1.

And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

2.

And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

3.

And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

4.

And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

5.

And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

6.

Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

7.

But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.

8.

And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

9.

What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

10.

And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

Mark 12:10. Is become Is made.

11.

This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Mark 12:11. This, &c.— By the Lord was it so made, and it is wonderful, &c.

12.

And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

13.

And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

Mark 12:13. To catch him 'Αγρευσωσι is a metaphorical word, borrowed from the chase, and signifies to run down, or to take a prey in hunting. Some render it, to make a prey of; and Dr. Heylin, to ensnare. See Matthew 22:16.

14.

And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

15.

Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

16.

And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.

Mark 12:16. Superscription? Inscription. Doddridge.

17.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

18.

Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

19.

Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Mark 12:19. Master, Moses wrote, &c.— The Sadducees are thought by many to have agreed with the Samaritans in rejecting all the other parts of holyScripture but the five books of Moses. See the Inferences from Matthew 22. But there are others who strenuously maintain the contrary; and it is most reasonable to believe, that they did not absolutely reject the other books of the Old Testament, but only gave a great preference to the Pentateuch; and, laying it down as a principle to receive nothing as an article of faith, which could not be proved from the law, if any thing was urged from other parts of Scripture that could not be deduced from Moses, they would explain it in some other way: and this might be sufficient to induce our Lord to bring his argument to prove the resurrection from what Moses had said, and to confirm it by that part of Scripture which was most regarded by the Sadducees, and upon which they now had grounded their objection to it. See Serrarius, Lightfoot, and Doddridge.

20.

Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

21.

And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.

22.

And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.

23.

In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

24.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

Mark 12:24. Do ye not therefore err, &c.— Does not the error you are fallen into arise from your ignorance both of the Scriptures, and of the power of God? Heylin. This translation is rather paraphrastical: Wynne renders it more literally, Do ye not err on this account (namely) because ye knew not the Scriptures, nor, &c.? in St. Matthew, what is here expressed by a question, is delivered affirmatively: Ye do err. See Matthew 22:29.

25.

For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

26.

And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

Mark 12:26. As touching, &c.— As concerning.

27.

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

28.

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

29.

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Mark 12:29. Is one Lord: See the note, on Deu 6:4 on Mat 22:37-38 and the Inferences at the end of that chapter.

30.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

32.

And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

33.

And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Mark 12:33. Is more than all whole burnt-offerings That is, "is more acceptable to God, and important to mankind." See Hosea 6:6.

34.

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Mark 12:34. Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. Jesus applauded the piety and wisdom of the scribe's reflection, by declaring, that the person who made it, was not far from the kingdom of God, or from being a real Christian. He had expressed sentiments becoming a subject of God's kingdom, and such as might have a happy influence in disposing him to embrace the Gospel in sincerity, by which he might obtain a share in all the blessings of the children of God. It is added, that no man, after that, durst ask him any questions: the plain meaning of which is, they asked him no more such captious questions; for the memory of this confusion impressed their minds, during the short remainder of Christ's continuance among them; and he was soon removed from them, so that they had no further opportunities of doing it, when that impression was worn off.

35.

And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?

36.

For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

37.

David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

Mark 12:37. And the common people heard him gladly. They heard with great attention and pleasure; for the clear and solid answers which he returned to the ensnaring questions of his foes, gave them a high opinion of his wisdom, and shewed them how far he was superior to their most renowned rabbies; whose arguments to prove their opinions, and answers to the objections that were raised against them, were, generally speaking, but mean and trifling, compared to his. Besides, the common people were neither so much prejudiced in behalf of the commonly-received opinions, nor so much interested, as the scribes or other teachers.

38.

And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

Mark 12:38. Long clothing, Long garments, or robes. Mark 12:39. Rooms] Seats.

39.

And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

40.

Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

41.

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

Mark 12:41. And Jesus sat over-against the treasury, Jesus was now in the treasury, or that part of the women's court, where the chests were placed for receiving the offerings of those who came to worship. These chests, being thirteen in number, had each of them an inscription fixed to the pillars of the portico which surrounded the court, and signifying for what use the offerings put into them were destined. Hence the propriety of St. Mark's expression, Jesus sat over-against the treasury; he sat in the portico of the women's court, opposite to the pillars where the chests for receiving theofferingsofthepeople were fixed. From these voluntary contributions they bought wood for the altar, salt, and other necessaries, not provided for any other way. It was in this court of the women, according to the Talmudists, that the libation of water from Siloam was made annually at the feast of tabernacles, as a solemn public thanksgiving and prayer for the former and latter rain; to which rite it is supposed that our Lord alluded, John 7:38.

42.

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

43.

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

44.

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.