Mark 3:21

And the multitude cometh together again, etc.

συνέρχεται : the crowd, partially dispersed, reassembles (implying lapse of an appreciable interval). Jesus had hoped they would go away to their homes in various parts of the country during His absence on the hill, but He was disappointed. They lingered on. ὥστε, etc.: the crowding about the house and the demand for sight and succour of the Benefactor were so great that they (Jesus and His companions) could not find leisure, not even (μηδὲ) to take food, not to speak of rest, or giving instruction to disciples. Erasmus (Adnot.) thinks the reference is to the multitude, and the meaning that it was so large that there was not bread for all, not to speak of kitchen (obsonia).

Mark 3:21 introduces a new scene into the lively drama. The statement is obscure partly owing to its brevity (Fritzsche), and it is made obscurer by a piety which is not willing to accept the surface meaning (so Maldonatus “hunc locum difficiliorem pietas facit”), which is that the friends of Jesus, having heard of what was going on wonderful cures, great crowds, incessant activity set out from where they were (ἐξῆλθον) with the purpose of taking Him under their care (κρατῆσαι αὐτόν), their impression, not concealed (ἔλεγον γὰρ, they had begun to say), being that He was in an unhealthy state of excitement bordering on insanity (ἐξέστη). Recent commentators, German and English, are in the main agreed that this is the true sense. οἱ παρʼ αὐτοῦ means either specifically His relatives (“sui” Vulg [21], οἱ οἰκεῖοι α. Theophy.), so Raphel, Wetstein, Kypke, Loesner, with citations from Greek authors, Meyer and Weiss, identifying the parties here spoken of with those referred to in Mark 3:31; or, more generally, persons well disposed towards Jesus, an outer circle of disciples (Schanz and Keil). ἀκούσαντες : not to be restricted to what is mentioned in Mark 3:20; refers to the whole Galilean ministry with its cures and crowds, and constant strain. Therefore the friends might have come from a distance, Nazareth, e.g., starting before Jesus descended from the hill. That their arrival happened just then was a coincidence. ἔλεγον γὰρ : for they were saying, might refer to others than those who came to lay hold of Jesus to messengers who brought them news of what was going on (Bengel), or it might refer quite impersonally to a report that had gone abroad (“rumor exierat,” Grotius), or it might even refer to the Pharisees. But the reference is almost certainly to the friends. Observe the parallelism between οἱ παρʼ αὐτοῦ, ἔλεγον γὰρ, ὅτι ἐξέστη and οἱ γραμματεῖς, οἱ … ἔλεγον, ὅτι Βεελ. ἔχει in Mark 3:22 (Fritzsche points this out in a long and thorough discussion of the whole passage). ἐξέστη : various ways of evading the idea suggested by this word have been resorted to. It has been referred to the crowd = the crowd is mad, and won't let Him alone. Viewed as referring to Jesus it has been taken = He is exhausted, or He has left the place = they came to detain Him, for they heard that He was going or had gone. Both these are suggested by Euthy. Zig. Doubtless the reference is to Jesus, and the meaning that in the opinion of His friends He was in a state of excitement bordering on insanity (cf. Mark 2:12; Mark 5:42; Mark 6:51). δαίμονα ἔχει (Theophy.) is too strong, though the Jews apparently identified insanity with possession. Festus said of St. Paul: “Much learning doth make thee mad”. The friends of Jesus thought that much benevolence had put Him into a state of enthusiasm dangerous to the health both of body and mind. Note: Christ's healing ministry created a need for theories about it. Herod had his theory (Matthew 14), the friends of Jesus had theirs, and the Pharisees theirs: John redivivus, disordered mind, Satanic possession. That which called forth so many theories must have been a great fact.

[21] Vulgate (Jerome's revision of old Latin version).