---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse Mark 12:1. A certain man planted a vineyard — See this parable explained, Matthew 21:33-41. Verse Mark 12:4. At him they cast stones and wounded him"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/mark/12"
---

Verse [Mark 12:1](../../../kjv/mark/12/1). ***A certain man planted a vineyard*** — See this parable explained, [Matthew 21:33-41](../../../kjv/matthew/21/33-41).

Verse [Mark 12:4](../../../kjv/mark/12/4). ***At him they cast stones and wounded*****him*****in the head*** — Or rather, as most learned men agree, *they made short work of it*, εκεφαλαιωσαν. We have followed the Vulgate, *illum in capite* *vulneraverunt*, in translating the original, *wounded* him *in the* *head*, in which signification, I believe, the word is found in no Greek writer. ανακεφαλαιοομαι signifies to *sum up, to comprise*, and is used in this sense by St. Paul, [Romans 13:9](../../../kjv/romans/13/9). From the parable we learn that these people were determined to hear *no* reason, to do *no* justice, and to keep the *possession* and the *produce* by violence; therefore they fulfilled their purpose in the *fullest* and *speediest* manner, which seems to be what the evangelist intended to express by the word in question. Mr. Wakefield translates, *They speedily sent him away*; others think the meaning is, *They shaved their heads* and made them look ridiculously; this is much to the same purpose, but I prefer, *They made short work of* *it*. Dr. Lightfoot, De Dieu, and others, agree in the sense given above; and this will appear the more probable, if the word λιθοβολησαντες, *they cast stones*, be omitted, as it is by BDL, the *Coptic, Vulgate*, and all the *Itala*.

Verse [Mark 12:7](../../../kjv/mark/12/7). ***This is the heir*** — So they appear to have acknowledged in their consciences that this was the Messiah, the *heir of all* *things*.
***The inheritance shall be ours.*** — By slaying him we shall maintain our *authority*, and keep possession of our *revenues*.

Verse [Mark 12:9](../../../kjv/mark/12/9). ***And will give the vineyard unto others.*** — The vineyard must not perish with the husbandmen; it is still capable of producing much fruit, if it be properly cultivated. I will give it into the care of *new* vine-dressers, the *evangelists* and *apostles*. - And under their ministry, multitudes were brought to God before the destruction of Jerusalem.

Verse [Mark 12:13](../../../kjv/mark/12/13). ***And they send unto him*** — See this, and to [Mark 12:17](../../../kjv/mark/12/17), largely explained on [Matthew 22:15-22](../../../kjv/matthew/22/15-22).

Verse [Mark 12:15](../../../kjv/mark/12/15). ***Shall we give, or shall we not give?*** — This is wanting in the Codex Bezae, and in several versions.

Verse 18. See this question, concerning the *resurrection*, explained in detail on [Matthew 22:23-32](../../../kjv/matthew/22/23-32).

Verse 23. ***When they shall rise*** — This clause is wanting in BCDL, four others, *Syriac*, later *Arabic*, later *Persic, Coptic,* *Saxon*, and two of the *Itala. Griesbach* leaves it doubtful.

Verse 27. ***But the God of the living*** — θεος, *God*, is left out by ABCDKL, and in more than *forty* others, *Syriac*, one *Arabic*, one *Persic, Coptic, Armenian, Gothic, Saxon, Vulgate, Itala*, and *Origen. Griesbach* has omitted it.

Verse 30. ***Thou shalt love the Lord*** — On the nature and properties of the *love of God* and *man*, and the *way* in which this commandment is fulfilled, [Matthew 22:37](../../../kjv/matthew/22/37); [Matthew 22:37](../../../kjv/matthew/22/37), &c.

Verse 32. ***And the scribe said*** — The answer of the scribe, contained in [Mark 12:32-34](../../../kjv/mark/12/32-34), is not found either in Matthew or Luke. This is another proof against Mark's supposed *abridgment*.

Verse 34. ***Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.*** — This scribe appears to have been a prudent, sensible, and pious man; *almost* a Christian - so *near* the kingdom of God that he might have easily stepped in. It is very probable that he did at last *believe* in and *confess* Jesus.

Verse 35. ***How say the scribes*** — See [Matthew 22:41](../../../kjv/matthew/22/41), &c.

Verse 37. ***The common people heard him gladly.*** — And were doubtless many of them brought to believe and receive the truth. By the comparatively poor the Gospel is still best received.

Verse 38. ***Beware of the scribes*** — [Matthew 23:1](../../../kjv/matthew/23/1); [Matthew 23:1](../../../kjv/matthew/23/1), &c.

Verse [Mark 12:41](../../../kjv/mark/12/41). ***Cast money into the treasury*** — It is worthy of observation, that the money put into the treasury, even by the *rich*, is termed by the evangelist χαλκον, *brass money*, probably that species of small *brass* coin which was called פרוטה *prutah* among the Jews, two of which make a farthing, and twenty-four an Italian *assarius*, which *assarius* is the twenty-fourth part of a silver penny. We call this, *mite*, from the French, *miete*, which signifies a crumb, or very small morsel. The prutah was the smallest coin in use among the Jews: and there is a canon among the rabbins that no person shall put less than two prutahs into the treasury. This poor widow would not give less, and her poverty prevented her from giving more. And whereas it is said that *many rich persons cast* in MUCH, πολλα, (many,) this may only refer to the *number* of the *prutahs* which they threw in, and not to the *value*. What opinion should we form of a rich man, who, in a collection for a public charity, only threw in a *handful* of *halfpence*? See [Luke 21:1](../../../kjv/luke/21/1), and [Matthew 5:26](../../../kjv/matthew/5/26). The whole of this account is lacking in Matthew. Another proof that Mark did not *abridge* him.
Let us examine this subject a little more closely: Jesus prefers the widow's two mites to all the offerings made by the rich.
In the preceding account, [Mark 12:41](../../../kjv/mark/12/41), it is said Jesus *beheld* how the people cast money into the treasury. To make this relation the more profitable, let us consider Christ the *observer* and *judge* of human actions.
I. Christ the *observer*.
1. Christ *observes* all men and *all things*: all our actions are before his eyes, what we do in *public* and what we do in *private* are equally known unto him.
2. He *observes* the *state* and *situation* we are in: his eye was upon the *abundance* of the rich who had given much; and he was well acquainted with the *poverty* and desolate state of the widow who had given her *all*, though that was but *little* in itself. What an *awful* thought for the *rich*! "God sees every penny I possess, and constantly observes how I lay it out." What a *comfortable* thought for the *poor* and *desolate*! The eye of the most *merciful* and *bountiful* Jesus continually *beholds* my poverty and distress, and will cause them to work for my good.
3. Christ *sees* all the *motives* which lead men to perform their respective actions; and the *different* motives which lead them to perform the *same* action: he knows whether they act through *vanity,* *self-love, interest, ambition, hypocrisy*, or whether through *love,* *charity, zeal* for his glory, and a hearty desire to *please* him.
4. He *observes* the circumstances which accompany our actions; whether we act with *care* or *negligence*, with a *ready* mind or with *reluctance*.
5. He *observes* the *judgment* which we form of that which we do in his name; whether we esteem ourselves more on account of what we have done, speak of it to others, dwell on our labours, sufferings, expenses, success, c., or whether we humble ourselves because we have done so *little* good, and even that little in so *imperfect* a way.
II. See the *judgment* Christ forms of our actions.
1. He appears *surprised* that so much *piety* should be found with so much *poverty*, in this poor *widow*.
2. He shows that works of charity, c., should be estimated, not by their *appearance*, but by the *spirit* which produces them.
3. He shows by this that all men are properly in a state of *equality* for though there is and ought to be a difference in outward things, yet God looks upon the *heart*, and the poorest person has it in his power to make his *mite* as acceptable to the Lord, by *simplicity* of *intention*, and *purity* of *affection*, as the *millions* given by the affluent. It is just in God to rate the *value* of an action by the *spirit* in which it is done.
4. He shows that men should judge *impartially* in cases of this kind, and not permit themselves to be carried away to decide *for* a person by the largeness of the gift on the one hand, or *against* him by the smallness of the bounty on the other. Of the poor widow it is said, She has cast in more than all the *rich*. Because: 1. She gave *more* she gave her *all*, and they gave only a *part*. 2. She did this in a better *spirit*, having a *simple* desire to *please God*. Never did any king come near the liberality of this widow; she gave *all* that she had, ὁλον τον βιον αὑτης, *her* *whole life*, i.e. all that she had to provide for one day's sustenance, and could have no more till by her labour she had acquired it. What trust must there be in the Divine Providence to perform such an act as this!
Two important lessons may be learned from her conduct. 1. A lesson of *humiliation* to the rich, who, by reason of covetousness on the one hand, and luxury on the other, give but little to GOD and the *poor*. A lesson of *reproof* to the *poor*, who, through distrust of God's providence, give nothing at all. Our possessions can only be sanctified by giving a portion to God. There will be infallibly a blessing in the *remainder*, when a part has been given to God and the poor. If the rich and the poor reflect seriously on this, the one will learn *pity*, the other *liberality*, and both be blessed in their deed. He must be a *poor* man indeed who cannot find one *poorer* than himself.

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