Mark 4:38

And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? AND HE WAS IN THE HINDER - or stern, PART OF THE SHIP, ASLEEP ON A PILLOW, [ epi (G1909) to (G3588) proskefalaion (G4344)] - either a place in the vessel made to receive the head, or a cushion for the head to rest on. It was evening; and after the fatigues of a busy day of teaching under the hot sun, having nothing to do while crossing the lake, He sinks into a deep sleep, which even this tempest raging around and tossing the little vessel did not disturb. AND THEY AWAKE HIM, AND SAY UNTO HIM, MASTER, ...

35-41 Christ was asleep in the storm, to try the faith of his disciples, and to stir them up to pray. Their faith appeared weak, and their prayers strong. When our wicked hearts are like the troubled sea which cannot rest, when our passions are unruly, let us think we hear the law of Christ, saying, Be silent, be dumb. When without are fightings, and within are fears, and the spirits are in a tumult, if he say, "Peace, be still," there is a great calm at once. Why are ye so fearful? Though there may be cause for some fear, yet not for such fear as this. Those may suspect their faith, who can have such a thought as that Jesus careth not though his people perish. How imperfect are the best of saints! Faith and fear take their turns while we are in this world; but ere long, fear will be overcome, and faith will be lost in sight....

Verse 38. _ON A PILLOW_] προσκεφαλαιον probably means a _little_ _bed_, or _hammock_, such as are common in _small vessels_. I have seen several in _small packets_, or _passage boats_, not a great deal larger than a _bolster_....

See the notes at Matthew 8:18. Mark 4:36 EVEN AS HE WAS IN THE SHIP - They took him without making any preparation for the voyage; without providing any food or raiment. He was sitting in a ship, or boat, instructing the people. In the same boat, probably ill fitted to encounter a storm on the lake, they sailed. This would render their danger more imminent and the miracle more striking. THERE WERE WITH HIM OTHER LITTLE SHIPS - Belonging probably to the people, who, seeing him sail, resolved to follow him. Mark 4:39 PEACE, BE STILL - There is something exceedingly autho

EXPOSITION MARK 4:1 AND AGAIN HE BEGAN TO TEACH BY THE SEASIDE. This return to the seaside is mentioned by St. Mark only. From this time our Lord's teaching began to be more public. The room and the little courtyard no longer sufficed for the multitudes that came to him. The Authorized Version says that "a great multitude was gathered unto him." The Greek adjective, according to the most approved reading, is πλεῖστος the superlative of πολὺς,_ _and should be rendered "a very great" multitude. They bad probably been waiting for him in the neighborhood of Capernaum. HE ENTERED INTO A BOAT—probably the boat mentioned at Mark 3:9—AND SAT IN THE SEA, _i.e. _in the boat afloat on the water, so

AND HE WAS IN THE HINDER PART OF THE SHIP,.... That is, Christ was in the stern of the ship: the Persic version renders it, "he was in the bottom of the ship, in a corner", but very wrongly; here he was ASLEEP ON A PILLOW, which some say was a wooden one, framed at the stern: however, he was fast asleep on it, being greatly fatigued with the work of the day; Matthew 8:24. AND THEY AWAKE HIM, AND SAY UNTO HIM, MASTER, CAREST THOU NOT THAT WE PERISH? The disciples came to him and jogged him, and awoke him out of sleep; saying, Master, arise, and save us, or we are lost: hast thou no concern for us? how canst thou lie sleeping here, when we are in such danger? are our lives of no account with thee? is it a matter of no moment with thee, whether we are saved or lost? They seem to say this, not so much praying and interrogating, as complaining and reproving.

Mark 4:35 _And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude,--_ Telling them that Christ would give them no more instruction that day, and that they had better go back to their homes. There are some preachers who have great gifts of dispersion, it does not take them long to scatter a congregation; but I expect that Christ's disciples found it to be no easy task to send away the crowds that had been listening to their Master's wondrous words. But, « when they had sent away the multitude,»- Mark 4:36. _They took him even a he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships._ Christ was Lord High Admiral of the Galilean lake that night, and he had quite a little fleet of

CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Teaching by the Seaside. The Parable of the Sower. (Mark 4:1. Matthew 13:1; Luke 8:4 .)_ 2. The Word to shine forth in testimony. (Mark 4:21 .Luke 8:16 .) 3. The Parable of the Growth of the Seed and the Harvest. (Mark 4:26 .) 4. The Parable of the Mustard Seed. (Mark 4:30 .Matthew 13

TEACHING IN PARABLES (Mark 4:1-2)...

IN. on. Greek. _epi_. App-104. All the texts prefer Greek. _en_. in (App-104.) ASLEEP. sleeping (soundly). App-171. A PILLOW. the [wooden] seat [with its leathern covering [or cushion]. MASTER. Teacher. App-98. Mark 4:1. PERISH. are perishing....