Mark6

Jesus faced rejection in his hometown of Nazareth, where their unbelief limited his miraculous works. He then commissioned the twelve disciples, sending them forth to preach repentance and heal. The chapter recounts the tragic beheading of John the Baptist by King Herod, influenced by Herodias's vengeful request. Later, Jesus miraculously fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes, and subsequently walked on water to his disciples during a stormy night.
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Jesus Rejected in Nazareth

1
And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. ​
2
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? ​
3
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. ​
4
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. ​
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And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. ​
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And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. ​

The Mission of the Twelve

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And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; ​
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And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: ​
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But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
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And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
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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. ​
12
And they went out, and preached that men should repent. ​
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And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. ​

Herod and the Death of John the Baptist

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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. ​
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Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
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But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
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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. ​
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For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. ​
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Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
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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. ​
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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; ​
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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.
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And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. ​
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And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
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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.
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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. ​
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And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
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And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
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And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

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And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. ​
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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. ​
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And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
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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.
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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. ​
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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:
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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.
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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? ​
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He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
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And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
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And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
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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. ​
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And they did all eat, and were filled.
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And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. ​
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And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on Water

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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. ​
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And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. ​
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And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
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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. ​
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But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
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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. ​
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And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
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For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. ​

Widespread Healing in Gennesaret

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And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
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And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,
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And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
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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. ​

Study Notes for Mark 6

Verse 1

His return to his hometown, Nazareth, highlights the difficulty of accepting prophetic authority from a familiar source, especially after achieving fame elsewhere.

Verse 2

The people were astonished not only by his teaching but by the combination of his wisdom and the 'mighty works' (miracles), which challenged their assumptions about his humble background.

Verse 3

This verse provides rare historical detail about Jesus’ family, identifying him as the 'carpenter' and naming his four brothers and mentioning his sisters.

Verse 4

This common proverb explains why Jesus’ ministry faced resistance where he was best known, illustrating how familiarity can blind people to spiritual truth.

Verse 5

Mark’s strong statement that Jesus 'could there do no mighty work' emphasizes that divine power, while limitless, is often hindered by human unbelief and resistance.

Verse 6

Jesus' 'marvel' (astonishment) at their unbelief is a significant humanizing detail, showing his disappointment at the lack of response to his presence and power.

Verse 7

Sending them 'by two and two' provided mutual support, accountability, and fulfilled the requirement for two witnesses (Deut. 19:15). They were given authority over demonic forces.

Verse 8

The strict limitations emphasized radical dependence on God and the hospitality of those they served, ensuring the focus remained on the message, not material resources.

Verse 11

Shaking off the dust was a symbolic gesture, signifying that the disciples were absolving themselves of responsibility for the non-receptive city and its judgment.

Verse 12

The core message of the disciples was the same as John the Baptist and Jesus: calling people to 'repent' (a change of mind leading to a change of life).

Verse 13

The use of 'oil' (anointing) was a traditional practice for healing in the ancient world, here combined with the miraculous power granted by Jesus.

Verse 14

'King Herod' is Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee. His troubled conscience leads him to believe Jesus is John the Baptist resurrected.

Verse 17

This begins a narrative interlude detailing John’s execution, triggered by Herod’s illegal marriage to Herodias, his niece and sister-in-law (Lev. 18:16).

Verse 18

John’s uncompromising confrontation of sin, even in the highest political office, demonstrates the prophetic role of holding rulers accountable to God’s moral law.

Verse 20

Herod’s complex relationship with John—fearing him as righteous yet hearing him 'gladly'—shows the conflict between political expediency and moral conviction.

Verse 21

The 'convenient day' refers to a fateful opportunity for Herodias to exact revenge, utilizing the public setting of Herod’s birthday celebration.

Verse 23

Herod’s rash oath, made under the influence of public spectacle and flattery, traps him into committing a heinous act to save face and uphold his honor.

Verse 26

This reveals Herod’s moral weakness; he prioritizes his political image and the honor of his oath over justice and the life of a righteous man.

Verse 30

The disciples return as 'apostles' (meaning 'sent ones'), indicating the successful completion of their mission, and report back to Jesus.

Verse 31

Jesus models the necessity of rest and spiritual retreat, especially after intense ministry, though the demands of the crowds soon interrupt this intention.

Verse 34

Jesus’ 'compassion' is the driving force of his ministry. He sees the crowd as 'sheep not having a shepherd,' a phrase describing Israel’s spiritual leadership vacuum (Num. 27:17).

Verse 37

Jesus issues a challenge: 'Give ye them to eat.' This tests the disciples' faith and forces them to recognize their limitations and Jesus’ limitless power.

Verse 41

The actions—taking, blessing, breaking, and distributing—are reminiscent of Jewish grace before meals and powerfully foreshadow the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist).

Verse 43

The 'twelve baskets full' of fragments emphasizes the superabundance of the miracle, with twelve symbolizing the completeness of Israel or the apostles.

Verse 45

Jesus 'constrained' (compelled) the disciples to leave, likely to prevent them from becoming caught up in the crowd's enthusiasm following the miracle.

Verse 46

Following intense ministry, Jesus withdraws for solitary 'prayer,' emphasizing the importance of communion with the Father even during periods of high demand.

Verse 48

The 'fourth watch' (3:00 to 6:00 AM) indicates the disciples had been struggling against the wind for most of the night. Jesus demonstrates his sovereignty over the natural world.

Verse 50

The phrase 'It is I' (Greek: Egō eimi) is a powerful declaration, often used in the Greek Old Testament to evoke the covenant name of God (Yahweh), assuring them of his divine presence.

Verse 52

This crucial comment by Mark explains the disciples’ slow understanding. They failed to grasp the significance of the feeding miracle, leading to a 'hardened' (dull or unperceptive) heart regarding Jesus' true identity.

Verse 56

The widespread desire to touch just the 'border of his garment' (the fringe or tassel) shows the intense faith of the people and their belief in Jesus' power flowing even through mere contact.

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