In St. Mark we have no attempt to draw up a continuous narrative. His gospel is a rapid succes sion of vivid pictures loosely strung together (usually by gal, cal iniXtv, or eiOlws), without much attempt to bind them into a whole, or give the events in their natural sequence. This pictorial power is that which specially characterises this evangelist ; so that, as has been well said, if any one desires to know an evangelical fact, not only in its main features and grand results, but also in its most minute and, so to speak, more graphic delineation, he must betake himself to St. Mark' (Da Costa, Four Witnesses, p. 88). This power is especially apparent in all that concerns our Lord Himself. Nowhere else are we permitted so clearly to behold His very gesture and look ; see IIis very position ; to read His feelings and to hear His very words. It is St. Mark who reveals to us the com prehensive gaze of Christ (repti3XEVAuEvos, iii. 5, 34; v. 32 ; x. 23 ; xi. II); His loving embrace of the children brought to Him ix. 36 ; x. 16) ; His preceding His disciples, while they follow in awe and amazement (x. 32). We see Him taking His seat to address His disciples (KaOio-as, ix. 35) ; and turning round in holy auger to rebuke Peter (grearparpets, viii. 33) ; we hear the sighs which burst from His bosom (vii. 34 ; viii. 12), and listen to His very accents (` Talitha cumi,' v. 41 ; Ephphatha,' vii. 34 ; Abba,' xiv. 36). At one time we have an event portrayed with a freshness and pictorial power which places the whole scene before us with its minute accessories-the paralytic (ii. 1-12), the storm (iv. 36-41), the demoniac (v. 1-2o), Herod's feast (vi. 21-29), the feeding of the 5000 (vi. 30-45), the lunatic child (ix. 14-29), the young ruler (x. 17-22), Bartimmis (x. 46-52), etc. At another, details are brought out by the addition of a single word (nblfras, i. 7 ; i. 10 ; i. 41 ; rots ato, iv. I I ; rpoo-cop iaaiiaav, vi. 53; gatoBev, 4coOcv, vii. 21, 23 ; KpciEcts, ix. 26 ; o-riryvdaas, X. 22 ; atm xiv. 3 ; eAf3X6('acra, xiv. 67) ; or by the substitution of a more precise and graphic word for one less distinctive (grOciMet, i. 12 ; eticraa Oat, ii. 12 ; iv. 37 ; v. 29 ; throrccEda.tvos, vi. 46 ; etOereire, vii. 9; xiv. 33). It is to St. Mark, also, that we are indebted for tht record of minute particulars of persons, places, times, and number, which stamp on his narrative an impress of authenticity.
(i.) Persons.-i. 2o ; ii. 14; iii. 5, 17, 34; iv. II ; v. 32, 37, 40 ; vi. 40, 48 ; vii. I, 25, 26 ; viii. io, 27 ; ix. 15, 36 ; x. 16, 23, 35, 46 ; xi. 21, 27; xiii. 1, 3 ; xis. 20, 37, 65 ; xv. 7, 21, 47 ; xvi. 7.
(2.) .Places.-i. 28 ; iv. 1, 38 ; v. II, 20, 21; vi.
55 ; vii. 17, 31 ; viii. 10, 27; ix. 30; xi. 4 ; xii. 41 ; xiv. 66 ; xv. 16, 39 ; xvi. 5.
(3.) Time.-i. 32, 35 ; ii. I, 26 ; iv. 35 ; v. 2, IS, 2I ; vi. 2; xi. II, 19, 20; XIV. 1, 12, 17, 30, 68, 72 ; xv. 1, 34, 42 ; xvi. I, 2.
(4) Number.-v. 13, 42; VI. 7 ; viii. 24; xiv. 72.
Other smaller variations are continually occurring. Here a single word, there a short parenthesis, sometimes an apparently trivial accession-which impart a striking air of life to the record ; e.g.,
Zebedee left with the hired servants (i. 20) ;'our Lord praying (i. 35) ; the paralytic borne of four (ii. 3) ; the command that a ship should wait on Him (iii. 9) ; ` thy sisters' (iii. 32) ; our Lord taken even as He was in the ship' (iv. 36) ; ' other little ships with them' (ibid.) ; Jairus' daughter walked' (v. 42) ; ' divers came from far' (viii. 3) ; only one loaf' in the ship (viii. 14) ; so as no fuller on earth can white' (ix. 2) ; the danger of trusting in riches (x. 24) ; with persecutions' (x. 30) ; no vessel suffered to be carried through the temple' (xi. 16) ; a house of prayer for all nations' (xi. 17) ; she hath done what she could' (xiv. ; Barabbas, one of a party of insurrectionists all guilty of bloodshed (xv. 7).
We cannot conclude our remarks on this head better than in the words of Mr. Westcott (Introd., P. if all other arguments against the mythic origin of the evangelic narratives were wanting, this vivid and simple record, stamped with the most distinct impress of independence and originality, would be sufficient to refute a theory subversive of all faith in history.' 5. Style and Diction. -The style of St. Mark may be characterised as vigorous and abrupt. His terms of connection and transition are terse and lively ; he is fond of employing the direct for the indirect (iv. 39 ; v. 8, 9, 12 ; vi. 23, 31, 37 , ix. 25, 33 ; xii. 6), the present for the past (i. 25, 44 ; 3, 4, 5; iii. 4, 5, 13, 20, 31, 34; iv. 37, etc. etc.), and the substantive instead of the pronoun ; he employs the cognate accusative (Hi. 28 ; vii. 13 ; xiii. 19 ; iv. 41 ; v. 42), accumulates negatives (okeri vii. 12 ; ix. 8 ; xii. 34 ; xv. 5 ; obebr, 06 it?), xiv. 25 ; WriKerr Anacis, xi. 14), and for sake of emphasis repeats w hat he has said in other words, or appends the opposite (I. 22, 45; ii. 27 ; iii. 26, 27, 29; iv. 17, 33, 34), and piles up synonyms (iv. 6, 8, 39 ; v. 12, 23 ; viii. 15 ; xiii. 33 ; xiv. 68), combining this forcible style with a conciseness and economy of expressions consistent with the elaboration of every detail.
St. Mark's diction is nearer to that of St. Matthew than to St. Luke. It is more Hebraistic than the latter, though rather in general colouring than in special phrases. According to Davidson (Introd., i. 154), there are forty-five words peculiar to him and St. Matthew, and only eighteen common to him and St. Luke. Aramaic words, especially those used by our Lord, are introduced, but ex plained for Gentile readers (see below). Latinisms are more frequent than in the other gospels ; KEPT U xv. 39, 44, 45 ; vi. 27 ; Td ixavbv 7i-oojaaL, xv. is ; Ela-rns, vii. 4, 8 ; are pecu liar to him. Others, .377vtiptop, KiIPOTS, Ae-ricov, rpcu rdrpLop, cbpayeXX6to, icapdvrns, he has in common with others of the evangelists. He is fond of diminutives, 9uydrplov, Koptialov, tbrdpiov, but they are not peculiar to him. He employs unusual words and phrases, e. g., grto-up rpexew, Wp.dr °XIS, p.E7IPTELPES, yip 50$ 7T1071K71,