Mark 1:23

Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,

BSB

Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue:

KJV

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

ASV

And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

BBE

And there was in their Synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he gave a cry,

Original Greek

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Καὶ Kai And G2532 εὐθὺς euthus immediately G2112 ἦν ēn there was G1510 ἐν en in G1722 τῇ tēa the G3588 συναγωγῇ sunagōgēa synagogue G4864 αὐτῶν autōn of them G846 ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos a man G444 ἐν en with G1722 πνεύματι pneumati a spirit G4151 ἀκαθάρτῳ akathartō unclean G169 καὶ kai and G2532 ἀνέκραξεν anekraxen he cried out G349

The early church

(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) The word Spirit is applied to an Angel, the air, the soul, and even the Holy Ghost. Lest therefore by the sameness of the name we should fall into error, he adds, unclean. And he is called unclean on account of his impiousness and far removal from God, and because he employs himself in all unclean and wicked works.
Pseudo-Chrysostom · d. 500Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(in Marc. i. 7) Since by the envy of the devil death first entered into the world, it was right that the medicine of healing should first work against the author of death; and therefore it is said, And there was in their synagogue a man, &c.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(ubi sup.) For the devils, seeing the Lord on the earth, thought that they were immediately to be judged.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
For to come out of man the devil considers as his own perdition; for devils are ruthless, thinking that they suffer some evil, so long as they are not troubling men. There follows, I know that thou art the Holy One of God.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
Moreover, Capernaum is mystically interpreted the town of consolation, and the sabbath as rest. The man with an evil spirit is healed by rest and consolation, that the place and time may agree with his healing. This man with an unclean spirit is the human race, in which uncleanness reigned from Adam to Moses; for they sinned without law, and perished without law. (v. Rom. 5:14. 2:12) And he, knowing the Holy One of God, is ordered to hold his peace, for they knowing God did not glorify him as God, but rather served the creature than the Creator. (1:21.25) The spirit tearing the man came out of him. When salvation is near, temptation is at hand also. Pharaoh, when about to leti Israel go, pursues Israel; the devil, when despised, rises up to create scandals.
Pseudo-Jerome · d. 9999Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 23–28

The devil is an unclean spirit, because he has lost all the purity of his nature, because he acts in direct opposition to the Holy Spirit of God, and by his suggestions defiles the spirits of men. There are many in our assemblies who quietly attend under merely formal teachers; but if the Lord come with faithful ministers and holy doctrine, and by his convincing Spirit, they are ready to say, like this man, What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth! No disorder could enable a man to know Jesus to be the Holy One of God. He desires to have nothing to do with Jesus, for he despairs of being saved by him, and dreads being destroyed by him. See whose language those speak, that say to the Almighty, Depart from us. This unclean spirit hated and dreaded Christ, because he knew him to be a Holy One; for the carnal mind is enmity against God, especially against his holiness. When Christ by his grace delivers souls out of the hands of Satan, it is not without tumult in the soul; for that spiteful enemy will disquiet those whom he cannot destroy. This put all who saw it upon considering, What is this new doctrine? A work as great often is wrought now, yet men treat it with contempt and neglect. If this were not so, the conversion of a notorious wicked man to a sober, righteous, and godly life, by the preaching of a crucified Saviour, would cause many to ask, What doctrine is this?

Read Matthew Henry on Mark 1 →

Parallel passages

1

The same words or events elsewhere.

Luke 4:33–34

Cross-references

6

Topics

Jesus, The ChristMiraclesDemons

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.