Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 12].
whole problem of His person and work" (Swete). The scribes all
taught that the Messiah was to be the son of David (Joh 7:41).
The people in the Triumphal Entry had acclaimed Jesus as the son
of David (Mt 21:9). But the rabbis had overlooked the fact that
David in Ps 110:1 called the Messiah his Lord also. The deity
and the humanity of the Messiah are both involved in the problem.
Mt 22:45 observes that "no one was able to answer him a word."
12:36 {The footstool} (\hupopodion\). Westcott and Hort read
\hupokat•\ (under) after Aleph B D L.
12:37 {The common people heard him gladly} (\ho polus ochlos
•kouen autou hede•s\). Literally, the much multitude (the huge
crowd) was listening (imperfect tense) to him gladly. Mark alone
has this item. The Sanhedrin had begun the formal attack that
morning to destroy the influence of Jesus with the crowds whose
hero he now was since the Triumphal Entry. It had been a colossal
failure. The crowds were drawn closer to him than before.
12:38 {Beware of the scribes} (\blepete apo t•n grammate•n\).
Jesus now turns to the multitudes and to his disciples (Mt
23:1) and warns them against the scribes and the Pharisees while
they are still there to hear his denunciation. The scribes were
the professional teachers of the current Judaism and were nearly
all Pharisees. Mark (Mr 14:38-40) gives a mere summary sketch
of this bold and terrific indictment as preserved in Mt 23 in
words that fairly blister today. Lu 20:45-47 follows Mark
closely. See Mt 8:15 for this same use of \blepete apo\ with
the ablative. It is usually called a translation-Hebraism, a
usage not found with \blep•\ in the older Greek. But the papyri
give it, a vivid vernacular idiom. "Beware of the Jews" (\blepe
saton apo t•n Ioudai•n\, Berl. G. U. 1079. A.D. 41). See
Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 577. The pride of the pompous scribes is
itemized by Mark: {To walk in long robes} (\stolais\), {stoles},
the dress of dignitaries like kings and priests. {Salutations in
the marketplaces} (\aspasmous en tais agorais\), where the people
could see their dignity recognized.
12:39 {First seats in the synagogues} (\pr•tokathedrias\). As a
mark of special piety, seats up in front while now the hypocrites
present in church prefer the rear seats. {Chief places at feasts}
(\pr•toklisias en tois deipnois\). Recognizing proper rank and
station. Even the disciples fall victims to this desire for
precedence at table (Lu 22:24).
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