Mark 6

And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

And 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?

Is 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.

But 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.

And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.

And 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.

And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

And 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.

Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

For 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.

For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

For 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.

And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

And 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.

And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

And 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.

And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

And 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.

And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

And 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.

And 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.

And 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:

Send 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.

He 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?

He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

And 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.

And they did all eat, and were filled.

And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

And 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.

And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

And 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.

But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

For 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.

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

And 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.

What does Mark 6:15 mean?

Explanation

[Others said, That it is Elias.

And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.] (Mark 6:15) occurs in a passage where people are trying to understand the identity of Jesus Christ.

They are pondering who He might be based on the miraculous works and authoritative teaching He is doing.

Some people suggested that Jesus may be Elijah (Elias), come back to life. Others believed He might be a prophet or like one of the prophets who had appeared to the Israelites in the olden times.

This verse highlights the confusion and uncertainty among the populace about Jesus’ true identity. It also subtly emphasizes that Jesus cannot be easily categorized by human expectations or past figures.

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

The verse is in the context of Jesus' growing popularity during His ministry in Galilee. At this time, Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee under the Romans, hears about Jesus, and speculations about His identity are spreading.

Historically, the Jews had a strong tradition of prophets, and there was an expectation that Elijah would return before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord, as propounded in Malachi 4:5.

This verse reflects those expectations and the general atmosphere of anticipation that had built up among the Jewish people for a significant divine intervention in their history.

Theological Insights

From a Christian theological perspective, this verse underlines the Messianic expectations present at the time. Elijah was expected to return based on Malachi's prophecy, and some believed that Jesus' miraculous actions fulfilled this expectation.

Additionally, considering someone a prophet like those of old times was a recognition of divine authority and message.

Theologically, this verse opens up the conversation about the identity of Jesus – a cardinal point in Christian belief, as understanding Jesus' nature and role is central to Christian doctrine.

Practical Applications

This verse offers insights into discerning truths about identity and purpose.

The practical application for individuals today may involve understanding and recognizing the roles that various people play in our lives.

As the people of Jesus' time speculated about His identity, it is a reminder that true understanding requires going beyond surface-level judgments and preconceived notions.

It also encourages contemporary believers to bear witness to their beliefs about Jesus' identity and to have thoughtful discussions about spiritual perceptions.

Cross-References

Malachi 4:5: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
Matthew 16:14: "And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets."
John 6:14: "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world."
John 1:21: "And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not.

Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No."

Language Study

In this verse, the word "Elias" is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elijah, which means "Yahweh is my God." The term "prophet" (prophētēs) refers to one who speaks forth the message of God, often with a connotation of future predictive revelations.

The phrase "as one of the prophets" suggests a comparison or likeness, but not an identity with the actual prophets of old, which denotes respect and acknowledgment of authority.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In ancient cultures outside of Judaism, there were often expectations of returning heroes or divine figures. For example, some Greco-Roman myths featured heroes who would return or be reborn.

However, in Judaism, the specific expectation was centered around prophetic figures like Elijah, who it was believed would herald the Messianic age.

This verse's discussions are rooted deeply in Jewish tradition, which differed from these other cultural beliefs in its monotheistic perspective and its focus on historical revelation through prophets rather than mythological rebirth narratives.

Scientific Perspectives

The scientific community generally does not comment on the identities of historical or religious figures since these discussions lie outside the realm of empirical evidence and are based on faith and interpretation of scriptures.

However, psychology and sociology could provide insight into why people in any era, including the time of Jesus, try to understand their experiences by relating them to known figures or archetypes.

Commentaries

Commentators approach this verse from various angles.

Some focus on the mystery of Christ's identity and the gradual revelation of His nature as the Son of God.

Others deliberate on the people's expectations of prophetic figures and how these shaped their interpretations of Jesus' ministry.

For example, Matthew Henry's Commentary emphasizes the differing opinions about Jesus and how these views were in some ways true, but still fell short of recognizing Him as the Messiah.

The Pulpit Commentary discusses how Herod and the people wrestled with their limited understanding, ultimately setting the stage for the revelation of Jesus’ true divine nature and mission.

Mark 6

Mark 6

What does Mark 6:15 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 6:15 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?