Mark 9:15

And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) Were greatly amazed.—This fact is noted by St. Mark only. We are not told what caused it. Was there some lingering radiance, or some expression of divine joy hardly less radiant, that struck the disciples and the people as strangely unlike the sadness that had been shown in recent words and looks? (Mark 8:30-33).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:14-29 The father of the suffering youth reflected on the want of power in the disciples; but Christ will have him reckon the disappointment to the want of faith. Very much is promised to our believing. If thou canst believe, it is possible that thy hard heart may be softened, thy spiritual diseases may be cured; and, weak as thou art, thou mayest be able to hold out to the end. Those that complain of unbelief, must look up to Christ for grace to help them against it, and his grace will be sufficient for them. Whom Christ cures, he cures effectually. But Satan is unwilling to be driven from those that have been long his slaves, and, when he cannot deceive or destroy the sinner, he will cause him all the terror that he can. The disciples must not think to do their work always with the same ease; some services call for more than ordinary pains.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Were greatly amazed - Were astonished and surprised at his sudden appearance among them.

Saluted him - Received him with the customary marks of affection and respect. It is probable that this was not by any "formal" manner of salutation, but by the "rush" of the multitude, and by hailing him as the Messiah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. And straightway all the people—the multitude.

when they beheld him, were greatly amazed—were astounded.

and running to him saluted him—The singularly strong expression of surprise, the sudden arrest of the discussion, and the rush of the multitude towards Him, can be accounted for by nothing less than something amazing in His appearance. There can hardly be any doubt that His countenance still retained traces of His transfiguration-glory. (See Ex 34:29, 30). So Bengel, De Wette, Meyer, Trench, Alford. No wonder, if this was the case, that they not only ran to Him, but saluted Him. Our Lord, however, takes no notice of what had attracted them, and probably it gradually faded away as He drew near; but addressing Himself to the scribes, He demands the subject of their discussion, ready to meet them where they had pressed hard upon His half-instructed and as yet timid apostles.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 9:14"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And straightway all the people, when they beheld him,.... As soon as ever they saw him, to many of whom, especially those that followed him out of Galilee, he was personally known.

Were greatly amazed; either that he should come at that juncture, to assist and relieve his disciples, when the Scribes were triumphing over them, as some think; or rather, as others, on account of that remaining lustre and glory which was on his countenance, through his transfiguration, and not yet wholly gone off; like that which was on the face of Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai:

and running to him, saluted him; wishing him all peace and prosperity, expressing their great joy at his coming to them; which was very desirable by them, and exceedingly pleasing to them, and especially at this time, as both their words and gesture showed.

Geneva Study Bible

And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 9:15. ἐξεθαμβήθησαν, were utterly amazed, used by Mark only in N. T., here, and in Mark 14:33 and Mark 16:5 in connections which demand a very strong sense. What was there in common in the three situations: the returned Master, the agony in the garden, and the appearance of the angel at the resurrection? A surprise; which, whether sorrowful or joyful, always gives a certain emotional shock. The Master reappears, when He is not looked for, when He is needed, and when His name is being taken in vain, perhaps not without a certain sympathy on the part of the volatile crowd not accustomed hitherto to miscarriage of attempts at healing when the name of Jesus was invoked. In that case their feeling would be a compound of confusion and gladness—ashamed and yet delighted to see Him, both betrayed in their manner.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. were greatly amazed] “was astonied and much afraid,” Rhemish Version. His face would seem, like that of Moses (Exodus 34:30), to have retained traces of the celestial glory of the Holy Mount, which had not faded into the light of common day, and filled the beholders with awe and wonder. The word points to an extremity of terror. It is used four times in the New Testament, and only by St Mark. What is here said of the multitudes is said (Mark 14:34) of our Lord in Gethsemane, and (Mark 16:5) of the holy women at the Sepulchre on the first Easter-day at the sight of the Angel seated, “they were affrighted.”

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 9:15. Ἐξεθαμβήθη, were greatly amazed) They were affected by the glory, even though they knew not what had taken place on the mountain; comp. ch. Mark 10:32; Luke 19:11; also Exodus 4:14; Exodus 34:29-30. [you may readily perceive that there follows upon secret communion with God a greater leaning on the part of men towards you.—V. g.]—προστρέχοντες, running up to) eagerly.—ἠσπάζοντο, began saluting) with joy.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - The multitude were favourably towards Jesus, and were glad that returned at an opportune moment to defend his disciples against the scribes. But why were they greatly amazed? The word in the Greek is ἐξεθαμβήθη. It seems most probable that they saw in his countenance, always heavenly and majestic, something even yet more Divine, retaining some traces of the glory of his transfiguration, even as the face of Moses shone when he came down from the mount (Exodus 34:29). It hardly seems likely that the amazement of the people was simply caused by our Lord having arrived at an opportune time to relieve his disciples of their difficulty. The Greek word expresses something more than would be satisfied by the fact of our Lord having come upon the scene just when he was wanted. Even if there were no remains of the transfiguration glory upon his countenance, the vivid recollection of the scene, of the conversation with Moses and Elijah, and the subject of it, and the voice of the Father, must have invested his countenance with a peculiar majesty and dignity. The same word, though without its compound (ἐθαμβοῦντο), is used further on in Mark 10:32 to express the amazement of the disciples, as he pressed eagerly onwards before them on his way to Jerusalem and to his cross. There was no doubt something then in his countenance which astonished them. The multitude running to him, saluted him. The scribes had not been able to shake their faith. In their view he was still "that Prophet that should come into the world." Mark 9:15

Vincent's Word Studies

Were greatly amazed (ἐξεθαμβήθησαν)

A word peculiar to Mark. See Introduction.