Text -- Mark 6:45-56 (NET)

Walking on Water

6:45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dispersed the crowd. 6:46 After saying good-bye to them, he went to the mountain to pray. 6:47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land. 6:48 He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, he came to them walking on the sea, for he wanted to pass by them. 6:49 When they saw him walking on the water they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 6:50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 6:51 Then he went up with them into the boat, and the wind ceased. They were completely astonished, 6:52 because they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Healing the Sick

6:53 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there. 6:54 As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Jesus. 6:55 They ran through that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever he was rumored to be. 6:56 And wherever he would go– into villages, towns, or countryside– they would place the sick in the marketplaces, and would ask him if they could just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Mar 6:45

¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Mar 6:48

¹ tn This verse is one complete sentence in the Greek text, but it has been broken into two sentences in English for clarity.

² tn Grk “about the fourth watch of the night,” between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.

³ tn Or “on the lake.”

⁴ tn The καί (kai) was translated so as to introduce a subordinate clause, i.e., with the use of “for.” See BDF §442.9.

⁵ sn The statement he wanted to pass by them is somewhat difficult to understand. There are at least two common interpretations: (1) it refers to the perspective of the disciples, that is, from their point of view it seemed that Jesus wanted to pass by them; or (2) it refers to a theophany and uses the language of the Greek Old Testament (LXX) when God “passed by” Moses at Sinai (cf. Exod 33:19, 22). According to the latter alternative, Jesus is “passing by” the disciples during their struggle, in order to assure them of his presence with them. See W L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 236.

NET Notes: Mar 6:49

¹ tn Grk “on the sea,” “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 48).

² tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

NET Notes: Mar 6:50

¹ tn Grk “he spoke with them, and said to them.”

NET Notes: Mar 6:53

¹ sn Gennesaret was a fertile plain south of Capernaum (see also Matt 14:34). This name was also sometimes used for the Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1).

NET Notes: Mar 6:54

¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Mar 6:55

¹ tn Grk “wherever they heard he was.”

NET Notes: Mar 6:56

¹ tn Grk “asked that they might touch.”