Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 6:2
And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing [him] were astonished, saying, From whence hath this [man] these things? and what wisdom [is] this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
2. he began to teach in the synagogue ] For his former visit here see Luk 4:6 sq. The conduct of His hearers on this occasion did not betray the frantic violence exhibited at His first visit.
mighty works ] Rather, powers. This is one of the four names given by the Evangelists to the miracles which the Lord was pleased to work while incarnate here on earth. They are called:
( ) “ Wonders,” a term never used alone, but always in conjunction with other names. They are continually styled “signs and wonders,” or “signs” or “powers” alone, but never “wonders” alone. By this word the effect of astonishment, which the work produces on the beholder, is transferred to the work itself. The word only occurs once in St Mark, in Mar 13:22, and there it is in conjunction with “signs.”
( ) “ Signs,” as being tokens and indications of something beyond themselves, of the near presence and working of God, the seals and credentials of a higher power. The word is an especial favourite with St John, though in our Version “sign” too often gives place to the vaguer “miracle,” to the great detriment of the true meaning and force of the word. It occurs three times in St John, twice in St Mar 16:17; Mar 16:20 alone, and once in conjunction with “wonders,” Mar 13:22.
( ) “ Powers,” that is of God, coming into and working in this world of ours. As in the “wonder” the effect is transferred and gives a name to the cause, so here the cause gives its name to the effect. The word occurs four times in St Mark: Mar 5:30 (A. V. virtue), Mar 6:2; Mar 6:14; Mar 9:39. In our Version it is rendered sometimes “ wonderful works ” (Mat 7:22), sometimes “ mighty works ” (Mat 11:20; Mar 6:14; Luk 10:13), and still more frequently “ miracles ” (Act 2:22; Act 19:11; Gal 3:5), thus doing away with a portion of its force.
( ) “ Works.” This is a significant term very frequently used by St John. With him miracles are the natural form of working for Him, whose Name is Wonderful (Isa 9:6), and Who therefore doeth “works of wonder.” Comp. Joh 6:28; Joh 7:21; Joh 10:25; Joh 10:32; Joh 10:38; Joh 14:11, &c. See Abp. Trench on the Parables, Introd.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 2. Were astonished] , at his doctrine, or teaching. This is added by the Codex Bezae and eight others, later Syriac, Armenian, Vulgate, and all the Itala.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And when the sabbath day was come,…. For it seems that it was on a weekday, or on one of the common days of the week, that he entered into the city, where he remained without making himself known, till the sabbath day came: and then
he began to teach in the synagogue; that is, at Nazareth; where he expounded the law and the prophets, and preached the Gospel:
and many hearing [him] were astonished. The Vulgate Latin adds, “at his doctrine”; and so it is read in Beza’s most ancient copy:
saying, from whence hath this man these things? This skill of explaining Scripture, this doctrine which he teaches, and these miracles he is said to work? This question they the rather put, because they had known him from the beginning: he had lived long among them, and they knew he had not learnt of men, and therefore wondered how he came by such things as these:
and what wisdom is this which is given to him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? which were but the other day employed in servile work, and mechanical operations.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Began to teach ( ). As was now his custom in the synagogue on the sabbath. The ruler of the synagogue (, see Mt 5:22) would ask some one to speak whensoever he wished. The reputation of Jesus all over Galilee opened the door for him. Jesus may have gone to Nazareth for rest, but could not resist this opportunity for service.
Whence hath this man these things? ( ;). Laconic and curt,
Whence these things to this fellow? With a sting and a fling in their words as the sequel shows. They continued to be amazed (, imperfect tense passive). They challenge both the apparent
wisdom () with which he spoke and
the mighty works or powers ( )
such as those ()
coming to pass (, present middle participle, repeatedly wrought)
by his hands ( ). They felt that there was some hocus-pocus about it somehow and somewhere. They do not deny the wisdom of his words, nor the wonder of his works, but the townsmen knew Jesus and they had never suspected that he possessed such gifts and graces.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Astonished. See on Mt 8:28.
Mighty works [] . Lit., powers. See on Mt 11:20. Tynd., virtues. Outcomings of God ‘s power : “powers of the world to come” (Heb 6:5), at work upon the earth.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And when the sabbath day was come,” (kai genomenou sabbatou) “And when a sabbath came,” when the sabbath came around, or arrived, near where He had retreated for rest.
2) “He began to teach in the synagogue:- (erksato didaskein en te sunagoge) “He began to teach in the synagogue,” the synagogue of Nazareth, His home town, Luk 4:16-21. Spiritual things frustrate the unspiritual, Act 2:7-11; Act 4:13; 1Co 2:14.
3) “And many hearing Him were astonished, saying,” (kai hoi polloi akountes ekseplesonto legontes) “And the masses (upon) hearing Him were astonished, repeatedly inquiring,” asking one another, with curiosity.
4) “From whence hath this man these things?” (pothen touto tauta) “Where did this man (learn) these things?” the things He was teaching, these kind of things. They were appalled at the things He knew, but did not know where He had learned them, Luk 2:40; Luk 2:42.
5) “And what wisdom is this which is given unto Him,” (kai tis he sophia he dotheisa touto) “And what is (the source of) wisdom given to Him,” From where did He receive the kind of wisdom He shows? Joh 6:42; Joh 7:15.
6) “That even such mighty works are wrought by His hands?” (kai hai dunameis toiautai dia ton cheiron autou ginomenai) “And from what source is the dynamic deeds, the miracles such as are coming about through His hands?” His wisdom was first acknowledged at the age of twelve years, His miraculous powers through all His ministry, as well as His knowledge, Luk 2:46-47; Joh 3:2; Mat 7:28-29; Mat 22:46.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(2) Many hearing him.The better MSS. give, the many, i.e., the majority of those who were present.
Such mighty works.As the Evangelist notes in Mar. 6:5 that no mighty work had been done in Nazareth, these must refer to what had been reported there.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And many hearing him were astonished, saying, “From where has this man learned these things?” and “What is the wisdom that is given to this man and what mean such mighty works (‘powers’) wrought by his hands? Is this not the carpenter (or ‘craftsman’), the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are his sisters not here with us? ” And they took offence at him.’
To begin with many were amazed at the things that He seemed to have learned. Others at the wise things that He said. And others at His miraculous powers and the mighty works He did (Mark is here bringing out that, few though His mighty works were here, they were still impressive). Thus it is apparent that to begin with things were going smoothly, although even here there is possibly the hint of dissatisfaction. Nevertheless His preaching was being listened to, they knew about His mighty works and some healings did occur. On the other hand in their eyes it did not sit well with the person that they knew Him to be. They could not reconcile it with what they knew about Him. And when He spoke on and began to speak of introducing the Kingly Rule of God, it was something that they could not accept of one they knew so well. Their question was, Who did He think He was?
Behind their amazement lay their unwillingness to accept that this local boy could be anything special. They remembered that He was after all only a village carpenter, an artisan, that they knew all His family well, and that He was but a local lad. How could He then be so special? Was this because His words had begun to stir their consciences, and they did not like it, especially from One Whom they had known all their lives? Was it because His demands were too great and He seemed to be above Himself? So quickly, through prejudice and disparagement, can a powerful ministry be halted. How wary we should be when we openly disparage a preacher.
Then they finally took offence because, having pulled themselves up sharply and dismissed His claims, they felt as though He had somehow deceived them. Their early interest had turned sour and they began to feel ashamed of it. And as men will in such circumstances they blamed Him for it. But underlying their whole attitude was their sin. In the end it is sin treasured and held on to that makes men avoid the truth.
What a contrast with what has gone before. The Lord of the elements, Lord over evil spirits and Lord of life and death, but now rejected because He was too well known.
‘To His own country.’ Possibly stated in this way to give effect to the saying in Mar 6:4. This was the prelude to what would be His later rejection by His own people (Joh 1:11). But it may also indicate that while he visited His own neighbourhood He cut Nazareth out of His itinerary because of what had happened there before.
‘Many hearing Him.’ Many is ‘hoi polloi’ or just ‘polloi’. Omission of the article is strongly supported. It might thus mean all the people, many of the people or just some of the people.
‘From where —- what is the wisdom —- what mean such mighty works —- is this not —.’ There were differing views and questions among the people, but underlying all was the fact that He was but a local carpenter. Perhaps then they were beginning to suspect some doubtful source for His powers, for they no doubt knew what the Doctors of Law from Jerusalem had said (Mar 3:22).
But Mark wants his readers to ask the same questions, and answer them correctly, for as we know he is now seeking to emphasise Jesus’ wisdom and His power.
‘Is this not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?’ The textual authorities vary considerably here. Many have ‘the son of the carpenter and of Mary’ (but then why not mention Joseph by name?). The former is more probably correct. It is in all the major manuscripts (but not papyrus 45) and we can see why it might be changed later. Calling Jesus an artisan may later have been seen as degrading Him (Origen argued with Celsus that Jesus was never called ‘the carpenter’ demonstrating how deeply the issue was felt). And ‘son of Mary’ was a slur as it was not normal among the Jews to describe a man as the son of his mother, even when his father was dead, unless he was of doubtful birth (compare Jdg 11:1). But the people were trying to be disparaging. They wanted to see Him as an artisan and of doubtful birth (an indirect testimony to the virgin birth) and not a scholar.
‘Brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon.’ See 1Co 9:5. They were all familiar in the district. There is no reason for doubting that they were his blood brothers (see on Mar 3:31-35).
‘And are not his sisters here with us?’ This change of expression may naturally suggest that this was not Nazareth, but a nearby town, and that Jesus’ sisters had married and taken up residence in this place. However this inference is not necessarily required.
‘And they took offence at Him.’ Literally, ‘they were caused to stumble’. He had become a stumblingblock to them (compare 1Pe 2:8). Their attitude to Him caused them to stumble in their obedience to God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Ver. 2. See Trapp on “ Mat 13:54 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2. ] Before we must understand another , to make the construction complete.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 6:2 . , etc.: Jesus did not go to Nazareth for the purpose of preaching, rather for rest; but that He should preach was inevitable; therefore, the Sabbath coming round, He appeared in the synagogue, and spoke. : laconic; comprehensive, vague question, covering the discourse just heard and all that had been reported to them about their townsman, with the one word : such speech, such wisdom ( ), such powers ( , not wrought there), in such a well-known person ( ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
in. Greek. en. App-104. Not the same word a in verses: Mar 6:8, Mar 6:25, Mar 6:55.
mighty works = miracles. One of the renderings of dunamis (plural) App-172.
wrought = come to pass.
by = by means of. Greek. dia. App-104. Mar 6:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2.] Before we must understand another , to make the construction complete.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 6:2. , having come) When the arrival of Jesus had taken place not very long before.–, whence-given) But indeed He is Wisdom itself.- ) Understand , what [are also these mighty works]? how [has He been enabled to do them]?
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
he began: Mar 1:21, Mar 1:22, Mar 1:39, Luk 4:15, Luk 4:31, Luk 4:32
From: Joh 6:42, Joh 7:15, Act 4:13, Act 4:14
Reciprocal: Ecc 9:16 – the poor Mat 4:23 – teaching Mat 4:25 – followed Mat 7:28 – the people Mat 13:54 – when Mat 22:33 – they Luk 4:22 – the gracious
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST
From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him.
Mar 6:2-3
So they asked of old; so we ask to-day. For is He not wholly one of ourselvesa Man of our flesh and of our bone? Whence, then, and why? Surely a natural question enough, and never was it asked more anxiously or more nervously than to-day. For we in our day have had specially opened to us the Gospel of the humanity of Jesus.
I. Mans Brother.How near it has brought Him to us! How real, we feel now, was the surrender of Himself to the limitations of the narrow and local situation! How deep and complete was the process by which He emptied Himself, and took our nature, and talked our language, and shut Himself up in our temporary frontiers, and confined Himself to our round of thoughts, and conformed to the shape of our historical conditions! We start, sometimes, in sudden alarm as the solid actuality of it all comes home to us. It is like a new revelation, with its strong and swift surprise. The Incarnation had been to us but a phrase. We had never imagined that it was so downright and physical a fact as we now see that it must have been. Yes! We start back sometimes in alarm. Yet we recover heart as we recognise the extraordinary gain of the nearness, of the neighbourhood, of the brotherhood into which it has brought Jesus Christ. He had been so mystically remote, so unactual, so visionary, as we first learned of Him through our Creeds. Now we see that it is true in a sense that we had never dreamed of, that He became as one of us, and was on all points tempted like as we are, and was touched with our infirmities.
II. Mans Master.It is just here that a new wonder begins to reveal itself, a secret begins to open. This Man, Who was so near, Who was so like the others, so brotherly, so utterly natural, began to take up before mans eyes such a strange aloofness. He showed Himself so solitary; He was in possession of such unaccountable resources; He assumed such a unique supremacy; He had knowledge which could not be explained; He drew on some hidden fountain of His own; He claimed and exercised an authority for which there was no obvious and intelligible justification. What is it? What does it mean? He dwells apart; He takes counsel with no one; He never classes Himself with other men; He stands over them; He refuses all identification; He speaks out of some far-away pre-eminence. The Gospel story is the record of the growth of this strange singularitythis remote and solitary pre-eminence. He Who begins as mans Brother shows Himself more and more as mans Master, as his sole supreme Lord.
III. Mans King.His claim is paramount. His authority cannot even be challenged; it cannot submit to criticism. It repudiates, of necessity, all offers from without. It cannot allow itself to be influenced or modified. And the nearer you come to Him the more you find that this is true. It is this total isolation of Jesus on earth among men which makes the Gospel story so impressive. He is come so near, He has made Himself ours; yet what we learn, what we feel, is that He is perfectly separate from us; that not one of us for one moment moves on His level. He draws upon resources of which we have no cognisance, and possesses knowledge which lies outside our experience or proof.
(a) Men are judged at last wholly according to their relationship to Him. I was hungry, and ye gave Me meat and ye gave Me no meat.
(b) His appeal to the universal sense of sin. Never for an instant does He exhibit the slightest consciousness of that which is the inevitable experience of all other men. He cannot class Himself among their sinful ranks. He stands wholly outside their sickness of soul, and this is why He can heal them.
(c) His knowledge of the Father is not a knowledge for which He wrestles and strives with other struggling men, gaining a higher insight than others by force of a more prevailing effort. Nay, He delivers it, He assumes it, as an experience possessed by Him alone and with utter certitude.
IV. The keyword.Once again we are driven back on to the keyword of Christianity: Transfiguration. He takes all as it stands, and, without altering what it is, nevertheless changes it from glory to glory. Without in any way ceasing to be what it is, by nature or substance, His humanity became other than it was. Nothing is gone, nothing is destroyed, nothing is perverted, nothing is de-naturalised; but, for all that, it is a new thing, a new creature. There is nothing else like it, it stands alone; and yet there is no point at which we can leave go of the human nature and reach out for something that we call Divine. The Divine is seen within the human. The Divine revelation is made through the transfigured flesh. Go nearer and nearer to your Brother, Jesus, and you draw nearer and nearer to Christ. Press closer and closer to that Humanity, and lo! you find yourself adoring your God.
V. Nearness and neighbourhood had their own peculiar perils of old, when He was on earth. They retain that peril still. It was just because they knew Him so familiarly, and felt Him so close in ancient Nazareth, when they rejected Him. But by loving Him as a man we shall learn to fear Him as our Judge, to honour Him as our King, and to worship Him as our Lord God.
Rev. Canon H. Scott Holland.
Illustration
The holiest of men may to all outward eyes appear exactly like other people. For in what does holiness consist but in a due fulfilment of the relative duties of our state in life, and in spiritual fellowship with God. Now the relative duties of life are universal. Every man has his own. That which makes one man to differ from another is not so much what things he does, as his manner of doing them. Two men, the most opposite in character, may dwell side by side, and do the very same daily acts, but in the sight of God be as far apart as light and darkness.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
2
From whence hath this man these things. Jesus had lived in this town until he was thirty years old and they were intimately acquainted with him. It had been but a little while since he went away, and when he came back and they saw his deeds and heard his teaching it was somewhat puzzling to them.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 6:2. The sabbath-day. Mark, here as so often, is more specific than Matthew.
Many, according to many ancient authorities, the many, the multitude of this city.
What is the wisdom given unto this man? This acknowledgement of His wisdom conveys a sneer. More graphic than Matthews statement.
And such mighty works (or, powers) wrought by his hands. We may supply either whence are, or what are. The latter seems to give the sense of the correct reading. It is plain, from Mar 6:5, that they referred to miracles in other places.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing [him] were astonished, saying, From whence hath this [man] these things? and what wisdom [is] this which is given unto him, that even such {a} mighty works are wrought by his hands?
(a) The word signifies powers or virtues, by which are meant those wonderful works that Christ did which showed and set forth the virtue and power of his Godhead to all the world; Mat 7:22 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The reaction of the people in this synagogue contrasts with that of Jairus, the ruler of another synagogue (Mar 5:22). Mark recorded three questions the observers in Nazareth raised. They wondered where Jesus got the teaching and the authority that He demonstrated. They asked each other who had given Him the wisdom He manifested, and they questioned where Jesus had obtained His ability to do miracles. Obviously they had not concluded that they came from God. Their questions manifested unbelief and hostility. Their personal acquaintance with Jesus’ family and Jesus’ former manner of life among them made it hard for them to think of Him as anything more than a mere man. This is the only place in the New Testament where the writer referred to Jesus as a carpenter. A "carpenter" (Gr. tekton) worked with stone and metal, as well as wood. [Note: Ibid., p. 310.] Jesus’ critics asked rhetorically if Jesus was not just a common worker with His hands, as most of them were.
"It was the common practice among the Jews to use the father’s name, whether he were alive or dead. A man was called the son of his mother only when his father was unknown." [Note: Hiebert, p. 139.]
Formerly the people of Nazareth had referred to Jesus as Joseph’s son (Luk 4:22). Evidently they now called Him Mary’s son as a deliberate insult implying that He was an illegitimate child (cf. Jdg 11:1-2; Joh 8:41; Joh 9:29). The Jews did not speak insultingly about such a person’s birth if they believed he lived a life pleasing to God, but if that person became an apostate they spoke publicly and unreservedly about his illegitimate birth. [Note: See Ethelbert Stauffer, Jesus and His Story, pp. 207-8, cf. pp. 16-17.] Consequently this appellation reflects the belief of the Nazarenes that Jesus was not virgin born and was displeasing to God. [Note: Cf. Cranfield, p. 195.]