Mark 1:4-16

4 Yochanan came immersing in the wilderness and preaching the immersion of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

5 All the country of Yehudah and all those of Yerushalayim went out to him. They were immersed by him in the Yarden river, confessing their sins.

6 Yochanan was clothed with camel's hair and a leather belt around his loins. He ate locusts and wild honey.

7 He preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.

8 I immersed you in water, but he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh."

9 It happened in those days, that Yeshua came from Natzeret of the Galil, and was immersed by Yochanan in the Yarden.

10 Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

11 A voice came out of the sky, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

12 Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.

13 He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Hasatan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels ministered to him.

14 Now after Yochanan was taken into custody, Yeshua came into the Galil, preaching the Good News of the kingdom of God,

15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News."

16 Passing along by the sea of the Galil, he saw Shim`on and Andrai the brother of Shim`on casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen.

Mark 1:4-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MARK

This is the title of the book, the subject of which is the Gospel; a joyful account of the ministry, miracles, actions, and sufferings of Christ: the writer of it was not one of the twelve apostles, but an evangelist; the same with John Mark, or John, whose surname was Mark: John was his Hebrew name, and Mark his Gentile name, Ac 12:12,25, and was Barnabas's sister's son, Col 4:10, his mother's name was Mary, Ac 12:12. The Apostle Peter calls him his son, 1Pe 5:13, if he is the same; and he is thought to have wrote his Gospel from him {a}, and by his order, and which was afterwards examined and approved by him {b} it is said to have been wrote originally in Latin, or in the Roman tongue: so say the Arabic and Persic versions at the beginning of it, and the Syriac version says the same at the end: but of this there is no evidence, any more, nor so much, as of Matthew's writing his Gospel in Hebrew. The old Latin copy of this, is a version from the Greek; it is most likely that it was originally written in Greek, as the rest of the New Testament.

{a} Papias apud Euseb. Hist. l. 3. c. 39. Tertull. adv. Marcion. l. 4. c. 5. {b} Hieron. Catalog. Script. Eccles. p. 91. sect. 18.