Mark 8

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:11

And the Pharisees came forth and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, trying him.JESUS REFUSING TO PERFORM THE SIGN DEMANDED BY THE PHARISEESThis verse shows that Dalmanutha was on the western side of Galilee, for Jesus was back in the territory of his old enemies who immediately confronted him and demanded that he show them a sign "from heaven." Such a sign they had already received when God himself spake out of heaven upon the occasion of Jesus' baptism, saying,... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:12

And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek a sign? verily I say unto you. There shall no sign be given unto this generation.There shall no sign be given ... This means "no sign like they wanted" would be given and does not conflict in any way with the exceptions cited in Matthew and Luke, nor should it be supposed that the other two evangelists were reporting exactly the same incident as here. Such a demand by the Pharisees was probably made over and over.... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:13

And he left them, and again entering into the boat departed to the other side.The sea of Galilee was only six or seven miles wide at the widest place, and Jesus and his apostles must have crossed it a hundred times. It was a natural barrier between Christ and the territory controlled by the Pharisees, and Jesus often found it expedient to place its sparkling waters between himself and his enemies until the time of his offering himself upon the cross arrived.Departed to the other side ... This... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:14

And they forgot to take bread; and they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.REGARDING THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND HERODForgot to take bread ... This lapse on the part of the Twelve led to their misunderstanding Jesus' reference to "leaven," but Jesus here used that term as a reference to the teachings, philosophy, and life-style of the Pharisees, Sadducees (Matthew 16:6) and... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:16

And they reasoned one with another, saying, We have no bread.Mark did not include Christ's repetition of his remarks concerning leaven, by which repetition he opened their eyes to the real meaning (see my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 241-242); but it is clear here, no less than in Matthew, that their failure to understand was due not to any fault of the Lord but to themselves. If Christ had meant "bread," he would have said "bread." His use of "leaven" in connection with the Pharisees and Herod... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:17

And Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened?The last clause of this verse carries the implication that the apostles had, in some degree, been hardened; and this would account for their failure to petition the Lord on behalf of the hungry multitude. The attitude of the world's Pharisees and Herods was somewhat with them. And what was the connection between the Pharisees and Herod... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:18

Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?The apostles were here afflicted with the natural blindness that so easily pertains to mortal life.Do ye not remember ...? This question should be burned into every conscience. Do we not remember days of weakness and humiliation, our infancy and childhood, the countless times in life when only the divine will stood between us and death or sorrow? Can we not remember prayers answered, dreams realized, strength... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:19

When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces took ye up? And they say unto him. Seven. And he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand?Significantly, Christ here referred to two feedings of great multitudes, emphasizing salient features of both; and there can be no honest rationalizing of these accounts as descriptions of a single... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:22

And they came unto Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him.Bethsaida ... was one of the cities upbraided by Jesus for its unbelief. It was the native city of Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Philip, its name meaning "house of fish," and was located on the western shore of Galilee; and, if Peloubet is correct in identifying it with Scythopolis, it was the one member of the Decapolis west of Galilee. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:23

And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught?Took him out of the village ... Although not so stated here, this was, in all probability, for the purpose of privacy, as in the case of the deaf-mute, and for the same purpose of preventing any allegation that the spittle was necessary to the cure. Just why Christ occasionally resorted to such practice is not known to us;... read more

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:11

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:12

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:13

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:14

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:16

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:17

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:18

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:19

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:22

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 8:23

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