Mark 3:21

And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. For the exposition, see the notes at Matthew 12:22, and at Luke 11:21....

13-21 Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with what is inconvenient to themselves, and will rather lose a meal than an opportunity of doing good. Those who go on with zeal in the work of God, must expect hinderances, both from the hatred of enemies, and mistaken affections of friends, and need to guard against both....

Verse 21. _HIS FRIENDS_] Or, _relations_. On this verse several MSS. differ considerably. I have followed the reading of the Syriac, because I think it the best: οιπαραυτου signify merely _his relatives, his brethren_, c., see Mark 3:31 and the phrase is used by the best writers to signify _relatives, companions_, and _domestics_. See _Kypke_ in loc. _THEY SAID, HE IS BESIDE HIMSELF._] It was the enemies of Christ that raised this report; and his relatives, probably thinking that it was true, went to confine him. Let a Christian but neglect the care of his body for a time, in striving to enter in at the strait gate; let a minister of Christ but impair his health by his pastoral labours; presently "he is distracted;" he has "not the least conduct nor discretion." But let a man forget his soul, let him destroy his health by debaucheries,

WHEN HIS FRIENDS - Greek, “they who were of him.” Not the apostles, but his relatives, his friends, who were in the place of his nativity. HEARD OF IT - Heard of his conduct: his preaching; his appointing the apostles; his drawing such a multitude to his preaching. This shows that by “his friends” were not meant the apostles, but his neighbors and others who “heard” of his conduct. THEY WENT OUT TO LAY HOLD ON HIM - To take him away from the multitude, and to remove him to his home, that he might be treated as a maniac, so that, by absence from the “causes” of excitement, he might be restored to his right mind. THEY SAID - That is, common report said; or his friends and relatives said, for they did not believe on him, John 7:5. Probably the e

EXPOSITION This chapter begins with the record of another case of healing on the sabbath day; and it closes with the notice of a combination of the Pharisees with the Herodians to bring about the destruction of the Saviour. We may observe that he again chose the sabbath for a new miracle, that he might again and again confute the error of the scribes and Pharisees with regard to the observance of the sabbath. MARK 3:1 HE ENTERED AGAIN INTO THE SYNAGOGUE. St. Matthew (Matthew 12:9) says, "their synagogue" (εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν) This would probably be on the next sabbath after that named at the close of the last chapter. And there was a man there which had a withered hand (ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα);_ _literally, which had his hand withered

WHEN HIS FRIENDS HEARD OF IT,.... Not his spiritual friends, his disciples and followers, that believed in him; but his kinsmen, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render the words, who were so according to the flesh; when they heard where he was, and what a crowd was about him, so that he could not so much as take the necessaries of life for his refreshment and support, THEY WENT OUT TO LAY HOLD ON HIM: either out of their houses at Capernaum, or they went forth from Nazareth, where they dwelt, to Capernaum, to take him from this house, where he was thronged and pressed, along with them; where he might have some refreshment without being incommoded, and take some rest, which seemed very necessary: so that this was done in kindness to him, and does not design any violent action upon him, in order to take him home with them, and to confine him as a madman; though the following words see...

MARK 3:21 avkou,santej oi` parV auvtou/ {A} The original reading oi` parV auvtou/ (“his friends” or “his relatives”) apparently proved to be so embarrassing that D W _al_ altered it to read, “When _the scribes and the others_ had heard about him, they went out to seize him, for they said, ‘He is beside himself.’”...

CHAPTER 3 _ 1. In the synagogue. The man with the withered hand healed. (Mark 3:1. Matthew 12:9; Luke 6:6 .)_ 2. The Withdrawal of the Servant. Many healed. (Mark 3:7 .Matthew 12:15; Luke 6:17 .) 3. On the Mountain calling the Twelve. (Mark 3:13. Matthew 10:1;...

THE ANSWER OF JESUS TO THE VERDICT OF THE JERUSALEM SCRIBES AND THE INTERVENTION OF HIS FAMILY. The introduction of this section would naturally link with Mark 3:6. Jesus returns home (presumably, to the house of Simon in Capernaum) after the second scene in the synagogue in Mark 3:1. Mk. has broken the thread of the original tradition in order to insert the list of the apostles. He certainly divides Mark 3:20 f. from Mark 3:31 in order to associate with the judgment of the relatives of Jesus the still more outrageous verdict of the scribes from Jerusalem. The statement that the relatives of Jesus thought Him beside Himself (perhaps in a state of unbalanced ecstacy),

THE CLASH OF IDEAS (Mark 3:1-6)...