Mark 6:32

VI. 45. And immediately he constrained his disciples to embark, and to go before him, across the lake, to Bethsaida, while he sent away the multi tude. 46. And when he had sent them away, he went into the mountain1 to pray. 47. And when the evening came, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48. And he saw that they had difficulty in rowing, (for the wind was con trary to them;) and about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and intended to pass by them. 49. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought that it was an appa rition, and cried out; 50. For they all saw him, and were alarmed. And immediately he spoke to them, and said to them, Take courage; it is I, be not afraid. 51. And he went up to them into the ship, and the wind ceased; and they were greatly astonished within themselves beyond measure, 1 " En hi montagne." MATTHEW. MARK. they that were in the ship approached and wondered. 52. For they and worshipped him, saying, Truly thou had not understood about the art the Son of God. loaves; for their heart was blinded.1

6:30-44 Let not ministers do any thing or teach any thing, but what they are willing should be told to their Lord. Christ notices the frights of some, and the toils of others of his disciples, and provides rest for those that are tired, and refuge for those that are terrified. The people sought the spiritual food of Christ's word, and then he took care that they should not want bodily food. If Christ and his disciples put up with mean things, surely we may. And this miracle shows that Christ came into the world, not only to restore, but to preserve and nourish spiritual life; in him there is enough for all that come. None are sent empty away from Christ but those who come to him full of themselves. Though Christ had bread enough at command, he teaches us not to waste any of God's bounties, remembering how many are in want. We may, some time, need the fragments that we now throw away.

Mark 6:32 . τῷ πλοίῳ . The boat which stood ready for service ( Mark 3:9 ).— κατʼ ἰδίαν , privately, i.e. , with Jesus only in the boat, and without other boats accompanying. As to the reason for this withdrawal into privacy cf. Mk.’s account with Mt.’s ( Mark 14:13 ), who connects with the report of John’s death. Beyond doubt, Mk.’s is the correct account. The excursion was an attempt to escape from the crowd and from dangerous illusions; again without success.

32 . they departed into a desert place ] They crossed the Lake of Gennesaret ( John 6:1 ) and proceeded in the direction of Bethsaida-Julias, at its north-eastern corner ( Luke 9:10 ), just above the entrance of the Jordan into it. Bethsaida-Julias was originally only a village, but was rebuilt and enlarged by Herod Philip not long after the birth of Christ. He raised it to the dignity of a town, and called it Julias after Julia the daughter of Augustus. Philip occasionally resided there, and there died and was buried in a costly tomb (Jos. Antiq . xviii. 4. 6). To the south of it was the green and narrow plain of El-Batîhah , “with abundant grass, and abundant space for the multitudes to have sat down” (Tristram’s Land of Israel , p. 439).

Verse 32. - And they went away in the boat ( τῷ πλοίῳ ) to a desert place apart - the boat, no doubt, which our Lord had ordered to be always in attendance upon him. We learn from St. Luke ( Luke 9:10 ) that this desert place was near to "a city called Bethsaida." It seems that there were two places called Bethsaida - one in Galilee proper, and the other to the north-east of the Sea of Galilee. It was to the neighborhood of this latter place that our Lord here directs the boat to take him. The other Bethsaida is mentioned lower down at Ver. 45. The word Bethsaida means the "fish village." Mark 6:32

32. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately—"over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias," says John (Joh 6:1), the only one of the Evangelists who so fully describes it; the others having written when their readers were supposed to know something of it, while the last wrote for those at a greater distance of time and place. This "desert place" is more definitely described by Luke (Lu 9:10) as "belonging to the city called Bethsaida." This must not be confounded with the town so called on the western side of the lake (see on [1448]Mt 11:21). This town lay on its northeastern side, near where the Jordan empties itself into it: in Gaulonitis, out of the dominions of Herod Antipas, and within the dominions of Philip the Tetrarch (Lu 3:1), who raised it from a village to a city, and called it Julias, in honor of Julia, the daughter of Augustus [Josephus, Antiquities, 18.2,1].

[Reformed Biblical] CORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 25 Verse 25. No Barnes text on this verse. {o} "head of John" Psalms 37:12,14 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 26 Verse 26. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 27 Verse 27. No Barnes text on this verse. "executioner" or, "one of his guard" ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 28 Verse 28. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 29 Verse 29. No Barnes text on this verse. {p} "they came" Acts 8:2 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 30 Verse 30. And the apostles gathered themselves together. That is, those whom he had sent out two and two, Mr 6:7. Having travelled around the country, they returned and met the Saviour at Capernaum. {q} "And the apostles" Luke 9:10 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 31 Verse 31. A desert place. A retired place, across the sea from Capernaum, where they would he free from interruption. Coming and going. Coming to be healed and reti ring, or coming to hear him preach. It means that they were thronged, that there was a vast multitude attending his prea ching. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 32 ## Verses 32-44. See Barnes "Matthew 14:13" and Matthew 14:14- 21 Verse 32. By ship . By a boat, a small vessel. Privately . Without making their plan known. They intended to go privately. It ap

[Reformed Biblical] 36. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the sliip. And there were also with him other little ships. And they (the disciples) having sent away, dismissed, let go, the crowd, take him (to themselves), as he teas (already in the boat, or in the boat as he was), i. e. without allowing time for preparation, an expression indicating prompt obedience. oNIark alone records the circum- stance that other boats were with them, i. e. when they started. 37. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. Arose, literally, is, begins to be, or happens. Beat, literally, threw (i. e. itself) vpon, assailed, or made an attack. Into denotes something more, namely, actual entrance or invasion, the effect of which is then described in the remaining words. Kow full, literall}'', already Jiiled, and covered with the waves (Matt. 8, 24), and therefore in great danger 38. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow : and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish ?