a word of command).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mar 1:27 . ] is equivalent to (Luk 4:36 ). The reason why the reflexive is used, is the conception of the contradistinction to others (they discussed among one another , not with Jesus and His disciples). See Khner, ad Xen. Mem. ii. 6. 20. Fritzsche explains: apud animum suum . But stands opposed to this, designating as it does action in common , Mar 9:10 , Mar 12:28 ; Luk 20:23 ; Luk 24:15 , al. ; so also in the classics.
;] a natural demand in astonishment at what had happened for more precise information as to the circumstances of the case .
In what follows we must read: ! See the critical remarks. They give vent by way of exclamation to what has thrown them into such astonishment and is so incomprehensible to them, and do so in the unperiodic mode of expression that is appropriate to excited feeling: a doctrine new in power! and He commands the unclean spirits , etc.! They marvel at these two marked points, as they have just perceived them in Jesus. Lachmann attaches to . . . But this is manifestly opposed to the connection, according to which looks back to the foregoing . This applies also in opposition to Ewald, who reads : “with new teaching He powerfully commands even the devils.” A confused identification of the teaching with the impression of the miraculous action is here groundlessly discovered by Baur, [57] and used as a proof of dependence on Luk 4:36 . Even with the Recepta the two elements of the exclamation would be very definitely correlative to the two elements of the ministry of Jesus in the synagogue respectively.
] defines the reference of : new in respect to power , which has never yet occurred thus with the impress of higher authorization.
[57] Who holds that Mark has not been able to enter into Luke’s mode of view, but has kept to the of Jesus in the sense of Matthew, without himself rightly understanding in what relation the stood to the . . . Baur, Markusevang. p. 11; comp. theol. Jahrb. 1853, p. 69 f. See, on the other hand, Hilgenfeld, Evang. p. 128.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
Ver. 27. For with authority ] As he taught, so he wrought with authority, . The same word is used Mar 1:22 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
27. ] is not, each man within himself, but amounts to , see reff. Meyer well remarks, that the reason of the reflexive pronoun being used, is probably to be found in the narrative representing what was said among themselves , not to Jesus and his disciples.
We may either take with , ‘ new in respect of power ,’ as Meyer: or regard and as two separate predicates of . The latter view is preferable as more borne out by the adverbial use of with nouns signifying power in the reff. Render then a teaching new and powerful.
Mar 1:27 . : another strong word peculiar to Mark = they were astonished, i.e. , at the sudden and complete recovery. They saw at a glance that the attack had not run its usual course. with the infinitive here expressing result. , to seek together; in N. T. tropical = to inquire of one another, to discuss. The word occurs several times in Mark. ; The question refers to the whole appearance of Jesus in the synagogue that day. One surprise following close on another provoked wondering inquiry as to the whole phenomenon. The words following state the twofold ground of their astonishment: (1) , a style of teaching new as to authoritativeness (entirely different from the familiar type of the scribes); (2) , etc., also He commandeth the unclean spirits so that they obey Him. Both equally unlooked for: the former a moral miracle, the latter a physical; both revealing an imperial spirit exercising sway over the minds and bodies of men.
among. Greek. pros. App-104.
new. New in character, not in time. Greek. kainos. See notes on Mat 9:17; Mat 26:29; Mat 27:60.
doctrine = teaching.
with. Greel kainos. App-104. Not the same word as in verses Mar 8:13, Mar 8:20, Mar 8:23, Mar 8:29, Mar 8:36.
27.] is not, each man within himself, but amounts to , see reff. Meyer well remarks, that the reason of the reflexive pronoun being used, is probably to be found in the narrative representing what was said among themselves, not to Jesus and his disciples.
We may either take with , new in respect of power, as Meyer: or regard and as two separate predicates of . The latter view is preferable as more borne out by the adverbial use of with nouns signifying power in the reff. Render then a teaching new and powerful.
Mar 1:27. , doctrine) with which these miracles were connected and accompanied.-, even).
they were: Mar 7:37, Mat 9:33, Mat 12:22, Mat 12:23, Mat 15:31
for: Luk 4:36, Luk 9:1, Luk 10:17-20
Reciprocal: Mat 8:27 – General Mar 2:12 – insomuch Mar 5:42 – General Mar 6:51 – and they Luk 4:15 – being Luk 7:7 – but Luk 9:42 – the devil Act 2:7 – amazed Act 17:19 – new Tit 2:15 – with
7
People had been known to be possessed with devils for some years, but until the time of Christ no one was able to expel them. And notice that it was not done by any bodily contact, but solely by the authority of Jesus which was so great that when he commanded the devils they obeyed. No wonder the people were amazed and started to talk about it among themselves.
Mar 1:27. They questioned among themselves. Only a miracle could produce this effect. The people began to think and argue for themselves, not to ask the scribes.
What is this? a new teaching! This is the rendering of the more lively report of Mark. They rightly inferred, that such new and unexampled power was to attest a new revelation from God.Mark and Luke mention this miracle first, without saying that it was actually the first. That in Cana of Galilee (Joh 2:1-11), was the first, since this is expressly stated. The second is recorded in Joh 4:46-54. Matthew (Mat 4:24) speaks of many miracles, but describes first the healing of a leper (chap. Mar 8:2-4), in accordance with the purpose of his Gospel. Mark gives special prominence to Christs power over demons.
27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine [is] this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
Luk 4:36 puts it this way: “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Note that Mark uses the term “doctrine” while Luke uses the term “word” when describing Christ’s verbalization with the spirit. Mark uses the term that normally is translated doctrine while Luke uses the term “logos” or “word” to describe it. Since they were quoting observations it may have been that Mark heard one person’s comment while Luke heard another person’s comment. The two terms are not that separate, for doctrine is made up of words.
The observers were not just surprised, but they were astonished at this occurrence. They had not seen anything like this.
One might wonder at the possessed man being in the synagogue. Was this a test of the Devil for the Lord? Why would the Devil allow one he is possessing to enter a place of worship, unless to disrupt or test. The introduction of this man would seem to be nothing out of the ordinary. The text just states that this possessed man was part of the group at the synagogue
The term translated “authority” in both accounts is the same word which means authority, yet a possible translation of the term is “liberty of doing as one pleases” giving quite a picture of the Lord. This man Jesus has liberty to do anything He wants to do. No wonder they were amazed and thought he had authority and power. (Luke mentions both authority and power while Mark just mentions the authority.)Placing myself in a crowd of lost people if I saw someone come in and cast out spirits, I think I would be properly impressed, amazed and be left to wonder at the ability of this person. It is quite understandable in my mind. Add to that the fact that the others most likely knew this man who was possessed, and they now had their acquaintance back in a normal state and they could again interact with him on a normal basis. There must have been a lot of thankfulness in their minds as well, though it is not stated in the text.
Barnes makes the following statement: “He did it in his own name, and by his own authority.” I would suggest that you find this in the Scripture text. He did it with authority, but it does not mention whose authority it was. I would suggest sticking to the text, rather than opinion. Barnes suggests the common teaching that Christ as God performed miracles via His own power; however this is up for much discussion.
1:27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned {p} among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine [is] this? for with authority {q} commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
(p) As men who were amazed.
(q) By his own authority, or as a lord.
The people’s reaction to this exorcism was an important part of Mark’s narrative. The witnesses expressed alarm as well as amazement at this unique demonstration of authority by word and by deed. This was the typical result of the "fishing" that Jesus and His disciples did.
"One surprise following close on another provoked wondering inquiry as to the whole phenomenon." [Note: A. B. Bruce, "The Synoptic Gospels," in The Expositor’s Greek Testament, 1:346.]
The result of this miracle was that people all over that part of Galilee heard about Jesus.
"Despite the fact that the crowd reacts to Jesus’ teaching and healing with amazement, or astonishment, this is an expression not of understanding but of incomprehension.
". . . the crowd in Mark’s story is at once ’well disposed’ toward Jesus and ’without faith’ in him. In being well disposed toward Jesus, the crowd stands in contrast to its leaders, the religious authorities. In being without faith in Jesus, the crowd stands in contrast to the disciples." [Note: Kingsbury, pp. 23, 24. Cf. 6:51-52.]
This incident highlights the authority of Jesus that the worshippers in Capernaum first observed in His teaching and then witnessed in His exorcism. The people should have concluded that only a great prophet of Yahweh could possess such authority. Jesus did not reveal who He was completely on this occasion, but He did give these practicing Jews enough revelation about Himself so they should have accepted it and asked for more. James Edwards clarified the divine authority of Jesus, as Mark recorded it in many places, that demonstrated His deity. [Note: See James R. Edwards, "The Authority of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 37:2 (June 1994):217-33.]
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)