Mark 1:30-31 - Exposition

Lay sick of a fever ( κατέκειτο πυρέσσουσα ) . St. Luke ( Luke 4:38 ) uses a stronger expression, "was holden with a great fever" ( συνεχομένη πυρετῷ μεγάλῳ ). There were marshes in that district; hence the prevalence of fevers of a malignant character. There is no mention of the wife of Peter by name in the New Testament. We may infer, from the fact that his wish's mother lived with him, that he was the head of the family. St. Paul ( 1 Corinthians 9:5 ) intimates that he was a married man, and that his wife accompanied him on his missionary tours. According to the testimony of Clement of Alexandria, and of Eusebius ( Luke 3:30 ), she suffered martyrdom, and was led away to death in the sight of her husband, whose last words to her were, "Remember thou the Lord." St. Mark here tells us that Jesus came and took [Simon's wife's mother] by the hand, and raised her up. St. Luke ( Luke 4:39 ) says that "he stood over her and rebuked the fever." Immediately the fever left her . The word "immediately" ( εὐθέως ), familiar as it is to St. Mark, is here omitted by the best authorities. But the omission is of no importance; for the fact that "the fever left her," and that she was at once strong enough to "minister to them," proves that it was not like an ordinary recovery from fever, which is wont to be slow and tedious.