Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 8:26
And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell [it] to any in the town.
26. to his house ] Bethsaida, therefore, was not the place of his residence; he was to go immediately from the place to his own home not even to the village to which he had already come, and he was not to mention it to any one dwelling in that village, or whom he might meet by the way.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The town – The town of Bethsaida.
Nor tell it … – Lest it excite the jealousy of the Pharisees, and produce commotion and danger.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. He sent him away to his house] So it appears that this person did not belong to Bethsaida, for, in going to his house, he was not to enter into the village.
This miracle is not mentioned by any other of the evangelists. It affords another proof that Mark did not abridge Matthew’s Gospel.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
26. Neither go into the town, nortell it to any in the townBesides the usual reasons againstgoing about “blazing the matter,” retirement in this casewould be salutary to himself.
Mr8:27-38. PETER’S NOBLECONFESSION OF CHRISTOURLORD’S FIRSTEXPLICIT ANNOUNCEMENTOF HIS APPROACHINGSUFFERINGS, DEATH,AND RESURRECTIONHISREBUKE OF PETER,AND WARNING TO ALLTHE TWELVE. ( =Mat 16:13-27; Luk 9:18-26).
For the exposition, see on Mt16:13-28.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he sent him away to his house,…. Which seems to have been in one of the neighbouring villages or was one of the houses scattered about in the fields for the conveniency of rural business.
Saying, neither go into the town: or “that town”, as the Syriac, the town or city of Bethsaida:
nor tell it to any in the town; to any of the inhabitants of the town that he should meet with any where or at any time: the reason of this was not merely or only because Christ would have the miracle concealed; but chiefly because the inhabitants of this place were notorious for their impenitence and unbelief. Christ had done many wonderful works among them and yet they repented not; nor did they believe in him; but despised him, his doctrine and his miracles; and therefore for their neglect and contempt of such means he was determined to withdraw them from them. So Christ sometimes deals with nations cities and towns that disbelieve reject and despise his Gospel; he takes it away from them he orders his ministering servants to preach no more to them; no more to tell them of the good news of life and salvation by him: thus he dealt with the Jews who contradicted and blasphemed and judged themselves or by their conduct made themselves appear to be unworthy of the words of eternal life; he took away the kingdom of God or the Gospel from them and sent it among the Gentiles: and thus he threatened the church of Ephesus for leaving its first love to remove the candlestick out of its place in case of non-repentance; and a grievous judgment it is upon a place and people when God commands the clouds to rain no rain upon them, Isa 5:6; or, in other words when he enjoins his ministers no more to tell, or publish his Gospel to them; he determining to withdraw from them and have no more to do with them; so Christ and his disciples departed from this place, declared in the following verse.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
To his home ( ). A joyful homecoming that. He was not allowed to enter the village and create excitement before Jesus moved on to Caesarea Philippi.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And He sent him away,” (kai apesteilen auton) “And Jesus specifically sent or commissioned him,” gave him a direct mandate.
2) “To his house, saying,” (eis oikon autou legon)”Togo directly into his home or residence, saying expressly,” to avoid creating a sensation.
3) “Neither go into the town,” (mede eis komen) “Do not go into the village,” to make a public announcement of what had happened, as they had already rejected Him and His former miracle ministry in Bethsaida, his home town, Mat 11:21-22.
4) “Nor tell it to any in the town.” (eiselthes) “Nor mayest thou enter into any village,” to tell what has happened to your vision, Mar 8:30; Mar 7:36; Mat 11:23.
It has been suggested that our Lord’s gradual restoration of the sight of this blind man was to chide or reprove the twelve for their slowness in acquiring spiritual vision or discernment, such as their slowness to understand His warning of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herodians, Mar 8:15-16.
ECLIPSE OF FAITH
The Moon, in an eclipse, complained to the Sun, “Why, 0 my dearest friend, dost thou not shine upon me as usual?” “Do I not?” said the Sun, “I am sure I am shining as I always do. Why do you not enjoy my light as usual?” “Oh, I see,” said the Moon, “the Earth has come between us.” This is the trouble with every backslider.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
26. And he sent him away to his house. Christ does not suffer him to return to Bethsaida, where there were many that had beheld the miracle. This is conjectured by some to have been done, because Christ intended to punish the inhabitants of that place by depriving them of the enjoyment of his favor. Whatever might be the reason, it is certain that no miracle was performed by him in order to remain perpetually buried, but that he intended to have it concealed along with many others, till, after having expiated by his death the sins of the world, (435) he should ascend to the glory of the Father.
(435) “ Iusques a ce qu’ayant par sa mort accompli la satisfaction des pechez du monde;” — “till having by his death rendered full satisfaction for the sins of the world.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) Neither go into the town.As in other works of healing, so in this, our Lord seems to have prescribed quietude after, as well as before, the miracle, as a spiritual disciplinepartly, we may believe, because the work that had been done called for prayer for the right use of the new, or the restored, power; partly (as in Mat. 12:16), because He would not seem Himself to court the fame of publicity. Following the line of thought taken in the Note on Mar. 8:24, we may extend the application to the work of spiritual illumination. Here also it is not good that the first clear apprehension of spiritual truths should be followed by the hasty utterances of the excitement of the new-born life.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. Nor tell it to any in the town Any man residing in the town. Very probably there was at this time a special suspicion existing of the authorities in regard to Jesus. Herod Philip (resident so near as Cesarea Philippi) may have been in Bethsaida. This supposition would account both for Jesus taking the man out of the town and for this prohibition to tell any man in it.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he sent him away to his home saying, “Do not even enter into the village.’
As with the deaf and dumb man we may see this as silence enjoined – compare Mar 7:36 (‘tell no one in the village’ is in fact a variant reading). The man was to go home without contacting anyone, the matter was not to be publicised. Compare how with the disciples they are not to publicise their new recognition of Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) (Mar 8:30). But such a demand for silence was Jesus’ regular policy when He performed outstanding miracles and was expectant of remaining in the area.
Jesus had taken the man out of ‘the village’ (Mar 8:23), and now tells him not to return there, but to go straight home. This was, of course, partly to prevent the publicity that might then result in sensation seeking crowds, but it is also clearly a spiritual picture of what the disciples must do once their eyes were opened. They must not proclaim Him as Messiah until after His death and resurrection, for men were mistaken in their conceptions of the Messiah (Mar 8:30).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
Ver. 26. Neither go into the town ] Christ would not vouchsafe such an ungrateful people the benefit of one more preacher, though never so mean. This was a greater judgment upon them than if he had turned some other way that arm of the sea that brought so much wealth into their town.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
26. ] See above in this note, and var. readd. The first and second both carry a separate climax with them: he was not even to go into the village, no, nor so much as tell it to any who dwelt in the village .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 8:26 . , home. , etc., go not into the village; to avoid creating a sensation. It has been suggested that the gradual restoration of sight in this case was meant to symbolise the slowness of the Twelve in attaining spiritual insight. They got their eyes opened very gradually like the blind man of Bethsaida. So Klostermann.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Neither go, &c. Note the determination of the Lord not to give Bethsaida any further evidence.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
26.] See above in this note,-and var. readd. The first and second both carry a separate climax with them: he was not even to go into the village, no, nor so much as tell it to any who dwelt in the village.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 8:26. – , into the house-nor into the village) His house therefore was in the remote extremity of the village.- , nor tell) Jesus avoided celebrity, especially at that time. [For this miracle is the last in the Evangelists before the Feast of Tabernacles (and before the discourses recorded in John ch. 7-10-V. g.); and He forbade this miracle to be published abroad, just as He did the healing of the deaf and dumb man, ch. Mar 7:36. The people, after having celebrated the Passover, repaired to their country employments: His adversaries were thenceforth honoured with no further sign; and whatever effects were needful to be produced in the case of the disciples by miracles of this kind, had now already reached their highest point. Behold the year of grace now completed in Galilee!-Harm., p. 348.]-, to any one) who is in the town.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Neither: Mar 5:43, Mar 7:36, Mat 8:4, Mat 9:30, Mat 12:16
Reciprocal: Mar 8:30 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6
See the comments on Mar 7:36 for the present verse.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 8:26. To his home. This was not in the village, but elsewhere. Our Lord forbids his return to the village. He was now seeking retirement and avoiding publicity, and there may have been some special reason why it should not be published there.The last clause is to be omitted, though found in many ancient authorities.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
8:26 {5} And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell [it] to any in the town.
(5) Christ will not have his miracles to be separated from his doctrine.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Probably Jesus gave this order to safeguard His mission (cf. Mar 1:44-45; Mar 5:43; Mar 7:36). The man appears to have lived somewhere other than in Bethsaida.
With this miracle Jesus fulfilled another aspect of messianic prophecy. The divine Messiah would open blind eyes (Isa 35:5-6). Old Testament writers claimed that it is God who gives sight to the blind (Psa 146:8; Isa 29:18). The conclusion should have been obvious: Jesus is the God-man.