Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Editor’s Preface   xi
Abbreviations   xiii

Introduction
  1. An Intratextual and Intertextual Commentary   1
  2. Mark among the Gospels   3
  3. Mark before the Gospels   6
  4. Mark as “Author” and Theologian   8
  5. Mark as “Literature”   12
  6. The Genre of Mark   13
  7. The Literary Artistry of Mark   16
  8. Narrative Criticism and the Gospel of Mark   20
  9. Mark’s Picture of Jesus   23
10. Discipleship in Mark   29
11. Mark and the Old Testament and Judaism   34
12. The Eschatology of Mark   37
13. Mark in Relation to Paul and to Peter   38
14. The Date and Audience of Mark   41
15. The Outline of Mark’s Gospel   46
16. General Bibliography  50 

Translation, Notes, Interpretation
  1. The Prologue: The Beginning of the Good News (1:1-13)   59
  2. Transitional Markan Summary: Proclamation of the Kingdom (1:14-15)   70
  3. The Call of the First Disciples (1:16-20)   73
  4. A Paradigmatic Day Begins the Ministry of Jesus (1:21-34)   78
  5. Highpoints of Jesus’ Work in Galilee (1:35-45)   86
  6. The Healing of the Paralyzed Man (2:1-12)   92
  7. The Call of Levi and Meals with Toll Collectors and Sinners (2:13-17)   100
  8. Fasting, Torn Garments, and New Wineskins (2:18-22)   105
  9. Plucking Grain on the Sabbath (2:23-28)   110
10. Healing on a Sabbath (3:1-6)   114
11. Transitional Markan Summary: Healing beside the Sea (3:7-12)   118
12. Choosing the Twelve (3:13-19)   122
13. The Beelzebul Controversy and the True Family of Jesus (3:20-35)   128
14. The Parable of the Sower, Sayings on the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, and the Allegory of the Seeds (4:1-20)   136
15. Four Sayings on Revelation and Two Kingdom Parables (4:21-34)   149
16. Jesus’ Power over the Wind and Waves (4:35-41)   156
17. The Exorcism of the Gerasene Demoniac (5:1-20)   162
18. The Daughter of Jairus and the Woman with the Hemorrhage (5:21-43)   171
19. The Rejection at Nazareth (6:1-6a)   183
20. The Mission Charge to the Twelve (6:6b-13)   189
21. The Identity of Jesus and the Execution of John the Baptist (6:14-29)   194
22. The Feeding of the 5000 by the Sea of Galilee (6:30-44)   203
23. Jesus Walks on the Water and Astounds the Disciples (6:45-52)   212
24. A Markan Summary of the Healing Power of Jesus (6:53-56)   216
25. The Dispute over Clean and Unclean (7:1-23)   218
26. The Syrophoenician Woman (7:24-30)   232
27. Jesus Restores Hearing and Speech to a Suffering Man (7:31-37)   238
28. The Second Feeding Narrative: The 4000 (8:1-10)   243  
29. Pharisees and Scribes Seek a Sign (8:11-13)   247
30. A Further Misunderstanding by the Disciples and the Conclusion of the Bread Section (8:14-21)   251 
31. The Gradual Healing of a Blind Man (8:22-26)   255
32. Peter’s Confession, the First Passion Prediction, Peter’s Misunderstanding, and the Demands of Discipleship (8:27-38)   259
33. The Transfiguration (9:1-13)   267
34. Healing a Possessed Boy (9:14-29)   276
35. A Second Passion Prediction and More Instructions for Disciples (9:30-50)   282
36. Marriage and Divorce (10:1-12)   292
37. Jesus Blesses Children (10:13-16)   299
38. Riches and Poverty (10:17-31)   302
39. A Third Passion Prediction and More Instructions for Disciples (10:32-45)   309
40. The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus (10:46-52)   316
41. Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem (11:1-11)   320
42. The Fig Tree and the Temple (11:12-25)   326
43. The Authority of Jesus (11:27-33)   333
44. The Parable of the Vineyard (12:1-12)   337
45. Taxes to Caesar (12:13-17)   343
46. The Debate about Resurrection (12:18-27)   348
47. The Great Commandment(s) (12:28-34)   354
48. The Messiah and the Son of David (12:35-37)   358
49. The Scribes and the Widow (12:38-44)   362
50. Jesus’ Eschatological Discourse (13:1-37)   366
51. Contrasting Beginnings of Jesus’ Last Days (14:1-11)   383
52. Jesus’ Final Meal with His Disciples (14:12-25)   391
53. Prediction of Peter’s Denial (14:26-31)   401
54. Jesus in Gethsemane (14:32-42)   406
55. The Arrest of Jesus (14:43-52)   414
56. Jesus before the Sanhedrin and the Denial by Peter (14:53-72)   419  
57. Jesus before Pilate (15:1-20)   429
58. The Crucifixion of Jesus (15:21-32)   440
59. The Death of Jesus (15:33-41)   446
60. The Burial of Jesus (15:42-47)   453
61. The Empty Tomb (16:1-8)   457
62. Later Endings (16:9-20)   462

Indexes
1. Principal Ancient Parallels   465
2. Subjects   479
3. Authors   483

Supplementary Bibliography    489

About the Author

Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., is a professor of New Testament at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and general editor of New Testament Abstracts. He is a past-president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America and is the author of The Gospel of Matthew and co-author of 1 Peter, Jude and 2 Peter in the Sacra Pagina series published by Liturgical Press. John Donahue, S.J., Ph.D., is the Raymond E. Brown Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore. He is the author of Life in Abundance: Studies of John's Gospel in Tribute to Raymond E. Brown, S.S., and Hearing the Word of God: Reflections on the Sunday Readings, Year A published by Liturgical Press.

Reviews

This volume is a paperback edition of another fine contribution in the Sacra Pagina commentary series by Liturgical Press. The paperback edition will make it more accessible, a welcome development for all pastors and students... A 'must' for every library.Catholic Library World ... sets the standard for a comprehensive one-volume treatment of Mark for this generation.The Catholic Biblical Quarterly Pastors will find this commentary spends more time in their hands and less on their shelves than others, and the congregations who hear their homilies and sermons will be enriched and challenged.Interpretation Donahue and Harrington, well-known scholars who have made numerous contributions to Markan studies in monographs and journal articles, have provided us with a helpful and reasonably sized commentary. It is large enough to deal with the majority of issues involved in the study of Mark without overwhelming us with more information than the average pastor or theological student can handle or wants. It is written succinctly and is very readable. It provides in its Introduction a brief and excellent overview of the major issues involved in the study of Mark.Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society The commentary is highly recommended for the target audiences of the series-biblical scholars, students, theologians, clergy, religious educators, and interested non-specialists-and the authors are to be commended for producing a work that is both scholarly and genuinely useful and accessible to a wide variety of readers.Toronto Journal of Theology