Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 10:16
And he took them up in his arms, put [his] hands upon them, and blessed them.
16. took them up in his arms ] He ever giveth more than men ask or think. He had been asked only to touch the children. He takes them into His arms, lays His Hands upon them, and blesses them. Twice we read of our Lord taking into His arms, and both times they were children whom He embraced, and both times the scenes are recorded only by St Mark (Mar 9:36, Mar 10:16).
blessed them ] Rather, He blesses them, according to some MSS. The present tense is in keeping with the graphic style of the Evangelist.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 16. And he took them up in his arms] One of the Itala reads in sinu suo – “in his bosom.” Jesus Christ loves little children; and they are objects of his most peculiar care. Who can account for their continual preservation and support, while exposed to so many dangers, but on the ground of a peculiar and extraordinary providence?
And blessed them.] Then, though little children, they were capable of receiving Christ’s blessing. If Christ embraced them, why should not his Church embrace them? Why not dedicate them to God by baptism? – whether that be performed by sprinkling, washing, or immersion; for we need not dispute about the mode: on this point let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind. I confess it appears to me grossly heathenish and barbarous, to see parents who profess to believe in that Christ who loves children, and among them those whose creed does not prevent them from using infant baptism, depriving their children of an ordinance by which no soul can prove that they cannot be profited, and, through an unaccountable bigotry or carelessness, withholding from them the privilege of even a nominal dedication to God; and yet these very persons are ready enough to fly for a minister to baptize their child when they suppose it to be at the point of death! It would be no crime to pray that such persons should never have the privilege of hearing, My father! or, My mother! from the lips of their own child. See Clarke on Mt 3:6, and See Clarke on Mr 16:16.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he took them up in his arms,…. “Upon his arms”, the Syriac version says; “he put them into his bosom”, according to the Ethiopic; and the Persic renders it, “he took them into his bosom”: all which expresses great tenderness towards them, and affection for them:
put his hands upon them, and blessed them. The Ethiopic version transposes these clauses, and puts blessing first, contrary to the natural order of the words, and things; for he first put his hands on the children, according to the custom of the Jews, and then prayed over them, and wished all happiness and prosperity to them;
[See comments on Mt 19:15].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He took them in his arms (). A distinct rebuke to the protest of the over-particular disciples. This word already in Mr 9:36. In Lu 2:28 we have the full idiom, to receive into the arms ( ). So with tender fondling Jesus repeatedly blessed (, imperfect), laying his hands upon each of them (, present participle). It was a great moment for each mother and child.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Took them in his arms. See on 9 86.
Put his hands upon them and blessed them. The best texts read kateulogei, tiqeiv tav ceirav ejp aujta, blessed them, laying his hands upon them; including the laying on of hands in the blessing. The compound rendered blessed occurs only here in the New Testament. It is stronger than the simple form, and expresses the earnestness of Christ ‘s interest. Alford renders fervently blessed.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) – And He took them up in His arms,” (kai enagkalisamenos) “And affectionately taking them up in His arms,” to show earnest, honest, sincere care, for each as a person, an “heritage of the Lord,” which children are, Psa 127:3.
2) “Put His hands upon them,” (titeis tas cheiros ep’ auta) “Placing (His) hands upon them,” every one, or each one of them, Mat 19:14-15.
3) ”And blessed them.” (auto kateulogei) “He blessed them,” very specifically; with special care, and intense expression of concern for them, Luk 18:1, In Hebrew custom blessing was a father’s act, Gen 27:28. Jesus had no children, that He might bless all, as if He were their earthly patriarch father.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(16) And he took them up in his arms.Better, folded them in His arms, leaving the question whether they were lifted from the ground open. The word is used by St. Mark only. The actual blessing, though implied in St. Matthew, is also definitely mentioned by him only.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And he enfolded them in his arms and firmly blessed them, laying his hands on them.’
Having spoken sternly to His disciples He then turned to the children and opened His arms to them. Each was received and each was ‘firmly blessed’ (the prefix confirms it was no perfunctory action). And as He did so He laid His hands on them identifying them with Himself. We may surmise that Jesus would not have been happy just to touch them as though He were some religious symbol which could automatically confer blessing. He wanted His actions to be real and personal and loving.
Some have tried to connect this episode with baptism, and it is true that the word for ‘forbid’ here is also elsewhere used by or about those seeking baptism (Act 8:36; Act 10:47; Act 11:17 compare Mat 3:14) but the connection is tenuous and only Mar 10:47 is remotely a parallel usage. Thus its use is coincidental. It is also true that this story may have become one basis for infant baptism, but it should be noted that what Jesus says here assumes some comprehension on the children’s part. While it may thus be said to have encouraged child baptism, there are no grounds at all for saying that it justifies infant baptism of those who cannot intelligently respond. That is a totally different issue.
So having demonstrated in Mar 10:2-12 that the new Kingly Rule of God was present so that men could be expected to go back to the way things were before the fall, He has now demonstrated the kind of people who will be able to enter under that Kingly Rule of God, and to whom it really belongs. And we will now see an example of one such young person who was unable to enter, because he had gone beyond having the heart of a little child.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Ver. 16. See Trapp on “ Mat 19:15 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
16. ] , like all such compounds, is more forcible and complete than the simple verb would have been. It may be rendered He fervently blessed them.
Mar 10:16 . , as in Mar 9:36 . Jesus took each child in His arms, one by one, and blessed it: , imperfect. The process would last a while, but Jesus would not soon weary in such work. The compound verb ( [93] [94] [95] [96] , etc.), here only, has intensive force like in Mat 26:49 ( vide notes there and Maclear in C. G. T.).
[93] Codex Sinaiticus (sc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.
[94] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.
[95] Codex Ephraemi
[96] Codex Regius–eighth century, represents an ancient text, and is often in agreement with and B.
He took, &c. = He kept taking, &c. A Divine supplement, here. Compare Mat 19:13 and Luk 18:15.
upon. Greek. epi. App-104.
blessed = kept blessing. The word Occurs only here in the N.T. in this Tense.
16.] , like all such compounds, is more forcible and complete than the simple verb would have been. It may be rendered He fervently blessed them.
Mar 10:16. , and) He did more than He was asked, Mar 10:13. [ , He blessed them) By that very act conferring on them the blessings, which He afforded to adults by the mediation of the word.-V. g.]
blessed them
In Hebrew custom, a father’s act. (Cf) Gen 27:38
“He had no children that He might adopt all children.”–Bengel.
Gen 48:14-16, Deu 28:3, Isa 40:11, Luk 2:28-34, Luk 24:50, Luk 24:51, Joh 21:15-17
Reciprocal: Gen 14:19 – he blessed Lev 9:22 – his hand Mat 19:15 – General Mar 9:36 – General
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Jesus then gave an example of his own teaching by taking the children in his arms and bestowing upon them a caressing touch. Blessed them means he pronounced his good wishes upon them.
Mar 10:16. And taking them in his arms. Mark loves to tell of our Lords gestures. Christ did more for the children than those who brought them asked, as He always does. The servants of such a Master should welcome children to His fold.
Laying his hands on them. We have no definite account of any ordination of the Apostles by the laving on of Christs hands; but we do read of a laying-on of hands upon children, and consequently of their ordination to the kingdom of heaven. Lange.
BLESSING
Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.
Copyright 2008
We see in the anguish of Esau over the stealing of his blessing by Jacob the importance of a fathers blessing upon his child. The blessing that was given to Jacob was 28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: 29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed [be] every one that curseth thee, and blessed [be] he that blesseth thee.
True this was the blessing of a patriarch and there was an element of prophecy involved, but it was the blessing of a son from his father. There is another blessing that is of note. This blessing was related to the children of Israel, but it gives the concepts involved in a blessing. Num 6:23 ff Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
Let us list the elements of these two blessings.
a. Asking that God would bless the person with rain and great gain from the land with corn and wine.
b. Asking for preeminence of the son over siblings and nations.
c. Cursed be anyone that curse thee.
d. Blessed be anyone that bless thee.
e. Assurance that God will bless the person.
f. Assurance that God will keep the person.
g. Seeking Gods smiling face and grace upon the person.
h. Seeking peace for the person.
i. Assurance of Gods blessing upon the person.
In general is seems to be seeking Gods blessing upon the person in every way that would be of benefit for the person.
What or why were blessings important to the people? When the people brought children to the Lord Jesus, why did they want Him to bless them? What benefit is there to the blessing of the Father, or of an important person?
The term bless in the Old Testament relates to simply bless, but has the thought of adoration as well. A Biblical blessing might imply adoration or love for the one blessed. It might indicate that the blessing comes from a heart that loves and adores the one being blessed. When a father blesses his child there is a calling of Gods blessing upon one that is loved. It also indicates a desire to care for the child by seeking Gods blessing.
We should not miss the relationship between a father blessing his child and God the Father blessing His children. Oft times we miss the obvious, but the blessings of the Old Testament are often related to God blessing His people.
Prayer seems to be a part of the blessing, in that there is a call for Gods participation on the life.
In Gen 32:1-32 we see Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord (Christ preincarnate) and Jacob sought the blessing of the angel. He sought something that must have been tangible to him. It was something he would seek before letting go. Again this is more than a simple blessing of a father but it pictures the importance of the blessing in the Old Testament.
Read through Gen 48:1-22 and note the closeness of those involved in the blessing. The love and respect is quite clear in the passage.
So to the list we have set forth relating to a blessing we should add. Love, honor and respect.
On the part of the blesser:
a. Seeking Gods best upon the person.
b. Seeking blessing/cursing for those that bless/curse the person.
c. Show love for the person.
On the part of the blessed:
a. Showing of respect to the one blessing.
b. Showing honor to the one blessing.
c. Being receptive to being blessed.
Many other texts of the Old Testament relating to blessing list the Lord watching over food and water as well as sending fear into the enemy. It seems to be a general seeking of good of any kind for the one being blessed by God.
The following is of note: Num 6:22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
Nehemiah nine is a lengthy passage relating to the blessing of God by man. We as believers ought to be giving God blessing. One might wonder just how the created can bless the creator but this passage is clear that it is possible if not needed. As you read the passage it is of note that it is very similar to the prayers of the older saints in our churches. When they go to prayer in public they often begin by giving praise to the victories of God and the victories that they have had with Gods help. It is a time of recounting what God has done.
The Old Testament is full of times of looking back to what God has done in the past and the natural effect is that the person is encouraged to look forward to the victories that God will give in coming trials.
Act 3:26 mentions Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. This is probably the basis for any blessings in the New Testament. Christ in his work on the cross blessed all believers when He turned us from our sins.
The New Testament also calls upon the believer to bless those that are against us. We cannot bless our enemies if we do not have a good attitude toward them. We must in some manner have a positive relationship to the enemy to bless them.
I recently heard the account of a woman that was a bar tender in a classy bar. The employer had told her she needed to lose weight (She had gained five pounds since being hired). They gave her a lesser job until the weight was lost. They further told her that she had a bad attitude. Ummm, tell a young woman that she needs to lose weight she has a bad attitude well DUUUUUUH!
When we are wronged it is not natural to have a good attitude nor to feel like blessing the jerks.
The idea of blessing our enemies should take a lot of contemplation for us to come to grips with. How can we look at someone that hates us and ask God to bless his or her lives. A lot to wrap our mind around, though that is exactly what the Lord would have us do.
Mar 10:16 is the text that brought my mind to think of this study. And he took them up in his arms, put [his] hands upon them, and blessed them Christ took time out of His busy schedule to take note of the children that were around Him. He not only took them into His arms, but laid hands upon them and blessed them. Indeed, when the disciples tried to keep the children back the Lord was displeased with them.
We are not told what the Lord said, but it would have been of great interest to know. He may have not recorded it via the Holy Spirit because He knew many would memorize it and make it into a rut.
The Irish have many blessings that they quote to one another. They are noted for their blessings. On the other hand we Americans fail to practice such things. My Grandmother made no attempt to bless me, my father blessed me not, and I as a father blessed not my children, nor my grandchildren. What is going on? (See the end of the study for some examples of Irish blessings.)
The reason for this study was a question in my mind relating to why we in our own day do not bless our children, or bless a congregation or others. Is our failure due to it not being proper for our day, is it due to it not being practiced today due to ignorance, or is it just that we have somewhere in our past dropped the concept and are untaught in the custom? Would it be something that we should begin teaching? Is it something that God would have us take back into our customs and practice? Is it something that we are failing to do that we should be doing?
The Irish are oft thought to have the gift of eloquence and many of their blessings and prayers reflect their love of their church and land bathed in that eloquence. Their love of blessings may well come from the Roman Catholic Church in which most are members. The church has many blessings relating to their services and practices. In fact it might well be that the Roman church fascination with blessings is just the reason that the Protestant churches have not been teaching such things. The Protestants have rejected much of what the Roman church does based on the argument that it is Roman and not based on it is not Biblical.
There is a real thought that rolled up in our society is a possible answer as to why blessings are not a staple in our customs and actions. We as a people are quite family oriented, and by our nature we are also a very giving people. Any read about the giving of Americans will show their generosity to their own as well as to strangers and even enemies.
Place that generosity and compassion into the family and you will note that these family centered, compassionate, generous and caring people are practicing what they do not preach; they bless not verbally but they bless to abundance in their actions. This does not get the American Christian off the hook for not giving verbal blessings if they are found to be required by our faith, but it certainly gives basis for not being strong in the verbal when we are so strong in the non-verbal.
Further most fathers and mothers are daily in prayer for their children, asking the Lord to watch over and keep the kids. They often seek Gods guidance upon them and all sorts of other prayers. In essence it is suspected that most parents in Americas church are blessing their children, just not verbally in the presence of the child.
The importance of blessing a child/person in the persons presence is the question that remains since it is obvious that most Christians already bless their children and often their friends and fellow church members. Should we be verbalizing these blessings for the benefit for the ones we would bless?
It has been observed by this writer that some of the older pastors have taken the practice of blessing the congregation at the end of the service. It is wondered if in the past generation there was more blessing going on, though it was not observed in my own family nor the church family in which I was raised. Older pastors often when out visiting ask at the end of their visit to have a word of prayer and often it is a blessing upon the home and family. These same pastors often end hospital/visits in the same manner.
In summation might we consider the idea of verbalizing our blessings to our children, grand children and friends. We do bless the Lord in our prayer lives, and rightly so, but we so often allow our personal relationships to go with little verbalized praise and blessing.
Imagine how a child would feel if they heard the parent thanking the Lord for the child and asking God to bless them, to guide them, to protect them, and lead them. This might well cure some of our family ills in our country.
Imagine how a fellow believer in the congregation would feel if they heard another believer asking the Lord to guide and direct them in their lives. One old member of one church we attended used to pray for each one at prayer meeting asking that the Lord would bless, lead and care for them. Rather hard to cause trouble in such a situation and it lays it right out there that the man had nothing against those that he was praying for. Openness in our congregations would not be a bad thing.
Imagine a spouse hearing you asking the Lord to give strength at work, to give protection and to give boldness of witness. Really we ought to be blessing more outwardly and verbally so that others can know how we really feel about them.
To show love, care and concern for your family and your church family are rather normal, but to let them know of it is not the normal in our society. Might we consider how we might find ways to show our true feelings to those around us in an attempt to change our society into what it should be.
When we want to encourage those we love might we consider a verbal prayer with them now and then as we live our lives before our Lord. To just bless them might well work out well also. Just take them by the arm and do it, it will hurt but a moment.
Yes, the blessing thing seems to be a cultural thing, especially in the Old Testament, but the Lord was man enough to do it so then we ought to be able to dig down deep and do the same even though our society is not much on the idea.
IRISH BLESSINGS
From: http://islandireland.com/Pages/folk/sets/bless.html
Irish Marriage Blessing
May God be with you and bless you.
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortunes and rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.
An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Mark also wrote that Jesus took the children in His arms and blessed them fervently (Gr. kateulogei). This was the act of a father in Jewish life (cf. Gen 27:38). This Greek word appears only here in the New Testament. The disciples viewed the children as individuals unworthy of Jesus’ attention, but Jesus saw them as important in their own right and possessing important qualities that adults need to cultivate. Mark recorded eight times that Jesus touched someone, and in each case the effect was beneficial (cf. Mar 1:41; Mar 3:10; Mar 5:28; Mar 5:41; Mar 6:56; Mar 7:32; Mar 8:22; Mar 10:13).
"This was the overflowing of Jesus’ divine love for children. It was this experience that the disciples in their insensitivity were preventing the children from having and Jesus from giving! No wonder Jesus was indignant." [Note: Wessel, p. 714.]
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: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
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: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)