Mark 11:25

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25-26) And when ye stand praying, forgive.—See Notes on Matthew 6:14. The reproduction of the words which are recorded as having been spoken in the Sermon on the Mount, is very significant. The prayer even of intensest faith is not perfect, unless the temper of the worshipper is also that of the Charity which forgives offences. Such words exclude from the prayers of Christ’s disciples wishes more or less vindictive, which, as in Psalms 69, 109, had seemed natural and right under a less perfect manifestation of the will and mind of the Father.

Benson Commentary

Mark 11:25-26. When ye stand praying — Standing was their usual posture when they prayed. Forgive, if ye have aught against any — If you expect your prayers should prevail with God, you must take care to offer them in love as well as in faith; and, as you have offended the Majesty of heaven by many provocations, if you expect forgiveness from him, you must forgive your fellow-creatures if you have any matter of complaint against any of them. See notes on Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:23-35.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:19-26 The disciples could not think why that fig-tree should so soon wither away; but all wither who reject Christ; it represented the state of the Jewish church. We should rest in no religion that does not make us fruitful in good works. Christ taught them from hence to pray in faith. It may be applied to that mighty faith with which all true Christians are endued, and which does wonders in spiritual things. It justifies us, and so removes mountains of guilt, never to rise up in judgment against us. It purifies the heart, and so removes mountains of corruption, and makes them plain before the grace of God. One great errand to the throne of grace is to pray for the pardon of our sins; and care about this ought to be our daily concern.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And when ye stand praying - When ye pray. It seems that the posture in prayer was sometimes standing and sometimes kneeling. God looks upon "the heart" rather than upon our position in worship; and if the heart be right, any posture may be proper. It cannot be doubted, however, that in private, in the family, and wherever it can be conveniently done, the kneeling posture is more proper, as expressing more humility and reverence, and more in accordance with Scripture examples. Compare Psalm 95:6; 2 Chronicles 6:13; Daniel 6:10; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; Acts 9:40. Yet a subject like this may be made of too much consequence, and we should be careful that anxiety about a mere form should not exclude anxiety about a far more important matter - the state of the soul.

Forgive ... - See the notes at Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:25.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

25. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses, &c.—This is repeated from the Sermon on the Mount (see on [1479]Mt 6:12); to remind them that if this was necessary to the acceptableness of all prayer, much more when great things were to be asked and confidently expected.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 11:24"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when ye stand praying,.... Are about to engage in that work, or are engaged in it, performing it in such a posture; for standing was an usual posture in praying; See Gill on Matthew 6:5;

forgive, if ye have ought against any, that your Father also in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. The sense is, that if, while a man is praying, it comes into his mind that such an one has committed a trespass against him, has done him an injury, of which he has just reason to complain; but instead of complaining of it before God, and calling upon him to avenge his cause, he should immediately in his heart, and from his heart, forgive him, even though he is not present to acknowledge his sin, and ask his pardon; and such an one may expect forgiveness of God, and a manifestation of it to his soul; which is one the things he is constantly praying for, as his daily case makes it necessary: not that it is to be understood as though his for, giving the person that has offended him, is the cause, or condition, of his receiving remission of sin at the hand of God; for then it would not be through the blood of Christ, and according to the riches of his grace; but this points at a temper and disposition of mind well pleasing to God, and describes persons who may expect this favour from him; See Gill on Matthew 6:14.

Geneva Study Bible

And when {g} ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

(g) When you will appear before the altar.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Mark 11:25-26. Comp. Matthew 6:14 f. To the exhortation to confidence in prayer, according to Mark, Jesus links on another principal requisite of being heard—namely, the necessity of forgiving in order to obtain forgiveness. And how appropriate is this to guard against a false conclusion from the occurrence with the fig-tree! Nevertheless (in opposition to Holtzmann) it is hardly here original, but introduced[145] into this connection by Mark from the collection of Logia in the way of thoughtful redaction, not of unadjusted insertion (Hilgenfeld).

στήκετε] Comp. on ἑστῶτες, Matthew 6:5. The indication is not incorrect, but ἄν has its relation merely to the particle ὅτε, and does not affect the verb; see on Mark 3:11.

Mark 11:26. Observe the antithesis, in which οὐκ (not μή, as in Matthew) is closely associated with ἀφίετε and constitutes with it one idea (Hermann, ad Vig. p. 831; Winer, p. 423 f. [E. T. 597 f.]; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 297 [E. T. 346]).

[145] Which, however, is not, with Weiss in the Jahrb. f. D. Theol. 1864, p. 63, to be supported by the argument that Mark has nowhere else the expression: ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρ. For Mark has no place at all, in which this designation would have been applicable instead of another that he has used.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. when ye stand praying] The posture of prayer among the Jews seems to have been most often standing; comp. the instance of Hannah (1 Samuel 1:26), and of the Pharisee (Luke 18:11). When the prayer was offered with especial solemnity and humiliation, this was naturally expressed by (a) kneeling; comp. the instance of Solomon (1 Kings 8:54), and Daniel (Mark 6:10); or (b) prostration, as Joshua (Mark 7:6), and Elijah (1 Kings 18:42).

forgive] In this place, where our Lord connects the strong assurance of the marvellous power of faith with the cursing of the fig-tree, He passes on most naturally to declare how such a faith could not be sundered from forgiving love, that it should never be used in the service of hate or fanaticism.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 11:25. Καὶ ὅταν, and when) The connection is, We must pray “without doubting and wrath,” 1 Timothy 2:8.—στήκητε, stand) When in respect to the very attitude of your body you have laid yourselves out for prayer: com. Jeremiah 18:20. To stand is the attitude of one praying with confidence [Luke 18:11; Luke 18:13]: to lie prostrate is that of one praying so as to deprecate vengeance. στήκω, from ἕστηκα, signifies I am he [one] who have betaken myself to standing; a signification which admirably suits the other passages also, where στήκω is read. When standing we touch the earth with as small a part of us as possible; for which reason it is an apt posture for those who pray; in which the ascetics forbid ‘appodiare’[1]—ἀφίετε, forgive) [Thus an especial hinderance (Mark 11:26) to believing (faithful) prayer is removed. Sin not yet forgiven hinders all things else.—V. g.] Jesus cursed the fig-tree: the believer ought not to curse his brother.

[1] Lit. ad podium stare, podioque inniti, “to lean upon some prop.”—ED. and TRANSL.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - And wheresoever ye stand praying (στήκητε προσευχόμενοι). The ordinary attitude of Eastern nations in prayer is here indicated, namely, "standing," with the head, doubtless, bowed in reverence. The promise of this text is that requests offered in prayer by a faithful heart will be granted - granted as God knows best. The connection of these verses with the former is close. One great hindrance to the faith without which there can be no spiritual power, is the presence of angry and uncharitable feelings. These must all be put away if we would hope for a favorable answer from God. Mark 11:25

Vincent's Word Studies

Trespasses

See on Matthew 6:14.