Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 3:10
For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
10. plagues ] The word thus rendered denotes (1) a whip or scourge, and is used in this sense in Act 22:24; Heb 11:36; (2) a plague or disease of the body. Comp. Mar 5:29; Mar 5:34; Luk 7:21.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As many as had plagues – As many as had diseases or maladies of body or mind. The word plague, now confined to the pestilence, does not express the meaning of the original, and tends to mislead.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mar 3:10
They pressed upon Him for to touch Him.
Crowding to touch the Saviour
I. The parallel between the present times and those of the text. Jesus had healed many. These have been thoroughly and effectually restored. So far the parallel exists, but here is the marvel-that those who know this do not throng to Christ to obtain the self-same blessing.
II. What are the sins which prevent the carrying out of this parallel? Ignorance. Insensibility. Indifference. Procrastination. They really love the disease.
III. The grace which invites us to complete the parallel of the text. You are spared in this world. Spared to hear the gospel.
IV. Two cautions which seek to be needful. Never be content with merely pressing upon Christ. Do not be content with touching them who are healed. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The desire for healing an instinct of humanity
As many as had plagues came to Jesus, that they might touch Him and be healed. Tell of the annual pilgrimages to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury, where thousands gathered from all parts of England, believing that their needs could be supplied and their diseases healed at the shrine of the saint. It is their needs that today take so many to Lourdes and Knock. Two centuries ago-and the superstition is not dead yet-it was believed that the touch of a king could heal a certain painful disorder; how eagerly people sought for that touch is seen in the case of Charles II. of England, who, in his reign, touched over a hundred thousand persons for the healing of the kings evil. During the recent famines in India and in Turkey, the houses of the missionaries were besieged by crowds of hungry people seeking relief. When a medical missionary first appears in a new district, and his mission is made known to the people, the sick are brought to him from all the country around. It was therefore one of the commonest instincts of humanity that brought the needy to Jesus, in whom only they could find all that they sought.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 10. They pressed upon him] Rushed upon him, – through eagerness to have their spiritual and bodily maladies immediately removed.
Plagues.] Rather disorders, ; properly such disorders as were inflicted by the Lord. The word plague also tends to mislead.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For he had healed many,…. Of various diseases, and the fame of this brought more still to him:
insomuch that they pressed upon him; or pushed upon him, with great eagerness and violence. The Arabic version renders it, “they rushed upon him, so that they fell”: they pushed on, and pressed so hard to get to him, that they fell upon one another, and on him: the Persic version renders it, “they cast themselves on him, for the sake of touching him”; which must be very troublesome indeed. Though some think the phrase signifies no more, than that they fell down before him at his feet, in a submissive and petitionary way, entreating they might have the favour
for to touch him; either any part of his body, or his garments, even the hem of them: and so the Ethiopic version translates the words; “they prayed him that they might touch him”; see Mr 6:56.
As many as had plagues; of leprosy, and other diseases, which were inflicted on them by God, as scourges and chastisements for their sins, as the word signifies, and which answers to , “Negaim”; concerning which, there is a whole treatise in the Misna; and which bears that name, and particularly regards the plagues of leprosy. Some versions join this with the beginning of the next verse. The Syriac version reads thus, “who had plagues of unclean spirits”; as if these plagues were their being possessed by unclean spirits. The Persic version thus, “having plagues from unclean spirits”; as if these plagues were inflicted upon them by them, and which was sometimes the case. The Arabic version after this manner, “who had diseases and unclean spirits”; both the one and the other.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Pressed upon him ( ). Were falling upon him to such an extent that it was dangerous. They were not hostile, but simply intensely eager, each to have his own case attended to by Jesus.
That they might touch him ( ). If only that much. They hoped for a cure by contact with Christ. Aorist subjunctive. It was a really pathetic scene and a tremendous strain on Jesus.
As many as had plagues ( ). Strokes or scourges, terms used by us today as a paralytic stroke, the influenza scourge. Our word plague is from (Latin plaga), from , to strike a blow. Common in ancient Greek in this sense. See Mark 5:29; Mark 5:34; Luke 7:21 for the same use of and also 2Macc. 9:11.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Pressed upon [] . Lit., fell upon.
Plagues [] . Lit., scourges. Compare Act 22:24; Heb 11:36. Our word plague is from plhgh, Latin plaga, meaning a blow. Pestilence or disease is thus regarded as a stroke from a divine hand. Plhgh is used in classical Greek in this metaphorical sense. Thus Sophocles, “Ajax,” 279 : “I fear that a calamity [] is really come from heaven (qeou, God).” So of war. Aeschylus, “Persae,” 251 : ” O Persian land, how hath the abundant prosperity been destroyed by a single blow [ ] . The word here, scourges, carries the same idea.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For He had healed many,”(pollus gar etherapeusen) “For He healed many,” in lieu of the fact that His healing and helping fame had gone out far and near.
2) “Insomuch that they pressed upon Him,” (hoste epipiptein auto) “So that many pressed upon Him,” to be near Him, or knocked against Him.
3) “For to touch Him,” (hina autou hapsontai) “in order that they might touch Him,” hoping to receive a cure by means of a mere physical contact with Him, even by a rude collision with Him.
4) “As many as had plagues.” (hosoi eichon mastigas) “As many as were victims of scourges or plagues,” Mat 14:36; Lu 619.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(10) As many as had plagues.Literally, scourges; the same word as in Act. 22:24, Heb. 11:36.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Plagues Diseases recognized by the evangelist as the result of sin. Such is, in truth, the source of all disease.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Mar 3:10. They pressed upon him, &c. The phrase , strongly expresses this; they were ready to drive each other upon him! so that those nearest him could hardly stand, being pressed forward by those behind. The Syriac version joins the last clause of this verse to what follows; as many as hadtorments (or scourges) and unclean spirits, fell down, &c. The word rendered plagues, is , literally, scourges. Instead of thou art the Son of God, at the end of the next verse, the famous Leicester manuscript reads, Thou art God, the Son of God; ‘ , . See Doddridge.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
Ver. 10. As many as had plagues ] Gr. , stripes, scourgings. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth with lesser and lighter afflictions, and scourgeth every son, &c., with hard and heavy judgments, as plagues, banishments, persecutions. Oh, the bloody wales that God hath left on the back of his best children!Heb 12:6Heb 12:6 . Non vulgares morbi sed saeviores, et inustulati, qui quasi clamitant de ira et poena divina.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
10. ] Luk 6:19 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 3:10 . : so that they knocked against Him; one of Mk.’s vivid touches. They hoped to obtain a cure by contact anyhow brought about, even by rude collision. , from , a scourge, hence tropically in Sept [19] and N. T., a providential scourge, a disease; again in Mar 5:29 ; Mar 5:34 .
[19]Septuagint.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
pressed upon = were besetting.
for to touch = that they might touch.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
10.] Luk 6:19.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 3:10. , pressed upon) Illustrating the admirable patience and benignity of our Lord.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
he had: Mat 12:15, Mat 14:14
pressed: or, rushed, touched, Mar 5:27, Mar 5:28, Mar 6:56, Mat 14:36, Act 5:15, Act 19:11, Act 19:12
as many: Mar 5:29, Gen 12:17, Num 11:33, Luk 7:2, Heb 12:6
Reciprocal: Mat 4:23 – healing Mar 5:24 – and thronged Luk 4:40 – and he Luk 6:19 – sought Luk 7:21 – plagues
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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This verse explains why the people thronged about Jesus.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 3:10. They pressed upon him. Not merely gathered about Him to hear Him, and thus created a pressure, but actually pushed themselves upon Him, to touch him. The last clause shows that all were healed, as Matthew states.
Plagues. Lit., scourges, not a particular class of diseases, as the word plagues now implies. On the healing power, comp. Luk 6:19.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 10
Plagues; diseases of any kind.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
3:10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had {h} plagues.
(h) Diseases with which God scourges men as it were with whips.