Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 1:43
And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
43. And he straitly charged him ] The word thus rendered occurs in four other places; (1) Mat 9:30, “Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it;” (2) Mar 14:5, “And they murmured against her,” said of the Apostles in their indignation against Mary; (3) Joh 11:33; Joh 11:38, “And He groaned in spirit,” said of our Lord at the grave of Lazarus. It denotes (1) to be very angry or indignant, (2) to charge or command with sternness.
straitly = strictly. Comp. Gen 43:7, “The man asked us straitly of our state;” Jos 6:1, “Now Jericho was straitly shut up.” Comp. also Shakespeare, Richard III. i. i. 85, 86,
“His majesty hath straitly given in charge
That no man shall have private conference.”
sent him away ] or put him forth. “He would allow no lingering, but required him to hasten on his errand, lest the report of what had been done should outrun him.” It is the same word in the original as in Mar 1:12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 43. Straitly charged] See the reason for this, Mt 8:4. This verse is wanting in two copies of the Itala.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he straitly charged him;…. Either with the sin which had been the cause of this leprosy, and to take care that he sinned that sin no more, lest a worse evil should befall him; for sin was usually the cause of leprosy, as the cases of Miriam, Gehazi, and Uzziah show. It is said to come upon men for seven things. The seven abominations mentioned in Pr 6:16, are said, by the Jewish writers t, to be the reasons of persons being stricken with leprosy: “a proud look”; as appears from the instance of the daughters of Zion, Isa 3:16, the crowns of whose heads were smitten with a scab, and who were attended with a stink, boldness, and burning. “A lying tongue”; as in the case of Miriam, who, with Aaron, spoke against Moses; upon which the cloud departed from the tabernacle, and Miriam became leprous, white as snow, Nu 12:1. “And hands that shed innocent blood”; which is proved from Joab, on whose head the blood of Abner and Amasa returned; and on account of which a leper was not to fail from his house; see 1Ki 2:31, compared with 2Sa 3:29. “An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations”; which was fulfilled in Uzziah, who sought to bring the high priesthood into contempt, and therefore was smitten with leprosy, which arose in his forehead, while he had the censer in his hands, and was contending with the priests; and he continued a leper to his death, 2Ch 26:18. “Feet that be swift in running to mischief”; which was true of Gehazi, who ran after Naaman the Syrian, and took a gift of him which he should not; for which, the leprosy, Naaman was cured of, seized him, and cleaved unto him, 2Ki 5:20. “A false witness that speaketh lies”; of this no instance is given. “And him that soweth discord among brethren”; as Pharaoh between Abraham and Sarah; wherefore the Lord plagued Pharaoh, c. Ge 12:17, which the Jews understand of the plague of leprosy. These seven things are, in another place u, said to be an evil tongue, shedding of blood, a vain oath, uncleanness, a proud spirit, theft, and envy. Elsewhere it is said w, that for eleven things leprosy cometh for cursing God, for uncleanness, for murder, for saying of a neighbour a thing that there is nothing in it, for pride, for entering into a border which is not a man’s own, for a lying tongue, for theft, for a false oath, for profaning the name of God, for idolatry: and R. Isaac says, for an evil eye; and the Rabbins also say, it comes upon him who despises the words of the law: the first is proved from Goliath, 1Sa 17:26; the second from the daughters of Jerusalem, Isa 3:16; the third from Cain, Ge 4:15 and from Joab, 2Sa 3:29; the fourth from Moses, Ex 4:5; the fifth from Naaman, 2Ki 5:1; the sixth from Uzziah, 2Ch 26:16; the seventh from Miriam, Nu 12:10; the eighth and ninth from Zec 5:4, compared with Le 14:45; the tenth from Gehazi, 2Ki 5:20; the eleventh from the children of Israel when they made the calf, Ex 32:25, compared with Nu 5:2. But whether this man’s sin was either of these, or what it was, is not certain: however, he was, by this cure, laid under an obligation, for the future, to avoid it, and all other sins: or rather the charge was to tell no man of his cure, before he came to the priest: nor to him, or any other, how he came by it, and by whom he was healed;
and forthwith sent him away; to the priest, in all haste; and it looks as if the man was unwilling to have gone from him, but chose rather to have continued with his kind benefactor: for the word signifies, he cast him out; he drove him from him; he obliged him to go without delay.
t Vajikra Rabba, sect. 16. fol. 158. 1, 2. u T. Bab. Eracin, fol. 16. 1. Vid. Abarbinel. in 2 Kings v. 27. w Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 7. fol. 188. 2, 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Strictly charged (). Only in Mark. Lu 5:14 has (commanded). Mark’s word occurs also in 14:5 and in Mt 9:30 and Joh 11:38. See on Mt 9:30. It is a strong word for the snorting of a horse and expresses powerful emotion as Jesus stood here face to face with leprosy, itself a symbol of sin and all its train of evils. The command to report to the priests was in accord with the Mosaic regulations and the prohibition against talking about it was to allay excitement and to avoid needless opposition to Christ.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Strictly charged ()
Rev., sternly, in margin. The word is originally to snort, as of mettlesome horses. Hence, to fret, or chafe, or be otherwise strongly moved; and then, as a result of this feeling, to admonish or rebuke urgently. The Lord evidently spoke to him peremptorily. Compare sent him out (); lit., drove or cast him out. The reason for this charge and dismissal lay in the desire of Jesus not to thwart his ministry by awaking the premature violence of his enemies; who, if they should see the leper and hear his story before he had been officially pronounced clean by the priest, might deny either that he had been a leper or had been truly cleansed.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) ”And He straitly charged him,” (kai embrimesamenos auto) “And sternly admonishing him,” instructing or directing him; He charged the leper who had approached Him, Mar 1:40.
2) “And forthwith sent him away;” (euthus eksebalen auton) “He immediately tossed him out,” or put him out, sent him away, to avoid an emotional scene and a clamoring multitude that would obstruct His preaching ministry and to avoid His being charged with a breach of Moses’ Law.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(43) He straitly charged him.The word is the same as that in Mat. 9:30 (where see Note).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And he sternly charged him, and immediately sent him away, and says to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go your way, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things that Moses commanded for a testimony to them”.’
‘And He sternly charged him –.’ The verb is another word which can indicate anger (so used in Mar 14:5, also externally and in LXX), but note how it is used in Mat 9:30 in a similar way to here. Jesus is clearly powerfully disturbed by the incident. Compare Joh 11:38 where He has the same feeling about the death of Lazarus. As suggested above, if there was anger it must have been because of what He saw as lying behind the appalling disease. It was because He saw it as evidence of the consequences of sin, and of the Enemy who had dragged man into it. But more probably the verb simply refers to the severity with which He ‘charged him’ because He knew what he consequences might be.
‘And immediately sent him away.’ The haste with which He sent him away (the verb can be strong – ‘thrust him away’, but here simply indicates urgency) demonstrated that He was aware of the problems that the incident could cause. He realised what the consequences could be, and that it could bring crowds of sensation seekers to see Him. The more dreadful the disease the more the impact of the healing in this way.
‘See that you say nothing to any man.’ He does not want sensation seekers. They can only hinder His ministry. That this is His thought is brought out by the next verse. For the very thing that He was trying to guard against id depicted as happening.
‘But go your way, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things that Moses commanded for a testimony to them.’ A man who claimed to be healed of a disfiguring skin disease had to go and show himself to the priests in Jerusalem and then offer the appropriate sacrifices. Once he had been examined and declared free of the disease, two birds were taken, and one was killed over running water. Then cedar, scarlet and hyssop, with the living bird, were dipped in the blood of the dead bird and he was sprinkled with the blood seven times and pronounced clean. Then the live bird was allowed to go free, after which the man washed himself and his clothes, and shaved himself.
Seven days later he was re-examined. He then had to shave his head, hair, beard and eyebrows, and bring an offering of two male lambs without blemish and one ewe lamb (less for a poor person), with three tenths parts of fine flour for a meal offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. The priest then offered one he-lamb as a guilt offering, together with the log of oil , and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord to make atonement for him. The other two were offered as a sin offering and a burnt offering. The restored person was then touched on the tip of the right ear, the right thumb and the right great toe with blood from the guilt offering and, after the oil had been sprinkled seven times before the Lord, with oil. The remainder of the oil was then put on his head. Thus was atonement made for him. Then he was finally examined and, if he was clear of the disease, was given a certificate that he was clean and allowed to go. See for all this Leviticus 14.
Jesus told the man that he must fulfil what was required. Indeed it was important, for no one would have accepted him as clean otherwise. He wanted him to disappear quickly from the scene and go to Jerusalem.
This sending of him to Jerusalem reminds us that Jesus was ever faithful to the requirements of the Law of Moses. And He must also usually have followed Pharisaic ritual rules when He felt it necessary, for although his disciples are sometimes pulled up for ‘falling short’ (Mar 2:23-24; Mar 7:5), we rarely find the Pharisees accusing Jesus of the same. So although He defended His disciples it is clear that He Himself went beyond what He believed necessary so as not to cause offence. It is not holy to be awkward except when an important principle is at stake.
‘For a testimony to them.’ This probably meant that the ritual the man went through would be a testimony to priest and people of his being clean (rather than, as some have suggested, as testimony that Jesus observed the Law, or as a testimony of what Jesus had accomplished, or as a testimony against them at the final judgment because of their unbelief after what Jesus had done). On the other hand its use elsewhere in Mark always indicates conveying a strong message. See Mar 6:11; Mar 13:9. Thus it may suggest that Jesus did want the priest to recognise that the One Who could make clean was among them.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Christ’s attempt to avoid unwelcome publicity:
v. 43. And He straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
v. 44. and saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
v. 45. But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places; and they came to Him from every quarter. Here is a matter which might seem strange at first glance. Speaking to the former leper in a most severe manner, assuming a threatening aspect, He thrust him away, with the injunction to tell no man about the miracle, but to follow the command of the Levitical purification strictly, Lev 13:1-59; Lev 14:1-57. The bringing of his sacrifice was to be a witness, a testimony to all men, that he really had been cleansed of his leprosy. The reasons for this behavior of the Lord are evident from the entire story, in comparison with the previous text. The Word of the Gospel which He preached was the most important thing in the eyes of the Lord. People should seek Him for the sake of that Word. Publicity resulting from His healing the sick and cleansing the lepers might bring many that would care nothing for the preaching and thus hinder His Messianic labors. Then also, the Lord wanted to avoid unpleasantness, in case the priest should find out about His healing the leper before the man actually appeared to be adjudged clean. But the man, in the fullness of his joy, disregarded the Lord’s command and, by publishing broadcast the fact of his having been healed, really added to the Lord’s anxieties and labors. For now people came swarming from all sides, insomuch. that Jesus could no longer go into the city, but was obliged to stay out in lonely, desert places, and even there they found Him, coming from all parts of Galilee.
Summary. John’s ministry prepared the way for the Lord, who thereupon, after His baptism and the temptation in the wilderness, entered upon His labors in Galilee, called four men to be His disciples, taught in the synagogue and cast out an unclean spirit, healed Simon’s mother-in-law and many other sick people, made a preaching trip through Galilee, and healed a leper.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
Ver. 43. See Trapp on “ Mat 8:3 “ See Trapp on “ Mat 8:4 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
43. ] need not necessarily imply that the healing was in a house (Meyer); it might have been in a city , as in Luke.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 1:43 . , etc.: assuming a severe aspect, vide notes on the word at Mat 9:30 , especially the quotation from Euthy. Zig. ., thrust him out of the synagogue or the crowd. It is not quite certain that the incident happened in a synagogue, though the inference is natural from the connection with Mar 1:39 . Lepers were not interdicted from entering the synagogue. These particulars are peculiar to Mk., and belong to his character-sketching. He does not mean to impute real anger to Jesus, but only a masterful manner dictated by a desire that the benefit should be complete = away out of this, to the priest; do what the law requires, that you may be not only clean but recognised as such by the authorities, and so received by the people as a leper no longer.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
straitly = strictly.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
43.] need not necessarily imply that the healing was in a house (Meyer); it might have been in a city, as in Luke.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 1:43.[15] , forthwith) lest Jesus should seem to countenance anything derogatory to the law.-, made him go away) The man, when healed, was ready to remain with Jesus, and to stay away from his relatives. Adversities have the effect of transferring our affections from natural objects of affection to Christ.
[15] Mar 1:41. , moved with compassion) Mark exercises especial assiduity in observing the holy movements of feeling, and so the gestures also of Jesus. Whoever will pay marked attention to this characteristic of Mark in reading his Gospel, will derive from it no little delight.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mar 3:12, Mar 5:43, Mar 7:36, Mat 9:30, Luk 8:56
Reciprocal: Mat 8:4 – See
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
RESERVE IN RELIGION
And He straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away. But he went out, and began to publish it much.
Mar 1:43-45
Our Lord, having healed the leper, charged him to be silent about the cure. He was not to make it known, except to the priest; and even if any of his comrades saw the wondrous change that had come over his once withered limbs, he was not to reveal to them the method by which it had been wrought. Christ knew the healed man would be sure, with good and glad intention, to make known the cure that had been wrought upon him; He likewise knew that the welfare of His mission required that at present the glory of His Divine works should be hidden; hence the command here given. Here is a pattern for all great moral workers. They must be content that their best deeds shall be concealed from the popular knowledge, and that their own personal aggrandisement and fame shall be rendered subservient to the advancement of Divine ideas.
I. Wise reserve should be exercised in reference to the inner experiences of the soul.This wise reserve should be exercised
(a) Because unwise talk about the inner moral experience is likely to injure the initial culture of the soul. The dignity as well as the safety of the early experience of the soul renders wise silence a necessity of daily life. The preservation of the sanctity of our moral experience is the highest discipline.
(b) Because unwise talk about the inner moral experience is likely to awaken the scepticism of the worldly. Pearls must not be cast before swine. We must not invite the ridicule and unbelief of men by unwise talk about the doctrines and experiences of the Christian life.
(c) Because unwise talk about the inner moral experience is likely to be regarded as boastful. True religion is ever modest in its speech. It does not chatter to the crowd about the degree to which its moral ill is cleansed, but makes its life the evidence of its cure. The world will soon reproach a talkative soul with lack of modesty in sacred things, and with exaggeration of their natural meaning and operation. It is a certain evidence of moral weakness, and a sure token of speedy fall, when men talk loudly of the hours they spend in prayer, of their charitable deeds, and of their celestial moods of soul.
(d) Because unwise talk about the inner moral experience is likely to impede the welfare of Divine truth. The cause of Christ has often been hindered by immature representation of vital truth, and by the indiscreet words which have been spoken in reference to it.
II. Yet this reserve must not interfere with obligations to the sanctuary.Men must evince their moral cure to the authorities of the Church, and present to the Author of it the best they can command, not only of material things such as silver and gold, but the higher things of the souleven its love and service; with this no reserve of temperament or words can be allowed to interfere.
Let us endeavour ever to speak about our inner experience at the right time, in the right place, under the right circumstances, with becoming reverence; and then our words will be to edification, and not a peril to ourselves and others.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
3
The next verse will show what this charge was and why it was given.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 1:43. Solemnly charged him. This implies strong emotion. Our Lord perceived the mans disobedient spirit.
Straightway sent him away. Not out of the house, for there is no evidence that the miracle was performed in a house. Possibly out of the city into which the leper had come (Luk 4:12); but away from Himself, for despite our Lords compassion, feelings of grief seem to have been awakened by the man.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 43
Straitly; strictly.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; 44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 45 But he went out, and began to publish [it] much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
Some items to consider: The man was healed and told to keep his mouth shut about it yet he went blabbing forth. Not all that hard to understand and it is sure that the Lord understood the man’s thankfulness.
Of note is the fact that Christ told him to go and do as Moses commanded. Offerings are not a part of the church age, another indication that the Jewish people were the Lord’s focus at this particular time.
Also of note is that Christ wanted it to be “a testimony” unto them – the priests. Christ wanted this man to openly testify of his healing to the Jewish leadership. Another indication that is quite clear that the healing ministry of the Lord was a sign unto Israel.
He could not go into the city, He had to stay out in the wilderness yet they still located Him and came to Him. Now, relate that to the charismatic challenge I have given. If healing were as Christ and Paul practiced, as in Biblical healing, you could not stay in town if you were really the healer that many claim to be.
The charge that Christ gave seems to be something that was quite firm. The Greek word comes from a word meaning “to snort with anger” and one of the definitions in the lexicon is “to sternly charge.” Now to my rather sheepish personality that sort of an admonition would leave me a little chilled especially in light of having been completely healed of one of the most dread diseases in the world. I might well have gone away quietly myself.
Luke uses a different word, but it also is a strong word which can be translated “give command” which is a little more than the word that Matthew uses which simply means to say.
All three gospels relate that the man was not only charged to be quiet, but all three also mention that he was to go to the priest as a testimony and to do that which Moses commanded. Lev.
13.49-14.32 is the passage that Christ and the gospel writers most likely had in mind.
Now, it seems that this guy just did not go out telling people, he was out there preaching. This is the normal word for preaching in the New Testament. He was really blabbing it around to anyone that would listen. The man was thrilled with what had been done and wanted all to know of the occurrence. Might we consider this in our own lives – Christ has done something quite wonderful in our lives but just how much do we publish the fact? In fact this man went to “spread abroad the matter” which could be translated to spread abroad one’s fame. This guy was Christ’s best ad man. He was out to make Christ the man of the year on Time magazines cover of the year. He was out there telling of the wonders of what Christ had done for him.
Again, just how much publishing have you done lately?
Luke adds that Christ had withdrawn to the wilderness for prayer, but Mark relates that they came to him there as well. He was sorely pressed by the people wanting healing and to hear this new message of His. A new message would be anything that was counter to the teaching of the Jews at the time.
Specifically the sequence seems to be that he could not go into the city so was going from place to place in the wilderness as the people followed Him. The Luke passage might indicate that after that He withdrew for prayer. Verse 16 “But he withdrew himself in the deserts, and prayed.”
At any rate pastors, teachers, and missionaries, even when you are burdened down with ministry and responsibilities, there MUST be time for prayer. Take that time no matter how hard it is. Be it late at night or early in the morning. When teaching I found that the campus for the most part awoke about six A.M. and that if I was in my office, I was busy with people or preparation. It was soon clear that if I was going to meet with the Lord that I was going to have to be in the office by five and that was my practice even though bedtime was often two or three A.M.
He is the one that you minister for, He is the one that has your directions, and He is the only real strength that you have so you had better spend time with Him.