Mark 6
The full text of Mark 6 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 He left there and went to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. "Where did this man get these things?" they said. "What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And these mighty works done through his hands!"
3 "Isn't this the carpenter, Mary's son, the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they kept stumbling over him.
4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own home."
5 He could do no mighty work there — only laying his hands on a few sick people, he healed them.
6 He was amazed at their unbelief. And he traveled through the surrounding villages, teaching.
7 He called the Twelve to him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.
8 He gave them strict orders to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no bag, no copper in the belt—
9 but wear sandals, and don't put on two tunics.
10 And he told them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.
11 And if any place will not receive you or listen to you, as you leave there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony to them.
12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.
13 They were driving out many demons, anointing many of the sick with oil, and healing them.
14 King Herod heard about it, for his name had become well known. People were saying, "John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, and that is why these powers are at work in him."
15 Others said, "He is Elijah." Still others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."
16 But when Herod heard it, he kept saying, "John, the one I beheaded—he has been raised from the dead!"
17 For Herod himself had sent men to seize John and bind him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her.
18 For John kept telling Herod, "It's against the Law for you to have your brother's wife."
19 Herodias had it in for him and wanted him dead, but she couldn't touch him,
20 For Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When Herod heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he listened to him gladly.
21 The opportunity came on Herod's birthday, when he gave a banquet for his nobles, his military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.
22 When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those at table with him. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you."
23 And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
24 She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she said.
25 She hurried in to the king at once and demanded, "I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter—right now!"
26 The king was deeply grieved, but because of his oaths and the guests at his table, he did not want to break his word to her.
27 At once the king sent one of his guards with orders to bring back the head. The man went and beheaded John in the prison,
28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 When John's disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him everything they had done and taught.
31 He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a solitary place and rest a while." For so many were coming and going that they had no chance even to eat.
32 So they went away in the boat to a solitary place by themselves.
33 But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34 When he got out and saw a huge crowd, his heart went out to them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them at length.
35 Late in the day, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late.
36 Send them away so they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.
37 But he answered them, "You yourselves give them something to eat."
They said to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and feed them?"
38 He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." When they had found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."
39 He directed them to have everyone sit down in groups on the green grass.
40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed them, and broke the loaves. Then he kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all.
42 They all ate and were satisfied.
43 And they picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces, and of the fish too.
44 Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
45 Right away he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46 After he had said goodbye to them, he went up the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48 He saw them battered as they rowed, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the nighta he comes to them, walking on the sea, and was about to pass them by.b
49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
50 For they all saw him and were shaken. But right away he spoke with them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
51 He got up into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And they were completely beside themselves,
52 They still had not grasped what the loaves meant; instead, their heart was hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they came ashore at Gennesaret and anchored there.
54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized him
55 They ran through that whole region and began to carry the sick on their mats to wherever they heard he was.
56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns, or the countryside—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak. And all who touched him were healed.
Translation notes (50)
- Mark 6:2a The Greek word dynameis means 'powers' or 'acts of power.' It is rendered 'mighty works' here to preserve the consistent use of this word by Mark, as seen in Mark 6:5, 6:14, and 9:39.
- Mark 6:3a P45 f13 33 565 579 700 it vg(mss) bo(pt) and Origen (Cels. 6.36) read 'the son of the carpenter and of Mary,' likely a harmonization to Matt 13:55 that also softens the offense of calling Jesus himself a τέκτων.
- Mark 6:3b The Greek word tektōn refers to a worker in wood, stone, or metal. It can also be translated as 'builder' or 'craftsman,' which is especially fitting for stone-built Galilean villages.
- Mark 6:3c The Greek word eskandalizonto, used in the imperfect tense, means 'kept being tripped up' or 'kept being scandalized.' This verb is stronger than 'took offense' and in Mark often suggests a stumbling in faith, as seen in Mark 4:17 and 9:42–47.
- Mark 6:3d The Greek word adelphos can refer to a literal brother, a half-brother, or a close kinsman. The Greek text itself does not resolve the long-standing debate about the exact nature of the relationship.
- Mark 6:4a The Greek literally says, 'A prophet is not without honor except...' This is a litotes, which is an understatement using a double negative, and it has been rephrased here as a positive statement for better readability.
- Mark 6:5a The Greek word dynamis means 'an act of power.' Mark uses this word as a recurring theme throughout his Gospel, as seen in Mark 6:2, 14, and 9:39; 'mighty work' preserves this connection. Some translations render it as 'miracle.'
- Mark 6:5b Compare Matthew 13:58, where the text softens Mark's phrase 'could not' to 'did not do many miracles there.'
- Mark 6:6a This can also be translated as 'lack of faith.' The Greek word apistia in Mark refers to a failure to trust, not merely intellectual doubt.
- Mark 6:6b The Greek text adds the word kyklō, meaning 'in a circuit, all around,' which emphasizes a regional journey through the villages surrounding Nazareth.
- Mark 6:8a The Greek word chalkon refers to a copper or bronze coin, which was the smallest denomination.
- Mark 6:8b Mark allows a staff; Matt 10:10 and Luke 9:3 forbid one. The wording differs in the Greek; TBV preserves each Gospel's text.
- Mark 6:10a The Greek text says, 'until you depart from there.' The word 'there' (ekeithen) refers to the town, not the house, a point clarified here for modern readers.
- Mark 6:11a Some later manuscripts add: 'Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.' Absent from the earliest witnesses (e.g., Sinaiticus, Vaticanus); generally regarded as a harmonization with Matt 10:15.
- Mark 6:11b This can also be translated as 'as a testimony against them.' The Greek word autois is in the dative case, which can be ambiguous; the context determines whether the witness is delivered to them or against them.
- Mark 6:13a Anointing with oil is paired with healing only here and in James 5:14 in the New Testament. The practice has a background in both medicinal use, as seen in Luke 10:34, and as a sign of God-given authority; the text does not specify which meaning is primary here.
- Mark 6:14a Some manuscripts, including A, C, f¹³, and 𝔐, read 'he was saying' (referring to Herod), but the earliest witnesses, such as א, B, D, L, W, Δ, and Θ, read 'they were saying.' The reading 'they were saying' fits better with verse 16, where Herod's view is presented as distinct.
- Mark 6:14b The Greek text leaves the antecedent, or the noun that 'His name' refers to, implicit. However, the context of verses 12–13 points to Jesus.
- Mark 6:14c The Greek word dynameis means 'powers,' or 'acts of power' or 'mighty works.'
- Mark 6:16a The Greek word elegen is in the imperfect tense, suggesting that Herod said this repeatedly. The emphatic word egō, meaning 'I myself,' stresses his personal responsibility.
- Mark 6:17a The Greek word means 'sent,' implying that Herod dispatched others rather than acting personally.
- Mark 6:17b Mark and Matt 14:3 name Herodias's prior husband as Philip; Josephus (Ant. 18.5.4) names him Herod. The tension is a long-standing historical crux; the Greek text is secure.
- Mark 6:18a Or 'It is not permitted'; Greek ἔξεστιν = 'it is allowed/permitted.' The Law in view is the Torah — see Lev 18:16; 20:21.
- Mark 6:19a The Greek phrase eneichen autō is an idiom meaning active, sustained hostility; she was watching for an opening, not just brooding.
- Mark 6:20a Some early manuscripts (א B L W Θ 33) read ēporei, meaning 'was at a loss, perplexed,' while later Byzantine manuscripts (A C, the Textus Receptus behind the King James Version) read epoiei, meaning 'did many things.' The critical Greek text follows the earlier reading.
- Mark 6:20b The Greek word synetērei means 'kept him safe, guarded him,' likely from Herodias's hostility mentioned in verse 19.
- Mark 6:22a The critical Greek text reads autou tēs Hērōdiados, 'his daughter Herodias' (supported by manuscripts ℵ B D L Δ 565), while the later Byzantine majority and King James Version tradition read autēs tēs Hērōdiados, 'the daughter of Herodias.' This translation follows the more difficult reading from the critical Greek text; Josephus names the dancer Salome.
- Mark 6:22b The Greek word synanakeimenois literally means 'those reclining together at table,' referring to the Greco-Roman banquet posture rather than a modern seated dinner.
- Mark 6:22c The Greek word korasion is a diminutive, meaning 'young girl.' Mark uses the same word for the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus in 5:41–42.
- Mark 6:26a This can also be translated 'refuse her.' The Greek word athetēsai means to set aside or break faith with, and here it is tied to the king's sworn oaths.
- Mark 6:27a The Greek word spekoulatōr is a Latin loanword (speculator) referring to a member of an officer's bodyguard, often tasked with executions. This is one of about ten Latin words used in Mark, sometimes cited as evidence that Mark was writing for a Roman audience.
- Mark 6:31a The Greek phrase erēmon topon means 'desolate or deserted place.' This is a recurring theme in Mark (compare Mark 1:35, 45; 6:32, 35) that evokes the wilderness.
- Mark 6:34a The phrase 'His heart went out' translates the Greek word esplanchnisthē, which literally means 'was moved in the inward parts,' indicating a deep, gut-level emotion.
- Mark 6:34b This can also be translated 'many things.' The Greek word polla is used here as an adverb and can mean 'at length' or 'a great deal'.
- Mark 6:34c 'Sheep without a shepherd' echoes Num 27:17; cf. 1 Kgs 22:17, Ezek 34:5.
- Mark 6:37a A denarius was about a day's wage, so two hundred denarii would be approximately eight months' wages. This sum is meant to sound absurd.
- Mark 6:39a The Greek phrase symposia symposia, literally 'parties parties,' is a Semitic-style repetition used to mean 'group by group,' indicating distribution.
- Mark 6:40a The Greek phrase prasiai prasiai, literally 'garden-plots, garden-plots,' is a Semitic-style doubling used to mean 'group by group,' evoking orderly rows like vegetable beds.
- Mark 6:45a This can also be translated 'until he had dismissed the crowd.' The Greek word heōs followed by a present indicative verb can indicate a temporal limit ('until') or concurrent action ('while').
- Mark 6:45b The Greek word ēnagkasen is forceful, meaning 'compelled' or 'forced.' Compare John 6:15, where the crowd was about to make Jesus king.
- Mark 6:48a This refers to the Roman way of counting time, roughly between 3 and 6 a.m., just before dawn.
- Mark 6:48b Greek ἤθελεν παρελθεῖν: 'wished/was on the verge of passing by.' The phrase echoes theophany language (Exod 33:19–22; 1 Kgs 19:11; Job 9:8, 11), where God 'passes by' to reveal himself.
- Mark 6:49a This can also be translated 'on the lake.' The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake, but Mark uses the Greek word thalassa, which means 'sea,' reflecting the Hebrew word yam.
- Mark 6:50a "It is I" translates ἐγώ εἰμι (literally "I am"), a normal Koine self-identification; some readers also hear an echo of Exod 3:14 LXX, but the bare phrase does not require it.
- Mark 6:51a Some early manuscripts (A f¹ f¹³ 𝔐 lat sy) add the phrase 'and marveled' (kai ethaumazon), but it is omitted by other manuscripts (א B L Δ 892), which is the reading followed here.
- Mark 6:51b The Greek text uses multiple intensifiers (lian ek perissou, meaning 'exceedingly, beyond measure') along with en heautois ('within themselves'). The translation 'completely beside themselves' captures this doubled emphasis and the idea that the feeling was internal to them, which sets up the description of their hardened hearts in verse 52.
- Mark 6:52a The Greek phrase epi tois artois, literally 'on/upon the loaves,' likely means 'from the loaves.' This suggests that the disciples failed to understand the significance of the feeding miracle for Jesus' identity.
- Mark 6:52b The Greek word pepōrōmenē (a form of the verb pōroō, meaning 'to harden,' here in the perfect passive tense, indicating a completed action with lasting results) describes a settled, calloused state. This same idea appears again in Mark 3:5 and 8:17, showing a growing theme in Mark's Gospel about the disciples' lack of understanding.
- Mark 6:56a Greek κρασπέδου can mean 'fringe,' 'edge,' or 'tassel'—likely the tzitzit required by Num 15:38–39.
- Mark 6:56b The Greek word esōzonto means 'were being saved,' 'healed,' or 'made whole.' In this context, it refers to physical healing.
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