There abide, till ye depart thence. They were not to change their lodgings in any place. This direction was given to them, lest, if they did, they might appear to be fickle and restless; or lest they might hurt the feelings of those with whom they had first lodged. And they were not to stay too long anywhere, lest they should be burdensome to any. read more
Shake off the dust ( τὸν χοῦν ) literally, the soil— that is under your feet . St. Matthew and St. Luke use the word ( κονιορτὸν ) " dust." A very significant action. The dust was shaken off as an evidence of the toil and labour of the apostles in journeying to them. It witnessed that they had entered the city and had delivered message, and that their message had been refused. The very dust, therefore, of the place was a defilement to them. "It shall be more tolerable," etc.... read more
They preached that men should repent . This was their great work, to which the miracles were subordinate. read more
And anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them . It is hardly possible to separate this from the reference to the use of oil for the sick, in James 5:14 . Unction was employed extensively in ancient times for medicinal purposes. It is recorded of Herod the Great by Josephus ('Antiq.,' 17:6, 5) that in one of his sicknesses he was "immersed in a bath full of oil," from which he is said to have derived much benefit. The apostles used it, no doubt not only on account of its... read more
This Herod is called by St. Matthew ( Matthew 14:1 ) "the tetrarch;" and so also by St. Luke ( Luke 9:7 ); though it should be noticed that St. Matthew, in the same context, at Verse 9, calls him "king." The word "tetrarch" properly means the sovereign or ruler of the fourth part of a territory. He is known as Herod Anti-pus, son of Herod the Great, who had appointed him "tetrarch" of Galilee and Peraea. Herod Antipas had married the daughter of Arctas, King of Arabia, but deserted her for... read more
Accounting for Christ. Interesting as a photograph of contemporary opinion. Abrupt, picturesque, graphic. "He said" (" they said," in some ancient authorities, as in Luke) is to be understood impersonally or of Herod. If the latter, the very repetition of Herod's statement, in Mark 6:16 , gives us fresh insight into the workings of Herod's mind. I. THERE IS EVEN A VARIETY OF OPINION IN THE WORLD ABOUT CHRIST . Whenever he is heard of human thought is exercised... read more
Wonder and fancy. Incidentally how much light on human nature do we gain from the Gospels! I. PERSONAL FORCE ALWAYS ATTRACTS ATTENTION . The man cannot be hidden. Even the "lion" of the hour merely is an expression of spiritual force. Who is he? whence came he? II. THE POPULAR CONSCIENCE RECOGNIZES THE FORCE OF CHARACTER . They felt that something new had come into the world of thought and feeling. It is always worth while taking note of the direction of... read more
Sin-hating righteousness. The growing fame of Jesus reached all parts of the land and all classes of society. Not only the poor and diseased, the neglected and the despised, heard of the compassionate heart and the mighty deeds of the Son of man; the learned were jealous of his influence with the people, and powerful rulers wondered what was the secret of his power. Many were the explanations given of the new Teacher's authority. Whilst some traced a resemblance between him and the olden... read more
Herod: the disordered conscience. The fame of the disciples reaches the ears of Herod, and has the effect of recalling to him a shameful deed of blood with which his memory is charged, and leads him, in contradiction to his Sadducean professions, to declare, John, whom I beheaded; he is risen. Thus two diverse characters are brought near together. There are others in view, but they are not prominent. There is the royal dancer, with her skilfulness and obedience, sacrificing her high... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 6:9
But be shod with sandals . This is quite consistent with what St. Matthew says ( Matthew 10:9 ), that they were not to provide themselves with shoes ( μηδὲ ὑποδήματα ). According to St. Matthew, shoes are forbidden directly; according to St. Mark, they are forbidden by implication, where he says that they were to be shod with sandals. Shoes are here forbidden which cover the whole foot, not sandals which only protect the soles of the feet lest they should be injured by the rocky... read more