Mark 14:51

51. Followed him a certain young man The incident of this young man occurs very briefly, and is narrated apparently for no purpose whatever. The only solution, certainly the best, is the supposition that it was no other than Mark himself. Mark was at this time a young man, living probably in Jerusalem with his mother; was more or less a follower of Jesus, and very likely to be present, from his interest in our Lord, during these awful transactions. That he should not name himself is very naturally explained, on the same principle of personal delicacy as induced the evangelist John to allude to himself in the third person. As John naturally styles himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, so Mark could as naturally style himself a certain young man. Very likely the Christians of that day knew who the certain young man was. There followed him From this clause it is plain, that the supposition of some commentators, that this was an indifferent young man, accidentally awakened by the tumult, is untenable. He is a follower; and he does not follow them, that is, the crowd, but him. Jesus is the object of his interest. It must, therefore, have been some friend of Jesus, pressing after him to ascertain what was to be his fate. A linen cloth A wrapper thrown over his undressed body. Doubtless this was the aba, an outer cloth thrown over the dress, and used even in sleep to enwrap the body. See on Matthew 5:40. The young men The young men who formed a part of the company who apprehended Jesus. This use of the word to signify soldiers is common, both in Greek and Latin.