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Mark3

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there who had his hand withered.

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

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

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

5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored.

6And the Pharisees went out, and straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

7And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and from Judaea,

8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and beyond the Jordan, and about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came unto him.

9And he spake to his disciples, that a little boat should wait on him because of the crowd, lest they should throng him:

10for he had healed many; insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him.

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

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

13And he goeth up into the mountain, and calleth unto him whom he himself would; and they went unto him.

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

15and to have authority to cast out demons:

16and Simon he surnamed Peter;

17and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder:

18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,

19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And he cometh into a house.

20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

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

22And the scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons.

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

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

25And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

26And if Satan hath risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

27But no one can enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

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

29but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin:

30because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

31And there come his mother and his brethren; and, standing without, they sent unto him, calling him.

32And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

33And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren?

34And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren!

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

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Mark 3.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The withered hand healed. (1–5). The people resort to Christ. (6–12). The apostles called. (13–21). The blasphemy of the scribes. (22–30). Christ's relatives. (31–35).

vv1-5

This man's case was piteous; he had a withered hand, which disabled him from working for his living; and those that are so, are the most proper objects of charity. Let those be helped that cannot help themselves. But stubborn infidels, when they can say nothing against the truth, yet will not yield. We hear what is said amiss, and see what is done amiss; but Christ looks at the root of bitterness in the heart, the blindness and hardness of that, and is grieved. Let hard-hearted sinners tremble to think of the anger with which he will look upon them shortly, when the day of his wrath comes. The great healing day now is the sabbath, and the healing place the house of prayer; but the healing power is of Christ. The gospel command is like that recorded here: though our hands are withered, yet, if we will not stretch them out, it is our own fault that we are not healed. But if we are healed, Christ, his power and grace, must have all the glory.

vv6-12

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.

vv13-21

Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with what is inconvenient to themselves, and will rather lose a meal than an opportunity of doing good. Those who go on with zeal in the work of God, must expect hinderances, both from the hatred of enemies, and mistaken affections of friends, and need to guard against both.

Cross References

Mark 3
v1Matthew 12:9-14thematic

Matthew's parallel account of the healing of the withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v1Luke 6:6-11thematic

Luke's parallel record of the withered hand miracle and the scribes watching him.

Supported by JFB

v23Matthew 12:25-30thematic

Matthew's parallel of Jesus' response to the Beelzebub charge and the divided house analogy.

Supported by JFB

v28Matthew 12:31thematic

Parallel text on the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and its eternal consequences.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v31Matthew 12:46-48thematic

Matthew's parallel where Jesus' mother and brethren stand without seeking to speak to him.

Supported by JFB

v13Matthew 10:1-4thematic

Matthew's parallel commissioning of the twelve disciples with power to heal and cast out devils.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v13Luke 6:12thematic

Luke's parallel noting Jesus went to the mountain to pray before choosing the twelve.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v7Matthew 12:15thematic

Parallel account of Jesus withdrawing with his disciples and healing the crowds that followed.

Supported by JFB

v12Mark 1:25thematic

Parallels the command of silence to the demons, refusing testimony from unclean spirits.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v21John 10:20thematic

Parallels the accusation that Jesus is 'beside himself' with charges of madness and demon possession.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v35Matthew 12:50thematic

Parallel passage defining spiritual kinship based on doing the will of the Father.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v11 Kings 13:4thematic

Historical Old Testament precedent of Jeroboam's hand withering, contrasting with Jesus' restoration.

v27Isaiah 49:24-26thematic

Prophetic description of the prey taken from the mighty, illustrating binding the strong man.

v33Deuteronomy 33:9thematic

Levi's disregard of earthly mother and brethren to keep God's word, mirroring Jesus' spiritual family priority.