Mark 6

Rejection at Nazareth

1And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. 2And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. 4But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 5And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Sends Out Apostles

7And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8and commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9but be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 10And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 12And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 13And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Herod's Alarm

14And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 15Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. 16But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. 17For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 18For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. 19Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: 20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

21And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; 22and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. 23And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. 24And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. 25And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. 26And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. 27And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28and brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. 29And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

In a Desert Place

30And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 33And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. 34And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

35And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 36send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. 37He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? 38He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. 39And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. 40And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. 41And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. 42And they did all eat, and were filled. 43And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. 44And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

Across the Lake

45And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. 46And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. 47And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. 48And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. 49But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: 50for they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. 51And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. 52For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

53And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore. 54And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him, 55and ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. 56And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

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Mark 6: KJV

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Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

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Mark 6

Jesus Rejected in Nazareth

1Afterward, Jesus left Capernaum # 6:1 The healing of the woman and the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter were both done in Capernaum. and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2On the Sabbath, he went to teach in the synagogue. Everyone who heard his teaching was overwhelmed with astonishment. They said among themselves, “What incredible wisdom has been given to him! Where did he receive such profound insights? # 6:2 Or “Where did he get these things” (or “insights,” “understanding,” “ideas,” “teachings”)? And what mighty miracles flow through his hands! 3Isn’t this Mary’s son, the carpenter, # 6:3 The Greek word tekton can be translated “carpenter,” “metal worker,” “sculptor,” “artisan,” “stone worker,” or “builder.” the brother of Jacob, Joseph, # 6:3 Or “Joses.” Judah, and Simon? And don’t his sisters all live here in Nazareth?” And they took offense at him.

4Jesus said to them, “A prophet is treated with honor everywhere except in his own hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” 5He was unable to do any great miracle in Nazareth, # 6:5 Nazareth was the only place recorded in the Gospels that Jesus was unable (because of their unbelief) to do great miracles. except to heal a few sick people by laying his hands upon them. 6He was amazed at the depth of their unbelief! # 6:6 This is one of two instances where Jesus was amazed. The other is found in Matt. 8:10. Both refer to the response of faith. Here it is the great unbelief of those who knew Jesus and lived in his hometown of Nazareth (Jews). The other is the great faith of the Roman military captain (a gentile). We have no record of Jesus ever returning to Nazareth. He made Capernaum his base of ministry while in the province of Galilee.

Then Jesus went out into the different villages and taught the people.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

7Jesus gathered his twelve disciples and imparted to them his authority to cast out demons. Then he sent them out in pairs with these instructions: 8-9“Take only your staff and the sandals on your feet—no bread, no knapsack, no extra garment, and no money. # 6:8–9 Or “copper coins inside your belt.” 10And whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave the area. 11Whatever community does not welcome you or receive your message, leave it behind. And as you go, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” # 6:11 The Aramaic and some Greek manuscripts add a sentence: “Truly, I tell you that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”

12So they went out and preached publicly that everyone should repent. 13They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Death of John the Baptizer

14King Herod soon heard about Jesus, for the name of Jesus was on everyone’s lips. Some were even saying about him, “John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers flow from him!” 15Others said, “No, he’s Elijah!” While others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets of old!”

16When Herod heard what the people were saying, he concluded, “I beheaded John, and now he’s raised from the dead!” 17-18For Herod had John arrested and thrown into prison for repeatedly rebuking him in public, saying, “You have no right to marry Herodias, the wife of your brother Philip! You are violating the law of God!” # 6:17–18 See Lev. 18:16; 20:21.

19This infuriated Herodias, and she held a bitter grudge against him and wanted John executed. 20But Herod both feared and stood in awe # 6:20 The Greek text can also mean “deep respect” or that Herod “feared” John. of John and kept him safely in custody, because he was convinced that he was a righteous and holy man. Every time Herod heard John speak, it disturbed his soul, but he was drawn to him and was intrigued by his words.

21But Herodias found her opportunity to have John killed—it was on the king’s birthday! Herod prepared a great banquet and invited all his officials, military commanders, and the leaders of the province of Galilee to celebrate with him on his birthday. 22On the day of the feast, his stepdaughter, the daughter of Herodias, # 6:22 Although unnamed, church history and tradition identifies her as Salome, not to be confused with the Salome who was a witness of the crucifixion (Mark 15:40). came to honor the king with a beautiful dance, and she flattered him. # 6:22 Or “she fascinated him.” Her dancing greatly pleased the king and his guests, so he said to the girl, “You can ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you!” 23And he repeated it in front of everyone, with a vow to complete his promise to her: “Anything you desire and it will be yours! I’ll even share my kingdom with you!”

24She immediately left the room and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptizer on a platter!” 25So she hurried back to the king and made her request: “I want you to bring me the head of John the Baptizer on a platter—and I want it right now!”

26Deeply grieved, the king regretted # 6:26 The Aramaic is “The king was tied in a knot.” his promise to her, but since he had made his vow in front of all his honored guests, he couldn’t deny her request. 27So without delay the king ordered an executioner to bring John’s head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. 28He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl brought it to her mother. 29When John’s followers heard what had happened, they came and removed his body and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Multiplies Food to Feed Five Thousand

30The apostles returned from their mission # 6:30 Jesus had sent the apostles into the Galilean villages to preach and cast out demons (6:7–13), and they are now returning to report back to him. and gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught.

31There was such a swirl of activity around Jesus, with so many people coming and going, that they were unable to even eat a meal. So Jesus said to his disciples, “Come, let’s take a break and find a secluded place where you can rest a while.” 32They slipped away and left by sailboat for a deserted spot. 33But many of the people saw them leaving and realized where they were headed, so they took off running along the shore. Then people from the surrounding towns joined them in the chase, and a large crowd got there ahead of them.

34By the time Jesus came ashore, a massive crowd was waiting. At the sight of them, his heart was filled with compassion, # 6:34 The Aramaic is “nurturing love toward them.” because they seemed like wandering sheep who had no shepherd. # 6:34 See Num. 27:17; Ezek. 34:5. So he taught them many wonderful things.

35Late that afternoon, his disciples said, “It’s getting really late and we’re here in this remote place with nothing to eat. 36You should send the crowds away so they can go into the surrounding villages and buy food.”

37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.”

“Are you sure?” they replied. “You really want us to go buy them supper? It would cost a small fortune # 6:37 Or “two hundred denarii” (silver coins). A denarius was the going rate for a day’s wage. This would equal nearly eight months’ wages. to feed all these thousands of hungry people.”

38“How many loaves of bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” After they had looked around, they came back and said, “Five—plus a couple of fish.”

39Then he instructed them to organize the crowd and have them sit down in groups on the grass. 40So they had them sit down in groups # 6:40 There are two Greek words used for groups in this context. In v. 39 it is the Greek word symposion, which is used most frequently for drinking parties (rows of guests). The word prasai found in v. 40 can also mean “garden plots” or “flower beds.” Spread out over the hillside the people would have looked like flower beds, planted in green pastures, drinking in the miracle power of Jesus. See Ps. 23:2. of hundreds and fifties. 41Then Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, gazed into heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the bread and the two fish and distributed them to his disciples to serve the people—and the food was multiplied in front of their eyes! 42Everyone had plenty to eat and was fully satisfied. 43Then the twelve disciples picked up what remained, and each of them ended up with a basket full of leftovers! 44Altogether, five thousand families # 6:44 Or “five thousand men.” There were women and children present as well, but it would have not been common for women and children to come by themselves. These five thousand men represented their households. This miracle is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. were fed that day!

Jesus Walks on Water

45After everyone had their meal, Jesus instructed his disciples to get back into the boat and go on ahead of him and sail to the other side to Bethsaida. # 6:45 This is Beit-Tside, which in Aramaic and Hebrew is “the fishing place.” 46So he dispersed the crowd, said good-bye to his disciples, then slipped away to pray on the mountain.

47As night fell, the boat was in the middle of the lake and Jesus was alone on land. 48The wind was against the disciples and he could see # 6:48 Seeing them from land in the dark was an obvious miracle, for evening had come and Jesus was a great distance from them while they were in the middle of the lake. Jesus sees and knows the struggles each of us go through. that they were straining at the oars, trying to make headway.

When it was almost morning, # 6:48 Or “about the fourth watch of the night.” Jesus came to them, walking on the surface of the water, and he started to pass by them. # 6:48 To pass by them is somewhat similar to God “passing by Moses” when he was on Sinai. See Ex. 33:19, 22. 49-50When they all saw him walking on the waves, they thought he was a ghost and screamed out in terror. But he said to them at once, “Don’t yield to fear. Have courage. It’s really me—I Am!” # 6:49–50 In both Greek and Aramaic, this reads, “I Am” (the living God), an obvious statement that Jesus is “the great I AM” and there is nothing to be afraid of. This is the same statement God made to Moses in front of the burning bush. See also Matt. 14:27; John 8:58.

51Then he came closer and climbed into the boat with them, and immediately the stormy wind became still. They were completely and utterly overwhelmed with astonishment. 52Their doubting hearts # 6:52 Or “their minds were dull [or “unwilling to learn”]” or “their hearts had been hardened.” The implication is that they were unwilling to accept new information. Every miracle carries a message. had not grasped his authority and power over all things in spite of just having witnessed the miraculous feeding. # 6:52 Or “They didn’t understand about the loaves.” That is, they didn’t understand the lesson that the miracle was meant to teach them—that God has the power to deliver us, no matter what the limitation. Also, the miracle was that the bread multiplied in their hands, so they likewise had the power to rebuke the stormy wind and sail through to the other side, even if Jesus were to pass them. He wanted them to see things in a new light and know the authority that they now carried. The two lessons of the multiplied loaves were the following: (1) that Jesus had all power to meet every need, and (2) that the disciples carried this power with them, for the bread multiplied in their hands. They were also a part of the miracle. See also Mark 8:14–21. The two great miracles of Israel were also duplicated here: the crossing of the sea and the bread (or “manna”) that fell from heaven.

Jesus the Healer

53They made landfall at Gennesaret and anchored there. # 6:53 Apparently, they were blown off course, since they were headed for Bethsaida. Gennesaret is a plain not far from Capernaum on the northwest side of the lake. 54The moment they got out of the boat, everyone recognized that it was Jesus, the healer! 55So they ran throughout the region, telling the people, “Bring all the sick—even those too sick to walk and bring them on mats!” 56Wherever he went, in the countryside, villages, or towns, they placed the sick on mats in the streets or in public places # 6:56 Or “marketplace.” and begged him, saying, “Just let us touch the tassel of your prayer shawl!” # 6:56 The blue tassel on the corner of the prayer shawl was said to symbolize all the commandments and promises of God. See Num. 15:38–40. The Hebrew word for “fringe” or “border” (of a garment) can also mean “wing.” Some have interpreted Mal. 4:2 (“healing in his wings”) as a reference to the tassels of the prayer shawl. And all who touched him were instantly healed!

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