Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 3:11
And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
11. Thou art the Son of God ] In the Synagogue of Capernaum they had called Him the “Holy One of God” (Mar 1:24), they now acknowledge Him as the “Son of God” (comp. Luk 4:41). The force of the imperfect tense in the original here is very striking, “ whenever the demons saw Him, they kept falling down before Him and saying ” and as often as they did so, “He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known,” i. e. as the Messiah “the Son of God.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Unclean spirits – Persons who were possessed of evil spirits.
Thou art the Son of God – The Son of God, by way of eminence. In this place it is equivalent to the Messiah, who was, among the Jews, called the Son of God. Hence, they were charged not to make him known, because he was not desirous that it should be blazoned abroad that he claimed to be the Messiah. He had not yet done what he wished in order to establish his claims to the Messiahship. He was poor and unhonored, and the claim would be treated as that of an impostor. For the present, therefore, he did not wish that it should be proclaimed abroad that he was the Messiah. The circumstance here referred to demonstrates the existence of evil spirits. If these were merely diseased or deranged persons, then it is strange that they should be endowed with knowledge so much superior to those in health. If they were under the influence of an order of spirits superior to man – whose appropriate habitation was in another world – then it is not strange that they should know him, even in the midst of his poverty, to be the Messiah, the Son of God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mar 3:11
And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him.
Christs supremacy over evil spirits
Whence the commotion in the intelligent universe when the Saviour entered on His public ministry? The diseased crowded around Him to be healed; the teachable to hear the words of celestial wisdom; the curious to witness the stupendous miracles; and the captious that they might entangle Him in His talk. Nor was His audience composed exclusively of men. Heaven and hell waited on His steps. The Father spake of Him from the excellent glory; the Holy Ghost descended upon Him; sinless angels followed in His train; and the demons of the abyss pronounced His eulogium, and deprecated His wrath. Why this mighty congregation streaming from the remotest points of the universe to meet Him? On the principle, doubtless, that where the King is, there is the Court. Every type of moral being surrounded our Lord.
I. Impiety abashed in the presence of holiness. That devils are conscious of their own character, and that they are correct judges of the character of other beings, must be admitted on the simple ground of their intelligence. The consciousness of their awful degradation remains in unblunted keenness; and it cowers in the presence of moral purity. Why do Ananias and Sapphira fall dead beneath the calm questions of the apostle? It is falsehood slain by the glittering sword of truth. And why does Felix tremble when Paul, the prisoner, reasons of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come? No external force is brought to bear upon the governor, no visible sword hangs over his head; and yet he trembles; why? He is shaken like a leaf in the hurricane, by an invisible host of memories more powerful far than a legion of visible foes. Evil confesses the superiority of good; vice crowns virtue with a lasting garland; sin declares holiness to be infinitely above it.
II. Divine truth may be intellectually recognized without the accompaniment of salvation. It is possible for a man to vindicate the truth against all opponents without embracing it; to contend earnestly for the faith delivered to the saints without adopting it; to construct an elaborate system of divinity without fellowship with the Saviour; and to preach the gospel in eloquent language without either part or lot in the matter.
III. Here are devils acknowledging the supremacy of the Son of God over them. The supremacy of the Son of God, as such, over all creatures, without respect to their moral character, or their position in the scale of being, must, of course, be freely admitted. But this is not the point here; for first, there is the acknowledgment of this supremacy; and second, it is the Son of God in His character of the Messiah, whose supremacy they acknowledge. They had the strongest reasons for not looking on the outward appearance but on the reality. They knew Him, and believed, and confessed, and trembled! They worshipped, but it was in demon fashion, the worship of terror. This confession of supremacy, as uttered by evil spirits, means this: We are intruders and impostors, having no right here. This is Thy world. By falsehood have we gained our position here, afflicting the bodies, maddening the minds, and ruining the souls of men. We know our doom, and that Thou wilt pronounce it; but surely not so soon. It was a confession of defeat. Lying lips speak sublime truth for once.
IV. He whose supremacy is acknowledged by evil spirits is your Friend and Saviour, if you will accept Him as such. Inferences:
1. In the kingdom of grace, love is a greater thing than knowledge. Fallen spirits believe and tremble; worldly men assent and are indifferent; Christians believe and love. Christ seeks our affection.
2. Laying hold on the Redeemers strength, you are stronger than evil spirits. They are conquered foes; conquered by your Saviour; on your account. In Christ you have not only righteousness, but strength.
3. Following the Redeemer, you will be shortly where evil spirits cannot follow you. (W. Leask, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 11. Thou art the Son of God.] Two MSS., and the later Syriac, have, Thou art the Christ, the Son of God. One of Stephens’s MSS. has, Thou art the Holy One of God. A MS. in the library of Leicester has, , , Thou art GOD, the Son. This is an uncommon reading, which is not confirmed by any MS. yet discovered.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And unclean spirits, when they saw him,…. That is, as the Syriac and Arabic versions read, “they who had unclean spirits”: or, as the Ethiopic, “they that were possessed with unclean spirits”; as soon as ever they beheld Christ, though they had never seen him before, and he was an entire stranger to them, yet
fell down before him: the unclean spirits being said to do that, which they that were possessed with them did; and which, notwithstanding their possession of them, they could not prevent, but were obliged to admit of it, as a token of their subjection to Christ:
and even the devils themselves in the men,
cried, saying, thou art the Son of God; a divine person, equal with God; and such his power over them, and his healing all manner of diseases, by a word, or touch, showed him to be.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Whensoever they beheld him ( ). Imperfect indicative with of repeated action. They kept falling down before him () and crying, () and he kept charging or rebuking () them, all imperfects. The unclean spirits (demons) recognize Jesus as the Son of God, as before. Jesus charged them not to make him known as he had also done before. He did not wish this testimony. It was a most exciting ordeal and is given only by Mark. Note non-final use of .
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The unclean spirits [] . The article indicating those particular spirits which took part in that scene. Mark’s precision is shown in the use of the two articles and in the arrangement of the noun and adjective : The spirits, the unclean ones.
When they saw [ ] . More accurately as Rev., whenever they beheld. The imperfect tense denotes a repeated act. The an in otan gives an indefinite force : as often as they might see him.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him,” (kai ta pneumata ta akatharta hotan auton etheoroun prosepipton auto) “And the unclean (foul) spirits, as soon as they saw Him, fell prone before Him; They were real and personal demons.
2) “And cried, saying,” (kai ekrazon legonta) “And cried aloud, saying,” repeatedly crying, saying in a distinct, audible manner.
3) “Thou art the Son of God.” (hoti su ei ho huios tou theou) “That you are the Son (heir) of God.” This certifies that demon spirits are clairvoyants, so that they know who Jesus is, as also recounted Mat 8:29.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(11) And unclean spirits.The testimony which had been given in a single instance (Mar. 1:24) now became more or less general. But it came in a form which our Lord could not receive. The wild cry of the frenzied demoniac had no place in the evidence to which He appealed (Joh. 5:31-37), and tended, so far as it impressed men at all, to set them against the Teacher who was thus acknowledged.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Thou art the Son of God See notes on Mar 1:24-26. Our Lord accepted not devils for preachers. They so mingled falsehood with their truth that he who listens to them for the truth’s sake will be led away by their lies. All the testimony Jesus would have from them was given by their disclosing their infernal presence and disappearing at his command.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And the unclean spirits, whenever they beheld him, fell down before him and cried out saying, “You are the Son of God”. And he strongly charged them that they should not make him known.’
And as a result the ‘battle’ with Satan continued. Whenever unclean spirits saw Him they could not help but cry out in fear that He was ‘the Son of God’ and cause their host bodies to fall down before Him. But He did not want their testimony to Him. It would not produce the right reactions. So He silenced them as was His usual custom. In Mark ‘Son of God’ is an outright testimony of deity. This was not only the time of positive salvation but of the wholesale defeat of the forces of evil. Note how the discerning forces of evil know Jesus for Whom He is, in direct contrast with the experts from Jerusalem who totally misrepresent Him (Mar 3:22). But neither of them benefit by it because they do not want to follow Him. ‘The devils also believe and tremble’ (Jas 2:19).
Each of these factors will shortly be illustrated by outstanding examples, the preaching in Mar 4:1-34, the healing in Mar 5:21-43 and the casting out of evil spirits in Mar 3:22-30; Mar 5:1-20, but first it was necessary to establish why He had come. The appointing of the twelve which now follows was a visible indication that the Kingly Rule of God was now present and thus required its authoritative leadership to be appointed (but as servants of all).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
Ver. 11. Thou art the Son, &c. ] The matter is well amended since Satan’s first onset upon Christ. Then it was, If thou be the Son of God. The same power, when he listeth, can change the note of the tempter to us.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
11. ] See ref. The indic. is sometimes found with in the N.T., see Rev 4:9 , but generally amidst variety of readings: Mat 10:19 ; Mar 11:25 ; Luk 13:28 ; Rom 2:14 . Meyer thus accounts for it that in later Greek the became completely attached to the , and the whenever was treated as merely an expression of time so that in German it would not be menn sie Jhn irgend sahen , but menn irgend sie Jhn sahen .
The unclean spirits are here spoken of in the person of those possessed by them, and the two fused together: for as it was impossible that any but the spirits could have known that He was the Son of God, so it was the material body of the possessed which fell down before Him, and their voice which uttered the cry: see note on Mat 8:32 . The notion of the semi-rationalists, that the sick identified themselves with the dmons (Meyer), is at once refuted by the universal agreement of the testimony given on such occasions, that Jesus was the Son of God .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 3:11 . . In a relative clause like this, containing a past general supposition, classical Greek has the optative without . Here we have the imperfect indicative with ( ). Vide Klotz., ad Devar , p. 690, and Burton, M. and T. , 315. Other examples in chap. Mar 6:56 , Mar 11:19 . , fell before ( , above, to fall against ). . . .: again an instance of spiritual clairvoyance in demoniacs. Vide at Mat 8:29 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
spirits. Greek. Plural of pneuma. See App-101., or 12.
saw = beheld. App-133.
cried = cried out.
Thou art, &c. ADivine supplement, here, because agreeing with the second subject of the Lord’s ministry. See App-119.
the Son of God. App-98.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
11. ] See ref. The indic. is sometimes found with in the N.T., see Rev 4:9, but generally amidst variety of readings: Mat 10:19; Mar 11:25; Luk 13:28; Rom 2:14. Meyer thus accounts for it-that in later Greek the became completely attached to the , and the whenever was treated as merely an expression of time-so that in German it would not be menn sie Jhn irgend sahen, but menn irgend sie Jhn sahen.
The unclean spirits are here spoken of in the person of those possessed by them, and the two fused together: for as it was impossible that any but the spirits could have known that He was the Son of God, so it was the material body of the possessed which fell down before Him, and their voice which uttered the cry: see note on Mat 8:32. The notion of the semi-rationalists, that the sick identified themselves with the dmons (Meyer), is at once refuted by the universal agreement of the testimony given on such occasions, that Jesus was the Son of God.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 3:11. ) is here joined with a past tense of the Indicative, as , ch. Mar 6:56.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
unclean: Mar 1:23, Mar 1:24, Mar 5:5, Mar 5:6, Mat 8:31, Luk 4:41, Act 16:17, Act 19:13-17, Jam 2:19
the Son: Mar 1:1, Mat 4:3, Mat 4:6, Mat 8:29, Mat 14:33, Luk 8:28
Reciprocal: 1Sa 5:3 – Dagon was Mat 12:22 – was Mar 1:25 – rebuked Mar 5:7 – Son Luk 4:35 – Jesus
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1
Unclean spirits is another name for devils that afflicted the people.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 3:11. And unclean spirits. The demon identified himself with the person, since the confession was undoubtedly that of the evil spirit.
Whenever they saw him. This was the usual effect
Fell down before him and cried. The possessed man fell down, and his voice uttered the cry; but both acts are attributed to the evil spirit; hence the intimate possession.
The son of God. Comp. chap. Mar 1:24; Mar 1:34.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
3:11 And {i} unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
(i) In those whom they had entered into: or by the figure of speech called metonymy, it refers to those who were vexed with the unclean spirits.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
As before, Jesus continued to exorcize demons. He also continued to forbid them to reveal His identity. This would have encouraged the people to associate the title "Son of God" with the physical aspects of Jesus’ ministry almost exclusively (cf. Mar 1:34). Moreover Jesus thereby retained more control over His self-revelation and the progress of His mission. Perhaps He also did not want the people to associate Him with these demons.
The idea that Jesus silenced the demons because they sought to control Him by using His name and thereby gaining power over Him seems improbable to me. [Note: Cf. Lane, p. 130.] While conflict with demonic forces is definitely a theme in Mark’s Gospel, the demons had no real power over Jesus simply because they knew His name. This was a pagan superstition.
"The earliest confession of the Sonship seems to have come from evil spirits, who knew Jesus better than he was known by His own disciples." [Note: Henry B. Swete, The Gospel According to St. Mark, p. 57.]