Mark 1:28

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:23-28 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?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they were all amazed ... - The power of casting out devils was new to them.

It was done by a word. Jesus did it in his own name and by his own authority. This proved that he was superior to all the unclean spirits. In consequence, Jesus' fame spread throughout all the country, and the impression became prevalent that he was the Messiah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

28. And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee—rather, "the whole region of Galilee"; though some, as Meyer and Ellicott, explain it of the country surrounding Galilee.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The fame of his miracles, rather than of his doctrine; by this means many were brought to him to be cured, many were brought also to hear him, some of whom believed, others were hardened.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And immediately his fame spread abroad,.... Not only in the city of Capernaum, where these things were done, and where his fame was first spread, but also

throughout all the region round about Galilee: and not only throughout Galilee, but throughout all the country that was bordering upon it, and adjacent to it; see Matthew 4:23. The Persic version reads, "through all the provinces".

Geneva Study Bible

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region {r} round about Galilee.

(r) Not only into Galilee, but also into the countries bordering upon it.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Mark 1:28. Εἰς ὅλην τ. περίχ. τ. Γαλιλ.] not merely therefore into Galilee itself, but also into the whole region that surrounds Galilee. Comp. Luke 3:3; Luke 8:37. This wide diffusion, the expression of which is still further strengthened by πανταχοῦ (see the critical remarks), is not at variance with the εὐθύς (Köstlin finds in the word “a mistaken fashion of exaggeration”), which is to be estimated in accordance with the lively popular mode of expression. Criticism becomes confused by the stress laid on such points.

πανταχοῦ] with the verb of motion, as is often the case among the Greeks: every-whither. Comp. on ἀλλαχοῦ, Mark 1:38.

It is to be observed, we may add, that this first miracle, which Mark and Luke relate, is not designated by them as the first. Hence there is no inconsistency with John 2:11 (in opposition to Strauss).

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 1:28. ἡ ἀκοὴ, the report, as in Matthew 14:1; Matthew 24:6.—εὐθὺς, expressive of the lightning speed with which rumour travels = πανταχοῦ = πανταχοῖ, in every direction.—εἰς ὅλην τ. π. τ. Γαλ., a vague phrase suggestive of a wide range of circulation, even beyond the boundaries of Galilee. But that can hardly be meant. Recent interpreters take it as meaning that the fame spread into the Galilean environment of Capernaum, along the lake north and south, and back into the hill country.

Similarity at certain points in this incident to the story of the Gadarene demoniac, especially in the deprecatory speech (Mark 1:24, Matthew 8:29), has suggested the hypothesis of borrowing on one side or other. Keim thinks this not a real history but an acted programme, like the change of water into wine in John 2 and like the preaching programme in Luke 4 (L. J., ii. 165, 203), a mere duplicate of the Gadara story. Weiss thinks the words spoken by the demoniac (Mark 1:34) are borrowed from that story, and that Mark reproduces the features with which Peter was wont to describe such cases. The lifelike reflections of the spectators (Mark 1:27) powerfully witness for the reality of the occurrence.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 28. - All the region round about Galilee; more literally, all the region of Galilee, round about; and the best readings add "everywhere" (πανταχοῦ εἰς ὅλην τὴν περίχωρον τῆς Γαλιλαίας). This is, of course, said by anticipation. Mark 1:28