Mark 5:1

Healing of a Demoniac

5:1 So ¹  they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes. ² 

Mark 6:47

6:47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land.

Mark 6:49

6:49 When they saw him walking on the water ³  they thought he was a ghost. They ⁴  cried out,

Mark 6:48

6:48 He ⁵  saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, ⁶  he came to them walking on the sea, ⁷  for ⁸  he wanted to pass by them. ⁹ 

[5:1]  ¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a summary and transition in the narrative.

[5:1]  ² tc The textual tradition here is quite complicated. Most later mss (A C ˹³ Ï sy^p,h) read “Gadarenes,” which is the better reading in Matt 8:28. Other mss (א² L Δ Θ Ë¹ 28 33 565 579 700 892 1241 1424 al sy^s bo) have “Gergesenes.” Others (א* B D latt sa) have “Gerasenes,” which is the reading followed in the translation here and in Luke 8:26. The difference between Matthew and Mark (which is parallel to Luke) may well have to do with uses of variant regional terms.

[6:49]  ³ 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).

[6:49]  ⁴ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[6:48]  ⁵ tn This verse is one complete sentence in the Greek text, but it has been broken into two sentences in English for clarity.

[6:48]  ⁶ tn Grk “about the fourth watch of the night,” between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.

[6:48]  ⁷ tn Or “on the lake.”

[6:48]  ⁸ tn The καί (kai) was translated so as to introduce a subordinate clause, i.e., with the use of “for.” See BDF §442.9.

[6:48]  ⁹ 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.