(29) Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.—The quotation is given more fully by St. Mark than by St. Matthew. The opening words (from Deuteronomy 6:4) were in common use under the name of the Shemà (the Hebrew for “Hear”), and formed the popular expression of the faith of Israel. To say the Shemà was a passport into Paradise for any child of Abraham. read more
Not Far From the Kingdom Mark 12:34 What became of this hopeful young lawyer I cannot tell. Whether he actually reached and entered the kingdom he was so near to, we are not informed. I. He was 'not far from the kingdom,' because he had begun to think seriously on religion. II. Because he had already begun to attach greater importance to the spirit than to the letter. III. Because he was sincerely desirous of acting up to the measure of light which he possessed. IV. Because he was amiable and... read more
CHAPTER 12:28-34 (Mark 12:28-34)THE DISCERNING SCRIBE"And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that He had answered them well, asked Him, What commandment is the first of all? Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none... read more
Chapter 12 1. The Parable of the Vineyard. (Mark 12:1-12 .Matthew 21:33-46; Matthew 21:33-46 ; Luke 20:9-19 ) 2. The Question concerning the Tribute Money. (Mark 12:13-17 . Matthew 22:15-22 ; Luke 20:20-26 ) 3. The Sadducees Questioning concerning Resurrection. (Mark 12:18-27 . Matthew 22:23-33 ; Luke 20:27-38 ) 4. The Question of the Scribe. (Mark 12:28-34 .Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 22:34-40 ) 5. His Question. (Mark 12:35-37 . Matthew 22:41-46 ; Luke 20:41-44 ) 6. Beware of the... read more
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS The contents of chapter 12 are constituted of: · The Parable of the Householder (Mark 12:1-12 ); · The Question of Tribute (Mark 12:13-17 ); · The Question about the Resurrection (Mark 12:18-27 ); · The Question about the First Commandment (Mark 12:28-34 ); · The Question about the Son of David (Mark 12:35-40 ); and· The Incident of the Widow’s Mite. Chapter 13 is the discourse of Christ about His second coming delivered to the disciples on the Mount of Olives, in... read more
Jesus Christ's Methods of Teaching Mark 12:0 Instead of telling men their faults in so many words, Jesus Christ often set forth a parable which avoided personality, and yet vividly represented the features which he wished to correct or condemn; not only so, he drew men into a condemnation of themselves by showing their own conduct at such a distance as brought a new light upon it. The parable before us is a case in point. The people having heard the parable, "knew that he had spoken it against... read more
(28) And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? (29) And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (30) And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. (31) And the second is like, namely this,... read more
Literally the Lord our God is the only Lord: and this is the sense of the text in Deuteronomy vi. 4. The word in the original text, rendered by the term Lord, is the grand name JEHOVA, which signifies properly God, considered as the supreme Being, or the author of all existence. read more
28-34 Those who sincerely desire to be taught their duty, Christ will guide in judgment, and teach his way. He tells the scribe that the great commandment, which indeed includes all, is, that of loving God with all our hearts. Wherever this is the ruling principle in the soul, there is a disposition to every other duty. Loving God with all our heart, will engage us to every thing by which he will be pleased. The sacrifices only represented the atonements for men's transgressions of the moral... read more
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Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Mark 12:28-34
(28-34) And one of the scribes came.—See Notes on Matthew 22:34-40. St. Mark’s description is somewhat less precise than St. Matthew’s “one of them (i.e., the Pharisees), a lawyer.” The form of the question differs by the substitution of “first of all” for “great” commandment. read more