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Mar_6:45-56. Comp. on Mat_14:22-26. The latter abridges indeed, but adds, probably from a tradition[101] not known to Mark, the intervening scene Mar_14:28-31. The conclusion has remained peculiar to Mark.
ἠνάγκασε κ . τ . λ .] remaining behind alone, He could the more easily withdraw Himself unobserved from the people.
τὸ πλοῖον ] the ship, in which they had come.
Βηθσαϊδάν ] The place on the western coast of the lake, in Galilee, is meant, Mat_11:21. See Mar_6:53; Mar_8:22; Joh_6:17. In opposition to Wieseler and Lange, who understand the eastern Bethsaida, see on Mat_14:22, Remark. As to the relation of this statement to Luk_9:10, see in loc.
ἀπολύει (see the critical remarks) is to be explained from the peculiarity of the Greek in introducing in the direct mode of expression in oblique discourse, by which means the representation gains in liveliness. See Kühner, II. p. 594 f., and ad Xen. Anab. i. 3. 14; Bernhardy, p. 389.
ἀποταξάμ . αὐτοῖς ] after He had taken leave of them (of the people), an expression of later Greek. See Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 24; Wetstein in loc.
Mar_6:48. A point is to be placed, with Lachmann and Tischendorf, after θαλάσσης , and then a colon after ΑὐΤΟΎς ; but ἮΝ ΓᾺΡ Ὁ ἌΝΕΜ . ἘΝΑΝΤ . ΑὐΤ . is a parenthesis. When He had seen them in distress ( ἰδών , see the critical remarks), this induced Him about the fourth watch of the night to come to them walking on the sea (not upon its shore). His purpose therein was to help them (Mar_6:51); but the initiative in this matter was to come from the side of the disciples; therefore He wished to pass by before the ship, in order to be observed by them (Mar_6:49).
περὶ τετάρτ . φυλακ .] The difficulties suggested by the lateness of the time at which they were still sailing, after having already ὈΨΊΑς ΓΕΝΟΜΈΝΗς reached the middle of the lake (Strauss, B. Bauer), are quite explained by the violence of the contrary wind. Comp. Ebrard, p. 392; Robinson, Pal. III. p. 527, 572.
παρελθεῖν αὐτούς ] The Vulgate rightly has: praeterire eos (Hom. Il. viii. 239; Plat. Alc. i. 123 B), not: “to come over (the lake) to them,” Ewald (yet comp. his Gesch. Chr. p. 365). This is at variance with the New Testament usage, although poets (as Eur. Med. 1137, 1275) join παρέρχεσθαι , to come to any one, with the accusative; moreover, after ἜΡΧΕΤΑΙ ΠΡῸς ΑὐΤΟΎς the remark would be superfluous. It, might mean: He wished to overtake them (antevertere, see Hom. Od. viii. 230; Sturz, Lex. Xen. III. p. 453; Ameis and Nägelsbach on Hom. II. i. 132), but the primary and most usual meaning is quite appropriate.
Mar_6:51. ἐκ περισσοῦ ] is further strengthened by ΛΊΑΝ : very much above all measure. Comp. λίαν ἄγαν (Meineke, Menand. p. 152), and similar expressions (Lobeck, Paralip. p. 62), also λίαν βέλτιστα , Plat. Eryx. p. 393 E.
ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ] in their own hearts, without giving vent to their feelings in utterances, as at Mar_4:14.
ἐθαύμαζον ] The imperfect denotes (comp. Act_2:7) the continuance of the feeling after the first amazement.
Mar_6:52. ΓΆΡ ] for they attained not to understanding in the matter of the loaves (on occasion of that marvellous feeding with bread; Mar_6:41 ff.); otherwise they would, by virtue of the insight acquired on occasion of that work of Christ, have known how to judge correctly of the present new miracle, in which the same divine power had operated through Him,[102] and they would not have fallen into such boundless surprise and astonishment. Bengel says correctly: “Debuerant a pane ad mare concludere.” De Wette unjustly describes it as “an observation belonging to the craving for miracles;” and Hilgenfeld arbitrarily, as “a foil” to glorify the confession of Peter.
ἦν γὰρ κ . τ . λ .] informs us of the internal reason of their not attaining insight in the matter of the loaves; their heart, i.e. the seat of their internal vital activity (Beck, Seelenlehre, p. 67; Delitzsch, Psych, p. 248 ff.), was withal in a state of hardening, wherein they were as to mind and disposition obtuse and inaccessible to the higher knowledge and its practically determining influence. Comp. Mar_8:7.
Mar_6:53. διαπεράσ ] points back to Mar_6:45.
ἘΠῚ Τ . ΓῆΝ ΓΕΝΝΗΣ .] not: into the country, but unto the country of Gennesareth; for the landing ( προσωρμίσθ .) and disembarking does not follow till afterwards.
Mar_6:55. περιδραμόντες ] in order to fetch the sick.
ἬΡΞΑΤΟ ] belongs to the description of the quick result. Immediately they knew Him, they ran round about and began, etc.
περιφέρειν ] is not inappropriate (Fritzsche), which would only be the case, if it were necessary to suppose that the individual sick man had been carried about. But it is to be understood summarily of the sick; these were carried about—one hither, another thither, wherever Jesus was at the time (comp. Mar_6:56).
Hence ὅπου ἤκουον , ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐστι cannot mean: from all the places, at which ( ὅπου ) they heard that He was there (in the region of Gennesareth), but both ὅπου and ἘΚΕῖ , although we may not blend them after the analogy of the Hebrew àÂùÑÆøÎùÑÈí into the simple ubi (Beza, Grotius, Wetstein, and many others), must denote the (changing, see Mar_6:56) abode of Jesus. They brought the sick round about to the places, at which they were told that He was to be found there. We may conceive that the people before going forth with their sick first make inquiry in the surrounding places, whether Jesus is there. Wherever on this inquiry they hear that He is present, thither they bring the sick.
Mar_6:56. ΕἸς ΚΏΜ . Ἢ ΠΌΛΕΙς ] therefore not merely limiting Himself to the small district of Gennesareth, where He had landed. The following ἘΝ ΤΑῖς ἈΓΟΡΑῖς , however, is not in keeping with ἈΓΡΌς (country-places). A want of precision, which has suggested the reading ἘΝ ΤΑῖς ΠΛΑΤΕΙΑῖς in D, Vulg. It. The expression is zeugmatic.
ΚἊΝ ΤΟῦ ΚΡΑΣΠ . Κ . Τ . Λ .] comp. Mar_5:28. As to the mode of expression, see Act_5:15; 2Co_11:16.
ὍΣΟΙ ἊΝ ἭΠΤΟΝΤΟ ] all whosoever, in the several cases. Comp. above: ὅπου ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο . See Hermann, de part. ἌΝ , p. 26 ff.; Klotz, ad Devar. p. 145; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 186 f. [E. T. 216].
ἐσώζοντο ] analogously to the case of the woman with an issue of blood, Mar_5:29-30, yet not independent of the knowledge and will of Jesus. And αὐτοῦ refers to Jesus, no matter where they touched Him.
[101] According to Hilgenfeld, Mark purposely suppressed the incident under the influence of a Petrine tendency, because Peter had shown weakness of faith. In this case he would have been inconsistent enough in narratives such as at Mar_8:33. Weizsäcker rightly recognises in Matt. l.c. the later representation, which, however, is merely a further embellishment not belonging to history.
[102] Mark therefore regarded the walking on the sea quite differently from Lange, L. J. II. p. 287 f., for this latter finds the pith of the miracle in the complete divine equanimity of the mind of Jesus, and in respect of that even says: “the dog falls into the water and swims, but the man falls into it and is drowned,” namely, by his alarm, instead of poising himself amidst the waves in the triumphant equanimity of his mind. This is an extravagance of naturalizing.