Mark 3:28

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:22-30 It was plain that the doctrine of Christ had a direct tendency to break the devil's power; and it was as plain, that casting of him out of the bodies of people, confirmed that doctrine; therefore Satan could not support such a design. Christ gave an awful warning against speaking such dangerous words. It is true the gospel promises, because Christ has purchased, forgiveness for the greatest sins and sinners; but by this sin, they would oppose the gifts of the Holy Ghost after Christ's ascension. Such is the enmity of the heart, that unconverted men pretend believers are doing Satan's work, when sinners are brought to repentance and newness of life.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the scribes ... - See the notes at Matthew 12:24-32. The occasion of their saying this was, that he had healed a man possessed with a devil. The scribes, who came from Jerusalem to watch his conduct, charged him with having made a compact or agreement with the prince of the devils.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Mr 3:20-30. Jesus Is Charged with Madness and Demoniacal Possession—His Reply. ( = Mt 12:22-37; Lu 11:14-26).

See on [1413]Mt 12:22-37; [1414]Lu 11:21-26.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 3:22"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Verily I say unto you,.... The Scribes and Pharisees, who had not only blasphemed him, but the Spirit of God also:

all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme; God; or the Son of God, angels, and men, and that through the blood of Christ, and when brought to a sense of the evil of them; for though pardon is procured before, it is not applied till then; See Gill on Matthew 12:31.

Geneva Study Bible

{5} Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

(5) Only those who know Christ and maliciously attack him are without hope of salvation.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 3:28-29. Jesus now changes His tone. Thus far He has reasoned with the scribes, now He solemnly warns to this effect. “You do not believe your own theory; you know as well as I how absurd it is, and that I must be casting out devils by a very different spirit from Beelzebub. You are therefore not merely mistaken theorists, you are men in a very perilous moral condition. Beware!”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

28. Verily I say unto you] a favourite formula of our Lord’s, which we often find in St John, when He would draw special attention to any of His Divine utterances.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 3:28. Τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, to the sons of men) Ordinary sins are the sins of man; but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the sin of Satan.—καὶ αἱ βλασφημίαι) The omission of the article in some editions gives great force to the language.[28]

[28] D and Rec. Text, which Griesbach and Scholz follow, omit the αἱ. But ABC are against the omission.—ED.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 28. - All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, etc. St. Mark adds the words (ver. 30), "Because they said, [ἔλεγον, 'they were saying,'] He hath an unclean spirit." This helps us much to the true meaning of this declaration. Our Lord does not here speak of every sin against the Holy Spirit, but of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. These words of St. Mark point to a sin of the tongue mere especially, although not excluding thoughts and deeds against the Holy Spirit. Observe what these scribes and Pharisees did; they cavilled at works manifestly Divine - works wrought by God for the salvation of men, by which he confirmed his faith and truth. Now, when they spake against these, and knowingly and of malice ascribed them to the evil spirit, then they blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, dishonoring God by assigning his power to Satan. What could be more hateful than this? What greater blasphemy could be imagined? And surely they must be guilty of this sin who ascribe the fruits and actions of the Holy Spirit to an impure and unholy source, and so strive to mar his work and to hinder his influence in the hearts of men. Mark 3:28

Vincent's Word Studies

Compare Matthew 12:31; and note Mark's superior precision and fulness of detail.