A Man with a Withered Hand Healed

And he entered into the synagogue again, and a man who had a withered hand was there. And they were watching him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, in order that they could accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come into the middle.” And he said to them, “Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your[a] hand.” And he stretched it[b] out, and his hand was restored. And the Pharisees went out immediately with the Herodians and began to conspire[c] against him with regard to how they could destroy him.

Jesus Heals Crowds by the Sea

And Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea,[d] and a great crowd from Galilee followed him.[e] And from Judea and from Jerusalem and from Idumea and the other side of the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon a great crowd came to him because they[f] heard all that he was doing. And he told his disciples that a small boat should stand ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not press upon him. 10 For he had healed many, so that all those who were suffering from diseases[g] pressed about him in order that they could touch him. 11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, were falling down before him and crying out, saying, “You are the Son of God!” 12 And he warned them strictly that they should not make him known.

The Selection of the Twelve Apostles

13 And he went up on the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve,[h] so that they would be with him and so that he could send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to expel demons. 16 And he appointed the twelve.[i] And to Simon he gave the name Peter, 17 and James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (and he gave to them the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”), 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,[j] 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

A House Divided Cannot Stand

20 And he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they were not even able to eat a meal. 21 And when[k] his family[l] heard this,[m] they went out to restrain him, for they were saying, “He has lost his mind!”

22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul!” and “By the ruler of the demons he expels the demons!” 23 And he called them to himself and[n] was speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan expel Satan? 24 And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom is not able to stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand, but is at an end! 27 But no one is able to enter into the house of a strong man and[o] plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he can thoroughly plunder his house.

28 “Truly I say to you that all the sins and the blasphemies will be forgiven the sons of men, however much they blaspheme. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit does not have forgiveness forever,[p] but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

31 And his mother and his brothers arrived, and standing outside, they sent word to him to summon him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers[q] are outside looking for you.” 33 And he answered them and[r] said, “Who is my mother or[s] my brothers?” 34 And looking around at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, this person is my brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 3:5 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  2. Mark 3:5 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  3. Mark 3:6 Literally “began to give counsel”; the imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive (“began to”)
  4. Mark 3:7 That is, the Sea of Galilee
  5. Mark 3:7 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  6. Mark 3:8 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as causal
  7. Mark 3:10 Literally “had suffering”
  8. Mark 3:14 Some manuscripts add “whom he also named apostles”
  9. Mark 3:16 Most Greek manuscripts omit the phrase “and he appointed the twelve”
  10. Mark 3:18 Literally “the Cananean,” but according to BDAG 507 s.v., this term has no relation at all to the geographical terms for Cana or Canaan, but is derived from the Aramaic term for “enthusiast, zealot” (see Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13)
  11. Mark 3:21 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
  12. Mark 3:21 Literally those “close to him”
  13. Mark 3:21 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  14. Mark 3:23 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“called”) has been translated as a finite verb
  15. Mark 3:27 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“enter”) has been translated as a finite verb
  16. Mark 3:29 Literally “for the age”
  17. Mark 3:32 Some manuscripts add “and your sisters”
  18. Mark 3:33 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  19. Mark 3:33 Some manuscripts have “and”

1 The withered hand is healed. 6 The Pharisees consult with the Herodians. 10 Many are healed by touching Christ. 11 At his sight the devils fall down before him. 14 The twelve Apostles. 24 The kingdom divided against itself. 29 Blasphemy against the holy Ghost. 33 Christ’s parents.

And (A)[a]he entered again into the Synagogue, and there was a man which had a [b]withered hand.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

Then he said unto the man which had the withered hand, Arise: stand forth in the midst.

And he said to them, Is it lawful to do a good deed on the Sabbath day, or to do evil? to save the [c]life, or to kill? but they held their peace.

Then he looked round about on them [d]angrily, mourning also for the [e]hardness of their hearts, and said to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored, as whole as the other.

[f]And the Pharisees departed, and straightway gathered a council with the [g]Herodians against him, that they might destroy him.

But Jesus avoided with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, and from Judea,

And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and [h]beyond Jordan: and they that dwelled about Tyre and Sidon, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him in great number.

And he commanded his disciples, that a little ship should [i]wait for him, because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

10 For he had healed many, insomuch that they pressed upon him to touch him, as many as had [j]plagues.

11 And when the [k]unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

12 And he sharply rebuked them, to the end they should not utter him.

13 (B)Then he went up into a mountain, and called unto him whom he would, and they came unto him.

14 [l]And he [m]appointed twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them to preach.

15 And that they might have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

16 And the first was Simon, and he named Simon, Peter,

17 Then James the son of Zebedee, and John James’ brother (and surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.)

18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and [n]Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

19 And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him, and they came [o]home.

20 And the multitude assembled again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21 [p]And when his [q]kinsfolks heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said that he was beside himself.

22 (C)And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem, said, He hath Beelzebub, and through the prince of the devils he casteth out devils.

23 But he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan drive out Satan?

24 For if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 Or if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot continue.

26 So if [r]Satan make insurrection against himself, and be divided, he cannot endure, but is at an end.

27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and take away his goods, except he first bind that strong man, and then spoil his house.

28 (D)[s]Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the children of men, and blasphemies, wherewith they blaspheme:

29 But he that blasphemeth against the holy Ghost, shall never have forgiveness, but is culpable of eternal damnation.

30 [t]Because they said, He had an unclean spirit.

31 (E)Then came his [u]brethren and mother and stood without, and sent unto him, and called him.

32 And the people sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother, and thy brethren seek for thee without.

33 But he answered them, saying, Who is my mother and my brethren?

34 [v]And he looked round about on them, which sat in compass about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren.

35 For whosoever doeth the will of God, he is my brother, my sister, and my mother.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 3:1 Thirdly, for that they preferred the ceremonial Law (which was but an appendant to the moral Law) before the moral Law: whereas contrariwise, they should have learned out of this, the true use of the ceremonial Law.
  2. Mark 3:1 That is, unprofitable and dead.
  3. Mark 3:4 A figurative speech, by the figure Synecdoche. For this kind of saying, To save the life, is as much, as to save the man.
  4. Mark 3:5 Men, when they have wrong done unto them, are angry, but not without vice, but Christ is angry without vice, neither is he sorry so much for the injury that is done to his own person, as for their wickedness: and therefore he had pity upon them, and for that cause is he said to have mourned.
  5. Mark 3:5 As though their heart had been so closed up, and grown together, that wholesome doctrine could prevail no more with them.
  6. Mark 3:6 The more the truth is kept under, the more it cometh out.
  7. Mark 3:6 See also Matt. 22:16.
  8. Mark 3:8 Which Josephus calleth stony or rocky.
  9. Mark 3:9 Should always be ready for him.
  10. Mark 3:10 Diseases wherewith God scourgeth men as it were with whips.
  11. Mark 3:11 In them whom they had entered into: or by the figure called Metonymy, for them which were vexed with unclean spirits.
  12. Mark 3:14 The twelve Apostles are set apart to be trained up to the office of the Apostleship.
  13. Mark 3:14 Chose and appointed out twelve to be familiar and conversant with him.
  14. Mark 3:18 Whom Luke also calleth Judas: and for difference’s sake, the other Judas is called Iscariot.
  15. Mark 3:19 The disciples whom Christ had taken to be of his train and to live with him, come home to his house, to be with him always after.
  16. Mark 3:21 None are worse enemies of the Gospel, than they that least ought.
  17. Mark 3:21 Word for word, they that were of him, that is, his kinfolks: for they that were mad, were brought to their kinsmen.
  18. Mark 3:26 Satan’s imps or . . . .
  19. Mark 3:28 They only are without hope of salvation, which do maliciously oppugn Christ, whom they know.
  20. Mark 3:30 These are the words of the Evangelist.
  21. Mark 3:31 Under this name Brother, the Hebrews understand all that are of the same stock and kindred.
  22. Mark 3:34 The spiritual kindred is far otherwise to be accounted of, than the carnal or fleshly.

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue,(A) and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely(B) to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.(C) Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians(D) how they might kill Jesus.(E)

Crowds Follow Jesus(F)

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.(G) When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.(H) Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many,(I) so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.(J) 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”(K) 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.(L)

Jesus Appoints the Twelve(M)

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.(N) 14 He appointed twelve[a](O) that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.(P) 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),(Q) 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law(R)(S)

20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered,(T) so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.(U) 21 When his family[b] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”(V)

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem(W) said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul!(X) By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”(Y)

23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables:(Z) “How can Satan(AA) drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.(AB) 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”(AC)

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived.(AD) Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 3:14 Some manuscripts twelve—designating them apostles—
  2. Mark 3:21 Or his associates