Mark 2:13-3:6
Dear RTB’ers,
So many stories today – the calling of Levi (Matthew); fasting; “violating” the Sabbath; healing a man with a withered hand – as John and I have noted in years past, we often have to choose what to comment on. Thankfully STS can guide us into further comments and questions!
A small item I noticed today: …the scribes of the Pharisees… (v. 2:16a) Both the ESV and the NASB have “of” in this phrase, although the ESV notes that “of” is translated “and” in a number of manuscripts, which is my more common understanding. (See Jesus’ use of “and” in Matthew 23, where He pronounces woes on the “scribes and pharisees” in Mt. 23:13,15,23,25,27,29.) Clearly “scribes”, often translated “teachers of the law” can be distinct from Pharisees. But it’s also the case that “of” can mean “within”, as in …the scribes within the Pharisees… That is, some Pharisees were also scribes. Nicodemus (John 3) comes to mind; therein John refers to him as a Pharisee (John 3:1) and Jesus refers to him as a teacher (John 3:10). Still, not all scribes were Pharisees and not all Pharisees were scribes, but certainly some could be both!
One other item – my Study Bible had a sentence about the Pharisees that is worth quoting: “Although some, no doubt, were godly, most of those who came into conflict with Jesus were hypocritical, envious, rigid, and formalistic.” Certainly this sentence applies to Jesus’ opponents in today’s reading who have difficulty with Jesus’ eating with tax collectors and sinners (v. 2:16); Jesus’ disciples’ plucking grain on the Sabbath (v. 2:24); and those upset with Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath (v. 3:2). Their opposition is clearly stated in 3:6, The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him. And we’re still early in Mark’s gospel!
Blessings!
See also: