Mark 6:32

And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. AND THEY DEPARTED INTO A DESERT PLACE BY SHIP PRIVATELY - "over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias," says John (John 6:1:l), the only one of the Evangelists who so fully describes it; the others having written when their readers were supposed to know something of it, while the last wrote for those at a greater distance of time and place. This "desert place" is more definitely described by Luke () as "belonging to the city called Bethsaida." This must not be confounded with the town so called on the western side of the lake (see the note at ). This town lay on its northeastern side, near where the Jordan empties itself into it; in Gaulonitis...

30-44 Let not ministers do any thing or teach any thing, but what they are willing should be told to their Lord. Christ notices the frights of some, and the toils of others of his disciples, and provides rest for those that are tired, and refuge for those that are terrified. The people sought the spiritual food of Christ's word, and then he took care that they should not want bodily food. If Christ and his disciples put up with mean things, surely we may. And this miracle shows that Christ came into the world, not only to restore, but to preserve and nourish spiritual life; in him there is enough for all that come. None are sent empty away from Christ but those who come to him full of themselves. Though Christ had bread enough at command, he teaches us not to waste any of God's bounties, remembering how many are in want. We may, some time, need the fragments that we now throw away....

See this narrative explained in the notes at Matthew 14:13. Mark 6:32 BY SHIP - By a boat or a small vessel. PRIVATELY - Without making their plan known. They intended to go privately. It appears, however, that their intention became known, and multitudes followed them. Mark 6:33 AFOOT THITHER - On foot to the place where they saw them going. OUT OF ALL CITIES - All cities or large towns in the neighborhood. Mark 6:34...

EXPOSITION MARK 6:1 Our Lord now left the neighbourhood of Capernaum, and came INTO HIS OWN COUNTRY, the district of Nazareth, where he had been, not born indeed, but brought up, and where his kinsfolk after the flesh still lived. Nazareth would be about a day's journey from Capernaum. This was not the first public exercise of his ministry at Nazareth. Of that and its results St. Luke gives us the account (Luke 4:16). It would seem reasonable to suppose that, after the fame which he had now acquired, he should again visit the place where he had been brought up. His sisters were still living there. St. Mark here again uses the historical present ἔρχεται, "he cometh," for which there is better authority than for ἧλθεν_. _HIS

AND THEY DEPARTED INTO A DESERT PLACE,.... Which belonged to the city of Bethsaida, Luke 9:10, BY SHIP, PRIVATELY; over some part of the sea of Tiberias, this place lying on a more remote side of it....

CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The Servant rejected in Nazareth. (Mark 6:1. Matthew 13:54; Luke 4:16)_ 2. The Servant sends forth the Twelve. (Mark 6:7 .Matthew 10:5; Luke 9:1) 3. King Herod troubled. (Mark 6:14. Matthew 14:1; Luke 9:7)...

THE FEEDING OF THE MULTITUDE. Mk. regards the disciples-' need of rest after their missionary labours as the occasion for retirement. The hostility of Herod may also have contributed to the decision to withdraw to a desert place. The pressure of the public on the time and energies of the disciple-band is, however, put in the foreground. The eagerness of the crowd defeats the purpose of Jesus. Though He has withdrawn to avoid them. He goes forth to welcome them. To Him they seem like the shepherdless flock described in Ezekiel 34. Their political and religious leaders are worthless, and their first need is teaching. Jesus is touched by the crowd's half-unconscious search for leadership. Mk. preserves (Mark 6:34) his tantalizing silence as to the content of Jesus-' teaching. He is more interested in the care of Jesus for men's physical hunger than in His concern for their spiritual and pol...

WITHOUT HONOR IN HIS OWN COUNTRY (Mark 6:1-6)...

_they departed into a desert place_ They crossed the Lake of Gennesaret (John 6:1) and proceeded in the direction of Bethsaida-Julias, at its north-eastern corner (Luke 9:10), just above the entrance of the Jordan into it. Bethsaida-Julias was originally only a village, but was rebuilt and enlarged by Herod Philip not long after the birth of Christ. He raised it to the dignity of a town, and called it _Julias_after Julia the daughter of Augustus. Philip occasionally resided there, and there died and was buried in a costly tomb (Jos. _Antiq_. xviii. 4. 6). To the south of it was the green and narrow plain of _El-Batîhah_, "with abundant grass, and abundant space for the multitudes to have sat down" (Tristram's _Land of Israel_, p. 439)....

30–44. RETURN OF THE TWELVE. FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14....