Mark 5:21

21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea.

Mark 5:21 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 5:21

And when Jesus was passed over again
Over the sea of Tiberias, that part of it which was necessary to go over from the country of Gadara, to Capernaum,

by ship,
or "boat",

unto the other side.
This may seem to some unnecessary to be added; and it may be asked, what way but by ship, or boat, could he have gone over to the other side of the sea of Galilee? To which it may be replied, there was a bridge at Chammath of Gadara F13, over an arm of this sea, over which Christ and his disciples might have passed, and have gone by land to Capernaum; so that this phrase is very necessarily and significantly used:

much people gathered unto him;
who had before attended on his ministry in these parts, and had seen his miracles; as the casting out of an unclean spirit from a man, healing the centurion's servant, curing the man sick of the palsy, and Simon's wife's mother of a fever, and a man that had a withered hand:

and he was nigh unto the sea;
he seems to have been at Capernaum, which was nigh unto the sea, and in the house of Matthew or Levi, whom he had called at the sea side from the receipt of custom; see ( Matthew 9:9 Matthew 9:10 Matthew 9:18 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F13 T. Hieros. Erubin, fol. 22. 4.

Mark 5:21 In-Context

19 But Jesus refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you."
20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea.
22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet
23 and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live."

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Other ancient authorities lack [in the boat]
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.