The Apostles had been gladdened by the promise of the coming Kingdom. The transfiguring light that shone from our Lord's face differed from the shining of Moses' face. With Moses the light was from without, and faded; but with Christ the light shone from within. Surely at that moment He might have stepped back into heaven by the open door, through which the representatives of the Law and the prophets had come; but He turned His back on the joy of the Father's home, and set His face to endure the cross, that He might become, not the example only, but the Redeemer of men. What a contrast between that scene on Hermon's slopes, where the glory of Jesus was brighter than the glistening snows about Him, and that below, where the demoniac child writhed in pain! Raphael does well to group these two incidents in one picture, for we are shown here that the duty of the Church is not to build tabernacles on the mount of vision, but to take her way into the haunts of crime and misery and cope with the power of Satan. Faith is the channel through which the divine power passes. Its quantity is of less importance than its quality. It may be minute as a mustard seed, but, like it, must contain the principle of life. [source]
Chapter Summary: Mark 9
1Jesus is transfigured 11He instructs his disciples concerning the coming of Elijah; 14casts forth a deaf and mute spirit; 30foretells his death and resurrection; 33exhorts his disciples to humility; 38bidding them not to prohibit such as are not against them, 42nor to give offense to any of the faithful
Greek Commentary for Mark 9:15
Were greatly amazed [exethambēthēsan)] First aorist passive ingressive aorist with perfective compound eẋ The sudden and opportune appearance of Jesus in the midst of the dispute when no one was looking for him turned all eyes to him. He would not fail, however the disciples might do so. The people were awed for the moment and then running began to welcome him Present participle and imperfect middle indicative. [source]
Were greatly amazed [ἐξεθαμβήθησαν] A word peculiar to Mark. See Introduction. [source]
Mark 14:33Greatly amazed and sore troubled [εκταμβεισται και αδημονειν] Matthew 26:37 has “sorrowful and sore troubled.” See note on Matt. about αδημονειν adēmonein Mark alone uses εχταμβεισται exthambeisthai (here and in Mark 9:15). There is a papyrus example given by Moulton and Milligan‘s Vocabulary. The verb ταμβεω thambeō occurs in Mark 10:32 for the amazement of the disciples at the look of Jesus as he went toward Jerusalem. Now Jesus himself feels amazement as he directly faces the struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wins the victory over himself in Gethsemane and then he can endure the loss, despising the shame. For the moment he is rather amazed and homesick for heaven. “Long as He had foreseen the Passion, when it came clearly into view its terror exceeded His anticipations” (Swete). “He learned from what he suffered,” (Hebrews 5:8) and this new experience enriched the human soul of Jesus. [source]
Luke 4:36They were all amazed [ἐγένετο θάμβος ἐπὶ πάντες] Lit., as Rev., amazement came upon all. Θάμβος ,amazement, is used by Luke only. The kindred verb, θαμβέομαι ,to be amazed, occurs only once in Luke (Acts 9:6), and three times in Mark; while Mark alone has the strong compound ἐκθαμβέω ,to be greatly amazed (Mark 9:15). [source]
What do the individual words in Mark 9:15 mean?
Andimmediatelyallthecrowdhaving seenHimwere greatly amazedrunning to [Him]were greetingHim
Greek Commentary for Mark 9:15
First aorist passive ingressive aorist with perfective compound eẋ The sudden and opportune appearance of Jesus in the midst of the dispute when no one was looking for him turned all eyes to him. He would not fail, however the disciples might do so. The people were awed for the moment and then running began to welcome him Present participle and imperfect middle indicative. [source]
A word peculiar to Mark. See Introduction. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 9:15
The particularizing of the scribes as the questioners, and Mark 9:15, Mark 9:16, are peculiar to Mark. [source]
See Mark 9:15, and Introduction. Rev., better, amazed. It was wonder rather than fright. [source]
A word peculiar to Mark. Compare Mark 9:15; Mark 16:5, Mark 16:6. [source]
Matthew 26:37 has “sorrowful and sore troubled.” See note on Matt. about αδημονειν adēmonein Mark alone uses εχταμβεισται exthambeisthai (here and in Mark 9:15). There is a papyrus example given by Moulton and Milligan‘s Vocabulary. The verb ταμβεω thambeō occurs in Mark 10:32 for the amazement of the disciples at the look of Jesus as he went toward Jerusalem. Now Jesus himself feels amazement as he directly faces the struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wins the victory over himself in Gethsemane and then he can endure the loss, despising the shame. For the moment he is rather amazed and homesick for heaven. “Long as He had foreseen the Passion, when it came clearly into view its terror exceeded His anticipations” (Swete). “He learned from what he suffered,” (Hebrews 5:8) and this new experience enriched the human soul of Jesus. [source]
Lit., as Rev., amazement came upon all. Θάμβος ,amazement, is used by Luke only. The kindred verb, θαμβέομαι ,to be amazed, occurs only once in Luke (Acts 9:6), and three times in Mark; while Mark alone has the strong compound ἐκθαμβέω ,to be greatly amazed (Mark 9:15). [source]