THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
*MARK

Mark 3

1Christ appealing to reason healeth the withered hand on the sabbath day. 6The Pharisees conspire his death: he retireth to the sea side, and healeth many: 13he chooseth his twelve apostles: 20his friends look upon him as beside himself: 22he refuteth conclusively the blasphemous absurdity of the Pharisees in ascribing his casting out of devils to the power of Beelzebub. 31Those who do the will of God he regardeth as his nearest relations.


1AND hea entered again into the 1synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered 2hand.

a Mat. 12:9; Luke 6:6.

1 For the Jews assembled every sabbath day in their synagogues, to hear the law expounded. See Acts 15:21.

2 Luke 6:6 it appears that it was his right hand.

2And 3they watched him, whether he would heal him on the 4sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

3 Namely, the scribes and Pharisees, Luke 6:7.

4 Gr. sabbaths.

3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save 5life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

5 Gr. a soul, which is sometimes taken for the life, sometimes for the complete person.

5And when he had looked round about on them 6with anger, being grieved for the 7hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: andb his hand was restored whole as the other.

6 This anger was a zealous passion in the mind against their sin and hardness of this people, which passion is good in itself, remaining within the due bounds, Eph. 4:26.

7 The Greek word properly signifies such an hardness, which grows on the hands or feet, by weather or callosity, whereby they become hard and insensitive.

b 1 Kings 13:6.

6Andc the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the 8Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

c Mat. 12:14; John 10:39; 11:53.

8 Of the Herodians see Mat. 22:16.

7But Jesus 9withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: andd a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

9 Namely, to escape their lying in wait, Mat. 12:15.

d Mat. 4:25; Luke 6:17.

8And from Jerusalem, and from 10Idumæa, and from beyond Jordan; and they about 11Tyre and Sidon, 12a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.

10 Where the posterity of Esau, or the Edomites dwelled, Num. 20:14.

11 Of these two cities, see Mat. 11:21.

12 Or, with a great multitude, or, making together a great multitude.

9And he 13spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

13 That is, commanded, as Mat. 8:8.

10For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had 14plagues.

14 Gr. scourges, by which name all manner of sicknesses and diseases, incident to men, are called because God punishes or chastises men by them, Mark 5:29; Heb. 12:6.

11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, 15fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

15 Namely, in the persons whom they had possessed.

12And he straitly 16charged them that they should not make him known.

16 See hereof the reason in Mark 1:25.

13Ande he 17goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

e Mat. 10:1; Mark 6:7; Luke 6:13; 9:1.

17 Namely, for to pray, and afterwards to choose His apostles.

14And he 18ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

18 Gr. made, namely, to be His apostles, Luke 6:13.

15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

16And 19Simon he surnamed 20Peter;

19 Some have: Namely Simon, to whom He gave the surname Peter.

20 That is, stone, John 1:43, whereof the reason is explained, Mat. 16:18.

17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them 21Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

21 This is a broken Hebrew or Syriac word, signifying, as is also declared here, sons of thunder; this name is given them by reason of their singular zeal and powerful manner of preaching, as is yet to be seen in the writings of John.

18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphæus ,and 22Thaddæus, and Simon the 23Canaanite,

22 Otherwise called Lebbæus, see Mat. 10:3.

23 See Mat. 10:4, as also of the rest.

19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

20And the multitude cometh 24together again, so that they could notf so much as eat 25bread.

24 Namely, at Capernaum, where He dwelled, Mat. 4:13, to follow Him henceforth and to be at His service.

f Mark 6:31.

25 That is, to take their meat or necessaries of life in due time.

21And when 26his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is 27beside himself.

26 Gr. those of his, or who were of his. For, even many of His kinsmen did not believe in Him, John 7:5.

27 Gr. put out of himself.

22¶And 28the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, Heg hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

28 See hereof, Mat. 10:25.

g Mat. 9:34; 12:24; Luke 11:15; John 8:48.

23And he called them unto him, and saidh unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

h Mat. 12:25.

24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but 29hath an end.

29 That is, it is all finished with him and with his kingdom.

27Noi man can enter into a strong man’s 30house, and spoil his goods, exceptj he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

i Mat. 12:29.

30 See the exposition, Mat. 12:29.

j Col. 2:15.

28Verily I say unto you, Allk sins shall be forgiven unto 31the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

k 1 Sam. 2:25; Mat. 12:31; Luke 12:10; 1 John 5:16.

31 That is, unto men. A very usual phrase with the Hebrews.

29Butl he that shall blaspheme 32against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal 33damnation:

l 1 John 5:16.

32 Of this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, see Mat. 12:31.

33 That is, judgment, which he not only has deserved, but shall also certainly be subjected to it.

30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

31¶Therem came then his 34brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

m Mat. 12:46; Luke 8:19.

34 That is, kindred. See in the annotations on Mat. 12:46 and 13:55.

32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

33And he answered them, saying, 35Who is my mother, or my brethren?

35Christ does not hereby despise His mother, but shows that, in matters of salvation, the spiritual kindred must be preferred before the carnal.

34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

35Forn whosoever shall do 36the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

n John 15:14; 2 Cor. 5:16, 17.

36 To do the will of God is to believe in Christ, and to live holily, John 6:40; 1 Thes. 4:3.