Mark 3:7

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7, 8) And from Judæa. . . . and from Jerusalem.—The fact thus recorded is interesting as in some degree implying the ministry in Jerusalem and its neighbourhood, which the first three Gospels, for some reason or other, pass over.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:6-12 All our sicknesses and calamities spring from the anger of God against our sins. Their removal, or the making them blessings to us, was purchased to us by the blood of Christ. But the plagues and diseases of our souls, of our hearts, are chiefly to be dreaded; and He can heal them also by a word. May more and more press to Christ to be healed of these plagues, and to be delivered from the enemies of their souls.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To the sea - The Sea of Galilee, or to the lonely regions which surrounded the sea, where he might be in obscurity, and avoid their designs against his life. His time had not yet come, and he prudently took care of his life, thus showing that we are not needlessly to throw ourselves into danger.

Galilee - See the notes at Matthew 2:22.

Judea - The southern division of the land of Palestine.

Jerusalem - Jerusalem was "in" Judea. It is mentioned particularly to show that not only the people of the surrounding country came, but also many from the capital, the place of wealth, and honor, and power.

Idumea - The country formerly inhabited by the "Edomites." In the time of the Saviour it was embraced in the country belonging to the Jews. It was south of Judea proper. The word "Idumea" is a Greek word made from the Hebrew "Edom." It signifies the land of Edom, a name given to Esau, one of the sons of Isaac, Genesis 25:30. The word signifies "red," and the name was given to him because he sought of Jacob red pottage as the price of his birthright. He settled in Mount Seir Deuteronomy 2:5, on the south of the land of Canaan, and the country of Idumea was bounded by Palestine on the north. During the Babylonian captivity the Edomites spread themselves into the country of Judea, and occupied a considerable part of the south of Palestine. They had, however, submitted to the rite of circumcision, and were incorporated with the Jews. From them sprang Herod the Great.

From beyond Jordan - From the region lying east of the river Jordan. The sacred writers lived on the west side of Jordan, and by the country "beyond Jordan" they meant that on the east side.

Tyre and Sidon - See the notes at Matthew 11:21.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 3

Mr 3:1-12. The Healing of a Withered Hand on the Sabbath Day, and Retirement of Jesus to Avoid Danger. ( = Mt 12:9-21; Lu 6:6-11).

See on [1411]Mt 12:9-21.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 7. See Poole on "Mark 3:6"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea,.... Knowing their evil designs against him, he departed out of the synagogue, and city of Capernaum; and taking his disciples with him, he went to the shore of the sea of Galilee; not out of fear, but because his time was not yet come, and he had more work to do:

and a great multitude from Galilee: from the several parts of it, in which country he now was:

and from Judea: that part of the land of Israel, which was particularly so called, and belonged to the tribe of Judah.

Geneva Study Bible

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

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Mark 3:7-12. Comp. Matthew 12:15 f., Luke 6:17-19, who with their difference of historical arrangement make but brief use of the description in Mark, which is more accurate and more fresh and does not blend heterogeneous elements (Hilgenfeld).

εἱς] direction whither.

Mark 3:8. Ἰδουμαία] on the southeastern border of Palestine.

A point is not to be placed, as by Beza, Er. Schmid, and Fritzsche, after Ἰορδάνου, but—as is required by the two distinct predicates based on the local relations, ἠκολούθησεν and ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτόν—before καὶ ἀπὸ τ. Ἰουδαίας. It is first of all stated, who followed Jesus from Galilee, where He Himself was, to the sea, and then, from καὶ ἀπὸ τ. Ἰουδ. onward, who came to Him from other regions. Namely: and from Judaea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea and Peraea (καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδ.; observe that here ἀπό is not repeated), and those (the Jews) about Tyre and Sidon, in great multitudes (πλῆθος πολύ belongs to the whole as a more precise definition of the subject), they came to Him,

Observe, moreover, the different position of πλῆθος in Mark 3:7-8; in the one case the greatness of the mass of people preponderates in the conception, in the other it is the idea of the mass of people itself.

ἐποίει] imperfect, used of the continuous doing.

Mark 3:9. ἵνα] What He said to them is conceived of as the design of the speaking (comp. on Matthew 4:3): in order that a vessel should be continually at His service.

διὰ τὸν ὄχλον κ.τ.λ.] therefore not for the purpose of crossing over; ἔμελλε γὰρ ἐμβὰς εἰς αὐτὸ μὴ ἐνοχλεῖσθαι, Euthymius Zigabenus. Comp. Mark 4:1; Matthew 13:2. It is not said, however, that He wished to teach out of the vessel (Kuinoel and others).

Mark 3:10 f. Information regarding this pressing towards Him.

ἐθεράπευσεν] not sanaverat (Castalio, Kuinoel, Fritzsche), but He healed just at that time. The ὥστε ἐπιπίπτειν αὐτῷ, so that they fell upon Him, depicts the impetuous thronging unto Him of those seeking aid. “Admirabilis patientia et benignitas Domini,” Bengel. προσέπιπτ. αὐτῷ in Mark 3:11 is different: they fell down before Him (Mark 5:33, Mark 7:25).

μάστιγας] plagues, Mark 5:29; Mark 5:34; Luke 7:21; Psalm 35:15; Sir 40:9; 2Ma 7:37. In accordance with the context: plagues of sickness.

τὰ πνεύματα κ.τ.λ.] a statement in conformity with the appearance; the sick people identified themselves with the demons.

ὅταν] with the praeterite indicative: whenever they saw Him, i.e. as soon as ever they got sight of Him. See Winer, p. 276 [E. T. 388]. This rare and late linguistic phenomenon is to be explained to the effect, that the conception of the uncertain (ἄν) has become completely blended with ὅτε, and the whole emphasis rests upon this whenever. See Klotz, ad Devar. p. 690. It does not mean: if they ever saw Him.

Mark 3:12. ἵνα] design of the πολλὰ ἐπετίμα αὐτοῖς (the demons). How colourless is Matthew 7:16! According to Hilgenfeld, Mark has exaggerated. As to the prohibition itself of their making Him known as Messiah, comp. Mark 1:43, and on Matthew 8:4; Mark 5:43.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 3:7-12. The fame of Jesus spreads notwithstanding (vide Matthew 4:25; Matthew 12:15 f.; Luke 6:17-19).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7–12. Withdrawal of Jesus to the Lake of Gennesaret

7. a great multitude] Observe the wide area from which the multitude were now gathered together; the region (1) of Tyre and Sidon and Galilee in the North of Palestine; (2) of Judæa and Jerusalem in the centre, (3) of Peræa “beyond the Jordan” on the East, (4) of Idumæa in the extreme South. This is the only place where Idumæa, the country occupied by the descendants of Esau, is mentioned in the N. T. In the O. T. the name is found in Isaiah 34:5-6; Ezekiel 35:15; Ezekiel 36:5.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 3:7. Ἀνεχώρησε, He withdrew) He avoided plots against Him, and yet He did not flee to a distance, nor in a fearful spirit, for He went to the sea [The particulars which Mark in this passage, Mark 3:7-19, records, he sets forth in the regular order of the narrative, and they are to be combined with Matthew 4:24, etc. But the events which go before and follow in Mark, are parallel to the 12th. ch. of Matthew. Mark takes occasion [a handle] from the plots laid by His enemies, to record the withdrawal of the Saviour, Mark 3:7; and by that very fact, he returns in the meantime into the regular path from his digression, etc.—Harm., p. 238. The sea is mentioned in this verse; the house in Mark 3:19; and again the sea in ch. Mark 4:1. In this fashion Mark combines the histories of different times.—V. g.].

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 7, 8. - Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea. This shows that the miracle just recorded took place in the interior of Galilee, and not at Capernaum, which was close by the sea. The chief city in Galilee at that time was Sepphoris, which Herod Antipas had made his capital. There the Herodiaus would of course be numerous, and so too would the Pharisees; since that city was one of the five places where the five Sanhedrims met (see Reland, 'Palestine,' p. 100, referred to in the 'Speaker's Commentary,' in lee.). The remainder of these two verses should be read and pointed thus: And a great multitude from Galilee followed: and from Judaea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and beyond Jordan, and about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing what great things he did, come unto him. The meaning of the evangelist is this, that, in addition to the great multitude that followed him from the parts of Galilee which he had just been visiting, there were vast numbers from other parts who had now heard of his fame, and flocked to him from every quarter. This description sets before us in a strikingly graphic manner the mixed character of the multitude who gathered around our Lord to listen to his teaching, and to be healed by him - as many, at least, as had need of healing. Mark 3:7

Vincent's Word Studies

Withdrew

Mark alone notes no less than eleven occasions on which Jesus retired from his work, in order to escape his enemies or to pray in solitude, for rest, or for private conference with his disciples. See Mark 1:12; Mark 3:7; Mark 6:31, Mark 6:46; Mark 7:24, Mark 7:31; Mark 9:2; Mark 10:1; Mark 14:34.

A great multitude (πολὺ πλῆθος)

Compare Mark 3:8, where the order of the Greek words is reversed. In the former case the greatness of the mass of people is emphasized; in the latter, the mass of people itself