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 6:47 mean?

Explanation

Mark 6:47 depicts a moment of solitude for Jesus and a moment of struggle for his disciples.

The 'even' refers to the evening, typically a time of declining light and increasing darkness.

The 'ship' or 'boat' mentioned here is the vessel carrying Jesus' disciples.

These men had earlier been instructed by Jesus to go on ahead of him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus had retreated to a mountain to pray after feeding the five thousand, leaving his disciples to travel by themselves.

'The midst of the sea' conveys the idea that the disciples were at a considerable distance from land, likely making them vulnerable to the elements and the notoriously sudden and violent storms of the Sea of Galilee.

The phrase 'and he alone on the land' highlights Jesus' physical separation from the disciples. He was not only praying on the land but was also distant and physically isolated from them, prompting a sense of his unique position as their leader and as one who has authority over nature.

This narrative sets the stage for the following verses where Jesus demonstrates His supernatural power by walking on water towards the disciples and calming their fears. It serves a literary and theological function, emphasizing Jesus' divinity and his care for his followers.

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Historical Context

The Gospel according to Mark is believed to have been written around 65-70 A.D. and is considered to be the earliest of the four canonical gospels.

It was a time of both political and social turmoil, especially given the impending Jewish War against Rome which led to the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.

During the period when Mark's Gospel was being composed and circulated, early Christians faced persecution, and the stories about Jesus' authority and power over nature would have been of great comfort to the believers.

The Sea of Galilee itself was a common place for fishermen, and many of Jesus' disciples, including Peter, Andrew, James, and John, were from this area and would have been familiar with the perils of the lake.

Theological Insights

From a Christian theological perspective, Mark 6:47 reveals several important themes.

First, it shows the humanity of Jesus in his need for solitude and prayer.

Even though He was divine, He also engaged in spiritual practices common to the faith.

Secondly, it sets the stage for the demonstration of Jesus' divility and authority over creation, which is fully revealed when he walks on the water.

This event points to Jesus as the Lord over natural laws, which is a significant claim about his identity.

Some theologians interpret the scene as symbolic of the church itself, with the boat representing the Church in a fallen world, tossed by the waves of persecution and struggle, while Jesus is away but still watching over and ultimately coming to its aid.

Practical Applications

The verse provides several practical applications for daily living.

In moments of solitude, individuals are invited to seek out time for prayer and reflection, away from the busyness of life, much like Jesus did.

It also encourages believers to trust in a higher power during times of difficulty and unpredictability, akin to the disciples on the stormy sea.

People can derive comfort in knowing that even when they feel alone or in danger, they may not be as alone as they believe and that deliverance can come unexpectedly.

Cross-References

Matthew 14:24: "But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary."
Mark 4:39: "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.

And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."

John 6:17: "And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.

And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them."

Language Study

The key words in Mark 6:47, when analyzed in their original Greek language, enrich our understanding of the verse:

"Even" (ὀψίας): This term refers to late afternoon or evening, indicating the time of day.
"Ship" or "boat" (πλοῖον): A broad term for a vessel, used here to denote the disciples' means of travel on the water.
"Midst" (μέσον): Literally meaning "middle" or "center," used here to convey the idea of being far out on the lake.
"Alone" (μόνος): This word emphasizes Jesus' isolation and separation from the disciples during this event.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparisons to other ancient myths or religious interpretations may include stories of deities or heroes interacting with natural elements.

For example, in Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea and could control the waters and create storms.

Jesus walking on the water and later calming the storm can draw parallel to such myths, though within the Christian tradition it serves to highlight Jesus' unique authority as not just a deity of a domain but the sovereign over all creation.

Scientific Perspectives

From a modern scientific perspective, being "in the midst of the sea" when evening falls would be significant due to changes in atmospheric conditions that can lead to more turbulent weather, especially on the Sea of Galilee, which is known for its sudden storms.

These scientific observations don't discount the theological narrative but rather explain the natural phenomena that the disciples were experiencing.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and commentators offer various interpretations of this verse. For instance:

William Lane in his commentary suggests that this scene sets up a metaphor for the church's mission in the world , the disciples are struggling without Jesus, but he will come to them in their need.
John Calvin highlights the solitude of Jesus during prayer, emphasizing the importance of private communion with God before public ministry.
Craig A.

Evans, in his commentary on Mark, argues that the story displays the distinctiveness of Jesus' identity and foreshadows the post-resurrectional presence of Jesus with his followers, even when not physically present.

Each of these interpretations provides additional layers to understanding the narrative within the wider context of the Gospel of Mark and the Christian faith.

Mark 6

Mark 6

What does Mark 6:47 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 6:47 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?