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Mark3

World English Bible · Public Domain

1He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there whose hand was withered.

2They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

3He said to the man whose hand was withered, “Stand up.”

4He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do harm? To save a life or to kill?” But they were silent.

5When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other.

6The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea,

8from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came to him.

9He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him.

10For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him.

11The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried, “You are the Son of God!”

12He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

13He went up into the mountain and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him.

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

15and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:

16Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);

17James the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder);

18Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;

19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he came into a house.

20The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him; for they said, “He is insane.”

22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons.”

23He summoned them and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he can’t stand, but has an end.

27But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then he will plunder his house.

28“Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;

29but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.”

30—because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

31His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

32A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.”

33He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

34Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!

35For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my 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.