Mark 14:65

And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(65) And to cover his face.—It was this (recorded by St. Mark and St. Luke, but not by St. Matthew) which gave point to the taunt “Prophesy.” They blindfolded the Prophet, and then called on Him to use His power of supernatural vision.

The servants did strike him.—Better, as before, the officers. The two forms of outrage, with the clenched fist and with the open palm, are specified by both St. Matthew and St. Mark.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:53-65 We have here Christ's condemnation before the great council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company, for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's free and unspeakable love to man.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this fully explained in the notes at Matthew 26:57-75.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

65. And some began to spit on him—or, as in Mt 26:67, "to spit in [into] His face." Luke (Lu 22:63) says in addition, "And the men that held Jesus mocked him"—or cast their jeers at Him. (Also see on [1514]Joh 18:28.)

to cover his face—or "to blindfold him" (as in Lu 22:64).

to buffet him—Luke's word, which is rendered "smote Him" (Lu 22:63), is a stronger one, conveying an idea for which we have an exact equivalent in English, but one too colloquial to be inserted here.

began to say unto him, Prophesy—In Matthew (Mt 26:68) this is given more fully: "Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote Thee?" The sarcastic fling at Him as "the Christ," and the demand of Him in this character to name the unseen perpetrator of the blows inflicted on Him, was in them as infamous as to Him it must have been, and was intended to be, stinging.

and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands—or "struck Him on the face" (Lu 22:64). Ah! Well did He say prophetically, in that Messianic prediction which we have often referred to, "I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting!" (Isa 50:6). "And many other things blasphemously spake they against Him" (Lu 22:65). This general statement is important, as showing that virulent and varied as were the recorded affronts put upon Him, they are but a small specimen of what He endured on that dark occasion.

Peter's First Denial of His Lord (Mr 14:66-68).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 14:53"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And some began to spit on him,.... The men that held him, Luke 22:6, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 50:6;

and to cover his face; with a veil, or linen cloth, to blindfold: him, as a person unworthy to behold the light: or rather, in order to make sport with him:

and to buffet him; with their double fists;

and to say unto him, prophesy. The Arabic version adds, "unto us, O Christ, who it is that hath buffeted thee now?" that gave thee the last blow? and to the same purpose the Ethiopic. The Persic version adds, "and deliver thyself";

and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. The Syriac version renders it, "on his cheeks": they gave him slaps on the face. These were the officers of the high priest, that used him in this indecent manner. This clause is omitted in the Ethiopic version.

Geneva Study Bible

{15} And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

(15) Christ, suffering all types of reproach for our sakes, gets everlasting glory for those that believe in him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 14:65. τινες: presumably Sanhedrists.—περικαλύπτειν: Mt. says nothing of this, but he as well as Mk. represents them as asking Jesus to prophesy. Mt.’s version implies that Jesus was struck from behind, Mk.’s in front.—οἱ ὑπηρέται: following the example of their masters.—ῥαπίσμασιν αὐτὸν ἔλαβον, received Him with slaps of the open hand: a phrase recalling the Latin, accipere aliquem verberibus.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

65. And some began] It was now about three o’clock in the morning, and till further steps could be taken our Lord was left in charge of soldiers of the guard and the servants and apparitors of the high-priest.

to spit on him] In those rough ages a prisoner under sentence of death was ever delivered over to the mockery of his guards. It was so now with the Holy One of God. Spitting was regarded by the Jews as an expression of the greatest contempt (Numbers 12:14; Deuteronomy 25:9). Seneca records that it was inflicted at Athens on Aristides the Just, but it was only with the utmost difficulty any one could be found willing to do it. But those who were excommunicated were specially liable to this expression of contempt (Isaiah 50:6).

did strike him with the palms of their hands] “The hands they bound had healed the sick, and raised the dead; the lips they smote had calmed the winds and waves. One word and His smiters might have been laid low in death. But as He had begun and continued, He would end—as self-restrained in the use of His awful powers on His own behalf as if He had been the most helpless of men—Divine patience and infinite love knew no wearying.”

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 14:65. Ἤρξαντο, began) A new step in their dealings with Him.—ὑπηρέται, the servants) who used to have in their hands ῥάβδοι, rods,[5]

[5] So marg. of Engl. Ver. translates Matthew 26:67, ἐῤῥάπισαν, they smote Him with rods, instead of “with the palms of their hands.”—ED. and TRANSL.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 65. - And some began to spit on him. St. Matthew (Matthew 26:67) says, "Then did they spit in his face." That Divine face, to be reverenced and adored by every creature, was exposed to this vile contumely; and he bore it patiently. "I hid not my face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 1:61). And the officers received him with blows of their hands (οἱ ὑπηρέται ῤαπίσμασιν αὐτὸν ἔλαβον). Mark 14:65

Vincent's Word Studies

Buffet

See on Matthew 26:67.

Palms of their hands (ῥαπίσμασιν)

An unclassical word, but used also by John (John 19:3). The word means blows.

Did strike

Following the old reading, ἔβαλλον. The correct reading is ἔλαβον, received. So Rev. Received him into custody.