The Meaning of Mark 1:22 Explained

Mark 1:22

KJV: And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

YLT: and they were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as having authority, and not as the scribes.

Darby: And they were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.

ASV: And they were astonished at his teaching: For he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  they were astonished  at  his  doctrine:  for  he taught  them  as  one that had  authority,  and  not  as  the scribes. 

What does Mark 1:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Mark used a strong Greek word to describe the reaction of Jesus" hearers, though he did not record what Jesus taught. The word is exeplessonto meaning that Jesus" words astounded or overwhelmed the people. A distinguishing feature of Mark"s Gospel is his references to people"s emotional reactions (cf. Mark 1:27; Mark 2:12; Mark 5:20; Mark 5:42; Mark 6:2; Mark 6:51; Mark 7:37; Mark 10:26; Mark 11:18), even those of Jesus ( Mark 6:6). It was Jesus" great authority that impressed them. He was, of course, not a mere scribe (teacher of the law) but a prophet, even the greatest prophet ever to appear. Jesus proclaimed revelation directly from God rather than just interpreting the former revelations that God had given to others and reiterating the traditional rabbinic interpretations of the law.
"They [1] habitually established their views by long learned quotations from other rabbis. At best, they could only claim an authority derived from their understanding of the law. Their teaching was generally pedantic and dull, occupied with minute distinctions concerning Levitical regulations and petty legalistic requirements." [2]
"Fundamentally ... Mark presents Jesus" conflict with the religious authorities as one of authority: Does Jesus or does he not discharge his ministry as one authorized by God? As this conflict unfolds, it becomes progressively more intense, until it finally ends in Jesus" death." [3]
"The narrator paints the authorities in a consistently negative light from their first mention as legal experts who teach without authority. The narrator builds their characterization on their opposition to Jesus. What the authorities say involves primarily questions which imply accusations or aim at trapping Jesus. As for what they do, they primarily work at plotting the destruction of Jesus. Neither Jesus nor the narrator says anything favorable about them. And the narrator"s inside views on their thoughts and feelings regularly distance the reader from the authorities. Apart from attributing a few favorable attitudes to Herod and Pilate, the narrator depicts the authorities as thoroughly untrustworthy characters." [4]

Context Summary

Mark 1:21-39 - The Helper Of The Needy
The word straightway is typical of our Lord's life. It occurs at least eleven times in this chapter (r.v.), and is the keynote of Mark's Gospel, which is pre-eminently the gospel of service. The ancient symbol for this Gospel was the ox. There is comparatively little said in it, as in Matthew, about the King; or, as in Luke, about the details of Jesus' humanity; or, as in John, about His divine sonship. There are suggestions of all these, but emphasis is laid on the unresting labors of Jesus, who went about doing good. In illustration of this trait in the Master's life, the evangelist narrates the proceedings of two typical days, the one at the beginning, the other at the close of His ministry. The first typical day is recorded in this chapter, Mark 1:21-38. The morning was spent in the synagogue, where at the close of the service the demon was cast out; the afternoon witnessed the healing of Peter's wife's mother; the evening beheld the throng at the door, whom he healed. Early next day He had gone forth for prayer, and forthwith started on a mission throughout all Galilee. The second typical day is recorded in Mark 11:20-33; Mark 12:1-44; Mark 13:1-37. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 1

1  The office of John the Baptist
9  Jesus is baptized;
12  tempted;
14  he preaches;
16  calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John;
23  heals one that had a demon;
29  Peter's mother in law;
32  many diseased persons;
40  and cleanses the leper

Greek Commentary for Mark 1:22

They were astonished [εχεπλησσοντο]
Pictorial imperfect as in Luke 4:32 describing the amazement of the audience, “meaning strictly to strike a person out of his senses by some strong feeling, such as fear, wonder, or even joy” (Gould). [source]
And not as their scribes [και ουχ ως οι γραμματεις]
Luke 4:32 has only “with authority” Mark has it “as having authority” He struck a note not found by the rabbi. They quoted other rabbis and felt their function to be expounders of the traditions which they made a millstone around the necks of the people. By so doing they set aside the word and will of God by their traditions and petty legalism (Mark 7:9, Mark 7:13). They were casuists and made false interpretations to prove their punctilious points of external etiquette to the utter neglect of the spiritual reality. The people noticed at once that here was a personality who got his power (authority) direct from God, not from the current scribes. “Mark omits much, and is in many ways a meagre Gospel, but it makes a distinctive contribution to the evangelic history in showing by a few realistic touches (this one of them) the remarkable personality of Jesus ” (Bruce). See note on Matthew 7:29 for the like impression made by the Sermon on the Mount where the same language occurs. The chief controversy in Christ‘s life was with these scribes, the professional teachers of the oral law and mainly Pharisees. At once the people see that Jesus stands apart from the old group. He made a sensation in the best sense of that word. There was a buzz of excitement at the new teacher that was increased by the miracle that followed the sermon. [source]
He taught [ἦν διδάσκων]
The finite verb with the participle denoting something continuous: was teaching. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 1:22

Luke 4:31 Was teaching them [ην διδασκων αυτους]
Periphrastic imperfect. Mark has εδιδασκεν — edidasken first and then εν διδασκων — en didaskōn “Them” here means the people present in the synagogue on the sabbath, construction according to sense as in Mark 1:22.sa120 [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 1:22 mean?

And they were astonished at the teaching of Him He was for teaching them as authority having not the scribes
καὶ ἐξεπλήσσοντο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων οὐχ οἱ γραμματεῖς

ἐξεπλήσσοντο  they  were  astonished 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐκπλήσσω  
Sense: to strike out, expel by a blow, drive out or away.
ἐπὶ  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
διδαχῇ  teaching 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: διδαχή  
Sense: teaching.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἦν  He  was 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
διδάσκων  teaching 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: διδάσκω  
Sense: to teach.
ἐξουσίαν  authority 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐξουσία  
Sense: power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases.
γραμματεῖς  scribes 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: γραμματεύς  
Sense: a clerk, scribe, esp.