Mark 5 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

hills he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones. 646644(...continued)“Jesus approached this social problem in a different way–with understanding,coming to the demoniac as a person, reaching into the seat of the trouble, the derangedmind and spirit behind the outward signs, and bringing with him the power to expel the evilspirit lodged within.” (P. 713)We appreciate very much Luccock’s deep social concern which he brings to thetext, and with which he interprets it–but we doubt very much whether this is the meaning ofMark–the abolition of force in the treatment of the criminally insane, or the abolition ofdefensive weapons on the part of world governments. It is always tempting for pacifistorientedinterpreters to read such matters into certain texts–while completely omitting oravoiding the powerful biblical motif of “Holy War,” and that of the “Divine Warrior” who useshuman armies to accomplish his will–which is that of conquering evil, with the ultimate goalof bringing universal peace to the world.645 The lengthy phrase , kai oudeis ischuen auton damasai; kai dia pantos nuktos kaihemeras, “and no had strength to subdue him. And throughout every night and day,” ischanged to read kai. mh,dena auvto.n ivscu,ein dama,sai. Nukto,j de kai. h`me,raj, kai medenaauton ischuein damasai, nuktos de kai hemeras, “and no one had strength to subdue him;but then night and day...” by Bezae, W (see), Minuscules 565 (see), 700 (see), and the OldLatin Manuscript e.Mark.This variant gets rid of Mark’s over-statement, but does not change the meaning ofThis phrase, “throughout every night and day,” is a literal and exact translation of theGreek text, and is another example of Mark’s committing the “all-fallacy.” Swete attemptedto water this down: “That is, at intervals during the night and the day...yet without anyprolonged intermission–practically ‘throughout every.’” (P. 178) We agree that this isprobably what Mark means; but just as we ourselves commonly do, Mark in fact overstatesthe fact.646Swete comments that “...His body may in this way have been gashed and scarred allover.” Maclaren interprets this as follows: “Insensible to pain, and deriving some dreadfulsatisfaction from his own wounds, he has gashed himself with splinters of rock, andhowled, in a delirium of pain and pleasure, at the sight of his own blood.” (P. 178)Lane holds that the individual was suicidal, attempting to take his own life in despairat ever finding sanity: “At intervals during the night and the day he would be seen amongthe tombs or on the mountains, wildly shrieking, cutting his flesh with sharp stones,attempting to destroy himself and bring to an end the torment of an unbearable existence.”(P. 182)410(continued...)