Verse by Verse

²² Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.

²³ So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

²⁴ And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

²⁵ Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

²⁶ Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”

This miracle is only found in Mark.

Bethsaida (v.22) — on the northeast shore of Galilee

The unbelief of Bethsaida seems to have affected the blind man, for his healing was not instantaneous. He, in truth, represented the blindness of heart which darkened the spiritual vision of the disciples, and which was so difficult to vanish. — Williams, page 736.

Williams isn’t the only one who holds the above belief. Other commentaries suggests that the partial healing of the blind man after Jesus first put His hands on him was similar to the spiritual condition of the disciples at this time. It was only later, after the resurrection, that they gained full sight.

spit (v.23) — Spittle was regarded as a means of cure by the ancients … The application of the spittle [may have been] to encourage the faith of the blind man. — Wuest, page 165.

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The narrative contains three compounds of blepo [“look’] (ana, dia, en); the first denotes looking up in the tentative manner of blind men, the second, looking through (a mist as it wee) so as to see clearly, the third, looking into so as to see distinctly, as one sees the exact outlines of a near object. — Wuest, pages 164-165.

clearly (v.25) = at a distance and clearly

nor tell anyone in the town (v.26) — not in the best texts

¹³ And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.

¹⁴ Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.

¹⁵ Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

¹⁶ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”

¹⁷ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?

¹⁸ Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?

¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”

²⁰ “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”

²¹ So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”

Also found in Matthew 16:5-12.

He left them (v.13) = sent away, sent from one’s self, bade to go away — used in the sense of “let alone, disregard, to not discuss now.” He abruptly terminated the conversation with the Pharisees.

He charged them (v.15) = He repeatedly charged them

take heed (v.15) = become acquainted with by experience, use your head, put the teaching of the Pharisees to the test of experience — Tense is “begin to do this and continue doing it.”

beware (v.15) = perceive by the mind’s eye, consider. “Be constantly keeping a watchful eye open to consider and take heed of.”

leaven (v.15) — Leaven, or yeast, is a substance which ferments in order to produce its effect and spreads throughout every fiber of the dough. The diffusion of this souring substance illustrates and evil quality of false teachers. — KJBC, page 1248

In Scripture, leaven always refers to evil in some form.

reasoned among themselves (v.16) — Tense indicates an ongoing discussion, deliberation

Why do you reason? (v.17) — He wasn’t asking what they were reasoning about and whether it was about having no bread. He knew they were reasoning about having no bread and asked why they would reason about that.

Do you not yet perceive (v.17) — tense indicates continuous action. Jesus said this repeatedly, half speaking to them and half to Himself. Matthew wrote that Jesus finally had to explain to them that He was speaking about the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Is  your heart still hardened? (v.17) — The tense speaks of a process that went on in past time which reached its state of completion, and whose results exist in the present time. The hardening process in the disciple’s hearts had progressed to the state of completeness, and the present results constituted them as men who were in a state of settled hardness. — Wuest, page 163.

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Jesus’ recent miracles with the five thousand and the four thousand showed He need not be concerned over a lack of bread. His recent explanation about the true source of defilement should have been fresh in the disciples’ minds. Just a moment of reflection would have shown them that He was talking about spiritual defilement. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians all had distorted ideas about the Kingdom. — Thomas, page 114.

The picture I get here is that, as the boat crossed the lake, the Lord was still thinking about the discouraging conversation He’d had with the Pharisees. His thinking caused Him to warn the disciples about false teaching. But the disciples had stopped thinking about what Jesus had said and begun worrying about what they were going to eat. Which was silly because they had just see Jesus multiply bread to meet everyone’s needs. Jesus was even more discouraged because His followers had so quickly turned to physical concerns and weren’t thinking about spiritual things.

¹⁰ immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

¹¹ Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.

¹² But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”

Also found in Matthew 15:39 and Matthew 16:1-4.

Dalmanutha (v.10) — The location of this town is unknown, although it is likely on the western side of Galilee in the region of Decapolis.

came out (v.11) — They pursued Jesus into a region that was heavily populated by Gentiles.

began to dispute (v.11) — Tense indicates continuous action. They began and kept it up. They weren’t looking for a solution, they were hoping to find a way to disprove Jesus’ claims.

dispute (v.11) = lit. “examine together, discuss, dispute.” Seems to indicate that Jesus responded and defended Himself, that He took part in the dispute.

sign (v.11) = miracle. They were wanting to see the Lord’s credentials, since a miracle would prove He spoke for God.

testing (v.11) = put to the test to see what good or evil is in a thing or person. They were testing to see if Jesus was the Messiah or an imposter.

It is useless to give evidence to unbelief (v.11). Had He given the most overwhelming proofs of His Messiahship they would not have believed upon Him. — Williams, page 736.

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[The Pharisees and Sadducees] held that thunder and lightning revealed God more certainly than supernatural victories of compassion, tenderness and love. What could be done for moral blindness such as this? How could any sign be devised which unwilling hearts would not evade? No wonder that hearing this demand, Jesus signed deeply in His spirit. — Chadwick, page 210.

sighed (v.12) = groaned

Jesus knew that there was no way to pass their test, because even if He had showed them some miracle from heaven, they would have found a reason to reject it.

1 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,

² “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

³ And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

⁴ Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

⁵ He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”

⁶ So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.

⁷ They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.

⁸ So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.

⁹ Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away,

Also found in Matthew 15:32-38.

On the earlier occasion (Mark 6:35-44), when Jesus fed a crowd, the disciples had approached Him and asked what should be done. Here, Jesus initiates the conversation.

The disciples (v.4) had apparently learned nothing from the earlier miracle. (See Mark 6:52; 8:16.)

satisfy (v.4) = lit. “feed, fill, satisfy with food”

wilderness (v.4) = uninhabited region. The people had apparently followed Him with no thought of their own needs.

filled (v.8) — The people all had as much food as they wanted.

The durative (continuing, not completed) tense is used in verses 5-6. Wuest translates these verses like this:

And He went to asking them, How many loaves of bread do you have? and they said, Seven. And He commands the crowd to recline on the ground. and having taken the seven loaves of bread, having given thanks, He broke, and kept on giving them to His disciples in order that they might keep on setting them forth. And they served the crowd. — Wuest, page 158.

blessed (v.7) = asked God’s blessing on a thing, prayed Him to bless it to one’s use.

baskets (v.8) — The word used for basket is different from the word used in Mark 6:43. There, it refers to a small basket used to carry provisions — like a lunch basket. Here, in Mark 8, the word refers to a large basket, one that can hold a man. It’s the word used in Acts 9:25, where Paul is lowered down the wall in a basket.

four thousand (v.9) — Matthew 15:38 indicates that the number 4,000 did not include woman and children, some of which were also likely there.

³¹ Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.

³² Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.

³³ And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.

³⁴ Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

³⁵ Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

³⁶ Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.

³⁷ And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Matthew only mentions that Jesus traveled and healed in the area but makes no mention of the specific deaf, mute man who Jesus healed.

Phoenicia is northwest of the Sea of Galilee. Our Lord thus went southeast, and skirted the eastern shore of this sea to reach the region of Decapolis, which was on the southeastern shore. — Wuest, page 154.

impediment (v.32) = lit. “with difficulty.” The man was not absolutely dumb. Various commentators suggest he stuttered, or spoke harshly, or mumbled.

aside (v.33) = privately. The miracle was not performed in the midst of a crowd. Perhaps at this time Jesus did not want the crowd to bring a lot of sick people to Him, or perhaps it had something to do with the timing of His ministry — the Jews had accepted Him as healer but not as Messiah.

The Lord could, and did, heal in many different ways — by word, by touch, even remotely. Perhaps He stuck His fingers in the mans ears and touched His tongue to arrest His attention and evoke his faith, or to show exactly what He was about since He couldn’t explain it to a deaf man.

sighed (v.34) — the word can mean “groaned.” Jesus looked up in prayer and signed, perhaps in sympathy. Wuest believes it may have been an indication of the physical and mental toll that healing took on Jesus.

ears (v.35) = hearing

impediment (v.35) = band, string, that which bound his tongue

he spoke (v.35) — Tense is “he began to be speaking”

plainly (v.35) — before, he could only make inarticulate noises

commanded (v.36) — The Greek indicates that this command was made for the personal interest of Jesus. It was for His sake and for the sake of His future ministry that He commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened. But the more urgently and often He asked them not to talk, the more they talked.

proclaimed (v.36) = made a public proclamation.

astonished beyond measure (v.37) = struck with astonishment. Includes the double superlative “in superabundance” and “above.” The were astonished so much that they lost their self-possession.

²⁴ From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.

²⁵ For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.

²⁶ The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

²⁸ And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹ Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

³⁰ And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

Also found in Matthew 15:21-28.

Tyre and Sidon (v.24) — Port cities on the Mediterranean northwest of Galilee.

The new scene of our Lord’s ministry is quite in contrast to the previous one. Just before this He was in Jewish territory, in Galilee. but now He was entering purely heathen country, the land of Phoenicia. He had experienced the antagonism of the Jewish leaders, and had failed to obtain the necessary quiet and leisure for purposes of recuperation after very heavy ministry, and for the instruction of His disciples. he entered the private home of some native of the country. But Mark says, “It was not possible for Him to be hidden.” The news concerning the great Teacher and Healer, had spread beyond the confines of Israel into pagan country. … the little preposition eis, translated “into,” is worthy of note. Our Lord did not merely cross over the border into Phoenician territory, but He went deep into the heart of the country. — Wuest, pages 150-151.

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Mark is careful to describe the woman as to her religion, her language, and her race. She was Greek in religion … a Gentile as distinguished from a Jew. She was Syrian in tongue, and Phoenician in race. She was a Phoenician of Syria as distinguished from a Phoenician of North Africa. — Wuest, page 151.

kept asking (v.26) = a request, not a mere question. She kept right on asking.

The Jews looked upon all Gentiles as dogs. It was a term of reproach. … But our Lord did not use the Greek word kuon here, the term for a dog. And he must have spoken Greek to this woman for she would not know the Aramaic of the Jews. Greek was the international language of the day. The word Jesus used was kunarion “a little dog.” In answering the woman thus, He was just staying by His commission to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. And that order of procedure was not favoritism, but only the method of reaching the large number through a selected smaller group. The Jew was the chosen channel through which God has elected to reach the Gentiles. It would be just a wise efficiency to thus go to the Jew first. The Messiah, sent to Israel, was careful to preserve that order. And even when about to minister to the Gentiles to whom His compassionate heart went out, He was careful to remind her of the fact that she came second, not first, in the great program of God.

He uses the illustration of the children of the household at the table, and their little pets under the table. It is seemly, proper, he says, to see that the children are fed first, then the little dogs, their pets. — Wuest, page 152.

Lord (v.28) = one to whom a person or thing belonged, about which he has the power of deciding. The master of disposer of a thing.

crumbs (v.28) — the little scraps of food that children sneak to their pets under the table

for this saying (29) — I believe there was more going on here than most commentaries realize. Here are my notes from the parallel passage in Matthew 15:21-28.

Jesus came as the Messiah of Israel. His ministry was only to the Jews. When this Gentile woman approached Him as the Son of David, she had no claim on Him. She was one of those who were … without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). On this basis, He said nothing.

When the disciples asked Him to give her what she wanted (probably) so they could be rid of her, He explained, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). 

She asked Him again to help her daughter, this time dropping her claim. He again explained the higher position of Israel, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs” (Matthew 15:26).

She then asked a third time, and this time she worded her request in such a way that Jesus could grant her request. “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 15:27).

The word “masters’” is plural. She wasn’t referring to Him as her master but to those who were fed at the table — the Jews. She had come to the understanding that her blessing could only come through Israel.

This is where my commentaries miss the point, in my opinion. This experience wasn’t given to us to show that salvation was about to be taken from Israel and given to the Gentiles. The Lord was still teaching the kingdom message. A major point of that kingdom message is that the nations will be blessed through Israel. This passage underlines that point exactly.

has gone out (v.29) = lit. “has gone out, with the present result that it is out.” It was a permanent cure.

lying (v.30) — tense indicates relaxation, another indication of a cure.

The only curing miracle of the Lord one remotely.

¹⁴ When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand:

¹⁵ There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.

¹⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

¹⁷ When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.

¹⁸ So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,

¹⁹ because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”

²⁰ And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.

²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

²² thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

²³ All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Also found in Matthew 15:10-20.

The Lord was speaking against the Pharisees’ view that they needed to ritually cleanse themselves because of the off chance that they had inadvertently consumed some unclean thing. The Lord replied that it wasn’t what they took in that made them spiritually unclean, but what came out of their hearts.

called all the multitude (v.14) — The crowd must have receded in deference to the religious leaders, but Jesus gathered them to declare the hypocrisy of those leaders and the fallacy of their traditions.

nothing that enters a man (v.15) — food, physical matter

defiles (v.15) = lit. “common to everybody.” It was used to refer to the profane as opposed to the hallowed or sacred, so “ceremonially unclean.” The ritual of hand washing didn’t produce physical cleanliness but ceremonial cleansing.

things which come out (v.15) — non-physical things — actions, words, thoughts

When [the Lord] spoke of that which comes out of a man which defiles him, He was referring to the extra-biblical teachings of the Pharisees which defiled them in the sense that these teachers were, b their teachings which were in direct opposition to God’s Word, constituted false teachers, thus, not hallowed or set apart for God. — Wuest, page 148.

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This statement by Him Who is the Truth, destroys the belief that the natural heart is good, and makes foolish modern efforts to improve human nature. The assumption that only what goes into the heart defiles it is here denied; and the necessity of the creation of a new heart declared. — Williams, page 756.

Verse 16 does not appear in some of the better texts.

a house (v.17) = lit. “the house.” At home, probably in Peter’s house.

disciples (v.17) — Matthew says Peter asked, but this is no discrepancy because Peter often spoke for all the disciples.

asked (v.17) = lit. “went to asking.” They lost no time but asked as soon as they were in the house.

without understanding also (v.18) — like the multitudes

It was a cause of disappointment to Jesus that His own chosen pupils were still under the spell of the Pharasic theological tradition and outlook. … They had been trained in Judaism, in which the distinction between clean and unclean is ingrained, and could not understand a statement abrogating this. … The idea throughout is that ethical defilement is alone of importance, all other defilement, whether the subject of Mosaic ceremonial legislation or of scribe tradition, a trivial affair. — Wuest, pages 148-149.

thus purifying all foods (v.19) — Some commentators believe these words were not spoken by Jesus but were inserted by Mark to explain the Lord’s meaning. This view is supported by the fact that Mark began the next sentence with “And He said …”

eliminated (v.19) = lit. “goes out into the latrine”

evil thoughts (v.21) — base, wrong, wicked, reprehensible

covetousness (v.22) = greedy desire to have more

wickedness (v.22) = depravity, iniquity, not merely in the abstract, but active, dangerous, destructive, pernicious, wickedness in active opposition to the good, a desire of a person to pull everyone else down with him to destruction

lewdness (v.22) = unrestrained sexual instinct — lawless, insolence and wanton caprice

evil eye (v.22) = an eye actively looking out for activities that are injurious

blasphemy (v.22) = reviling, calumny, evil-speaking in general, malicious misrepresentation

foolishness (v.22) = lack of sense, folly, senselessness

⁹ He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’

¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God),

¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,

¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Also found in Matthew 15:3-6.

All too well (v.9) = excellently, finely, well — Jesus was using irony and sarcasm.

reject (v.9) = thwart the efficacy of anything, no nullify, make void, frustrate

The Pharisees are charged by our Lord with thwarting the efficacy of that which has been laid down or prescribed by God, namely, His commandments. They have made God’s Word null and void, have nullified it, frustrated it in its soul-saving work. This they did in order to keep their own traditions. — Wuest, pages 145-146.

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honor (v.10) = to honor, revere, venerate. The noun form carries with it the idea of “a valuing by which the price if fixed, an evaluation.” Thus, the act of honoring carries with it a proper estimation of the value of a person or thing. In the case of honor due to parents, it is that respect or reverence for them in view of who and what they are, and their worth, which is their due. — Wuest, page 146.

curses (v.10) = speak ill of, revile, abuse. This isn’t casting a curse on another person.

put to death (v.10) — The penalty for not honoring one’s parents under the O.T. law.

The word “Corban” is a Hebrew word which Mark has transliterated. He explains it as referring to a gift. The Hebrew word refers to a gift or offering to God. The rabbis allowed the individual to keep whatever money should have been given by the son for the support of his parents, if he would declare it as a gift to God. He could keep the money and by merely speaking the word, justify his withholding it from his parents. This was in defiance of God’s command by which a son is required to honor his parents by providing for their necessities when they were in need. — Wuest, pages 146-147.

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The law concerning duty to parents was plain, being doubly emphasized in the Old Testament, but the Jews, with characteristic sophistry, had devised a means of evading it, even under the cloak of piety. A son could pledge his money to be paid into the Temple treasury. This could be done in an ideal sense without any actual payment being made, or the payment could be deferred until after his death. he could even do it in a fit of anger, and could then tell his old parents in their time of need that he could offer them no help, since his money was Corban, i.e. dedicated under oath. — Guthrie, page 866.

making the Word of God of no effect (v.13) = rendering it void, depriving it of force and authority, invalidating.

tradition (v.13) — the oral laws of the Pharisees which were handed down from generation to generation to be kept

1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

² Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

⁴ When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

⁷ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

Also found in Matthew 15:1-9.

The crowds around Jesus and His disciples were so large that they had to escape from them in a boat to get a moments break. Likely, they weren’t eating leisurely sit-down meals but just grabbing a bite when they could.  The Pharisees said nothing about the work they were doing or the people they were helping, but rather criticized them for a minor man-made tradition they weren’t observing. Verse 1 begins with “then.” In Greek, this word connects things by way of contrast but does not necessarily indicate a temporal sequence. In other words, the point isn’t that the Pharisees came just as Jesus was healing the sick at the end of chapter 6 (although they may have), but Mark was contrasting the priorities of Jesus with the priorities of the Pharisees.

defiled (v.2) = lit. “common to everybody.” It was used to refer to the profane as opposed to the hallowed or sacred, so “ceremonially unclean.” The ritual of hand washing didn’t produce physical cleanliness but ceremonial cleansing.

bread (v.3) — lit. “the bread.” Probably, the disciples were grabbing pieces of that bread that was left over from feeding the multitudes and had been gathered in baskets.

they found fault (v.2) — not in the best texts.

Verses 3-4 are a parenthetical explanation.

wash their hands in a special way (v.3) — The washing is done with the clenched fist. The individual rubs one hand and the arm up to the elbow with the other hand clenched. He rubs the palm of one hand with the other closed, so as to make sure that the part that touched the food would be clean. — Wuest, page 142.

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“Tradition” (v.3) [comes from a word that means] “to give into the hands of another, to deliver something to keep, use, take care of.” The noun form therefore refers to something delivered by someone to a second individual for him to keep or care for. A tradition, as it is used here, refers therefore to instructions handed down from one generation to another, which are to be observed by the succeeding generations.

The traditions of the elders consisted of oral law originated by the Jewish religious leaders. They did not come from the Word of God. Our Lord (Matthew 15:6) asserts that they nullify the Word and thus are directly antagonistic to it. The rabbis held that disobedience to it was mortal sin. Thus, a real issue is raised here between the Pharisees and Jesus. It was man-made ceremonial laws in conflict with the Word of God. — Wuest, page 142.

elders (v.3) — members of the Sanhedrin, a title of age and of rank

market (v.4) = the agora, the public forum in every town where people gathered, like the courthouse square in American towns. Jews who went there could not help but come in contact with Gentiles who were considered unclean and would so become ceremonially defiled.

couches (v.4) — tables, not in some texts

The law had imposed certain restrictions upon the chosen race, restrictions which were admirably sanitary in their nature, while aiming also at preserving the isolation of Israel from the corrupt and foul nations which lay around. … But the Pharisees had not been content even with the severe restrictions of the law. They had not regarded these as a fence for themselves against spiritual impurity, but as an elaborate and artificial substitute for love and trust. And therefore, as love and spiritual religion faded out of their hearts, they were the more jealous and sensitive about the letter of the law. They “fenced ” it with elaborate rules, and precautions against accidental transgressions, superstitiously dreading an involuntary infraction of its minutest details. Certain substances were unclean food. But who could tell whether some atom of such substance, blown about in the dust of summer, might adhere to the hand with which he ate, or to the cups and pots whence his food was drawn? Moreover, the Gentle nations were unclean, and it was not possible to avoid all contact with them in the market-places, returning whence, therefore, every devout Jew was careful to wash himself, which washing, though certainly not an immersion, is here plainly called a baptism. Thus an elaborate system of ceremonial washing, not for cleansing, but as a religious precaution had grown up among the Jews. — Chadwick, pages 185-186.

asked (v.5) = kept on asking Him

well (v.6) = beautifully, finely, excellently. The Lord was pointing out the accuracy of Isaiah’s prophecy. He used the same word ironically in v.9.

you hypocrites (v.6) — The Greek has it, “You, the hypocrites.” The use of the definite article particularizes the Pharisees as arch-hypocrites, the outstanding ones. The word “hypocrites” [comes from Greek words meaning “under” and “to judge”]. It referred originally to “one who judged from under the cover of a mask,” thus, assuming an identity and character which he was not. The person was the actor on the Greek stage, one who took the part of another. The Pharisees were religious actors, so to speak, in that they pretended to be on the outside, what they were not on the inside. — Wuest, page 144.

written (v.6) — Isaiah 29:13

far from Me (v.6) = lit. “to hold off from.” The picture is of one holding himself a great distance from someone else. … The idea of volition is present, where the person far off, is so, because he wants to be. — Wuest, page 144.

in vain (v.7) = fruitlessly, without profit. It points to the failure of a proposed purpose.

They fruitlessly sought to worship God by teaching laws created by man.

laying aside (v.8) = sending away, bidding to go away or depart, sending from one’s self, letting alone, disregarding. Abandoning one thing to take up another thing.

hold (v.8) = a strong, tight grasp, like a hawk would use to grab prey, to keep carefully and faithfully

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.

⁵⁴ And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,

⁵⁵ ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.

⁵⁶ Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Also found in Matthew 14:34-36.

Gennesaret is a fertile, populous plain on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee south of Capernaum and north of Tiberias.

anchored (v.53) — This was almost certainly the larger fishing boat (Jesus went “up into” it in v.51), so it was anchored off shore.

ran through (v.55) = ran around, in the sense of a circle.

carry about (v.55) = carry around

wherever they heard (v.55) — tense indicates continuous action

It appears that, as soon as Jesus was recognized, people ran all around the vicinity, telling everyone that He was there. Anyone who cared for a sick person immediately brought that person to Jesus. If He wasn’t still at the location when they arrived, they continued carrying the sick to where they had heard He was most recently seen — chasing Him, as it were.

hem (v.56) = The fringe of a garment, a little appendage hanging down from the edge of the mantle or cloak. The Jews had such an appendage attached to their mantles to remind them of the law. The word “garment” [refers to] the upper or outer garment, the cloak or mantle thrown over the tunic, [which is] the undergarment. — Wuest, page 140.

Mark doesn’t mention that Jesus did any teaching at this point. The people were anxious to be healed by Him — and He accommodated them — but they weren’t interested in hearing what He had to say. In fact, Mark went immediately from this historical account to telling of yet another accusation against Jesus and His disciples.