Mark3
King James Version · Public Domain
1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
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 life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
7But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
8And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
9And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
10For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
12And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
13And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
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 cannot stand.
26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
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, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Mark 3.
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.
Key Words
πάλιν (pálin): (adverbially) anew, i.e. (of place) back, (of time) once more, or (conjunctionally) furthermore or on the other hand
συναγωγή (synagōgḗ): an assemblage of persons; specially, a Jewish "synagogue" (the meeting or the place); by analogy, a Christian church
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos): from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)); man-faced, i.e. a human being
ἦν (ēn): I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were)
ἐκεῖ (ekeî): there; by extension, thither
ἔχω (échō): to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition)
ξηραίνω (xēraínō): to desiccate; by implication, to shrivel, to mature
χείρ (cheír): the hand (literally or figuratively (power); especially (by Hebraism) a means or instrument)
παρατηρέω (paratēréō): to inspect alongside, i.e. note insidiously or scrupulously
Cross References
Mark 3Matthew's parallel account of the healing of the withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Luke's parallel record of the withered hand miracle and the scribes watching him.
Supported by JFB
Matthew's parallel of Jesus' response to the Beelzebub charge and the divided house analogy.
Supported by JFB
Parallel text on the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and its eternal consequences.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Matthew's parallel where Jesus' mother and brethren stand without seeking to speak to him.
Supported by JFB
Matthew's parallel commissioning of the twelve disciples with power to heal and cast out devils.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Luke's parallel noting Jesus went to the mountain to pray before choosing the twelve.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel account of Jesus withdrawing with his disciples and healing the crowds that followed.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the command of silence to the demons, refusing testimony from unclean spirits.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels the accusation that Jesus is 'beside himself' with charges of madness and demon possession.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel passage defining spiritual kinship based on doing the will of the Father.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Historical Old Testament precedent of Jeroboam's hand withering, contrasting with Jesus' restoration.
Prophetic description of the prey taken from the mighty, illustrating binding the strong man.
Levi's disregard of earthly mother and brethren to keep God's word, mirroring Jesus' spiritual family priority.