Mark 6:45-52

Walking on Water

6:45 Immediately Jesus ¹  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 ²  saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, ³  he came to them walking on the sea, ⁴  for ⁵  he wanted to pass by them. ⁶  6:49 When they saw him walking on the water ⁷  they thought he was a ghost. They ⁸  cried out, 6:50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: ⁹  “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.

[6:45]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:48]  ² 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]  ³ tn Grk “about the fourth watch of the night,” between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.

[6:48]  ⁴ tn Or “on the lake.”

[6:48]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.

[6:49]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[6:50]  ⁹ tn Grk “he spoke with them, and said to them.”