ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν. ‘On one of the days.’ From Mark 4:35; Matthew 8:18, we should infer that this event took place in the evening on which He began to teach the crowd in parables, and that—attracted by the beauty and novelty of His teaching they lingered round Him till, in utter weariness, He longed to escape to the secluded loneliness of the Eastern shore of the lake. Possibly the interference of His kinsmen may have added the last touch to the fatigue and emotion which imperatively demanded retirement and rest.

εἰς πλοῖον. St Matthew says ‘the boat,’ which usually waited on His movements; very probably the one which had belonged to Peter. Before the boat pushed off, we learn that three aspirants for discipleship came to Him, Matthew 8:19-22 (Luke 9:57-62).

εἰς τὸ πέραν. The Peraean side of the Lake of Galilee has always been comparatively uninhabited, mainly because the escarpment of barren hills approaches within a quarter of a mile of the shore. Its solitude contrasted all the more with the hum of crowded and busy life on the plain of Gennesareth.

τῆς λίμνης. See on Luke 5:1.

ἀνήχθησαν. Such was His weariness and eagerness to get away that they took Him ‘as He was’—without even pausing for any food or refreshment—into the boat, Mark 4:36.

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Old Testament