▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

▼ Jesus’ hometown (where he spent his childhood years) was Nazareth, about 20 miles (30 km) southwest of Capernaum.

▼ See the note on synagogue in 1:21. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and the relation of both to OT fulfillment.

▼ Or “this teaching”; Grk “these things.” The response of the people centers upon the content of Jesus’ teaching, so the phrase “these ideas” was supplied in the text to make this clear.

▼ Evidently because of the possible offensiveness of designating Jesus a carpenter, several mss ([Ƥ^45vid] f¹³ 33^vid [565 579] 700 [2542] pc it vg^mss) harmonize the words “carpenter, the son” to the parallel passage in Matt 13:55, “the son of the carpenter.” Almost all the rest of the mss read “the carpenter, the son.” Since the explicit designation of Jesus as a carpenter is the more difficult reading, and is much better attested, it is most likely correct.

▼ The reference to Jesus as the carpenter is probably derogatory, indicating that they knew Jesus only as a common laborer like themselves. The reference to him as the son of Mary (even though Jesus’ father was probably dead by this point) appears to be somewhat derogatory, for a man was not regarded as his mother’s son in Jewish usage unless an insult was intended (cf. Judg 11:1–2; John 6:42; 8:41; 9:29).

▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

▼ Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ The phrase unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.

▼ Neither Matt 10:9–10 nor Luke 9:3 allow for a staff. It might be that Matthew and Luke mean not taking an extra staff, or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light,” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways.

▼ Or “no traveler’s bag”; or possibly “no beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).

▼ Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, chitōn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.

▼ Jesus telling his disciples to stay there in one house contrasts with the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging.

▼ To shake the dust off represented shaking off the uncleanness from one’s feet; see Luke 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6. It was a sign of rejection.

▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

▼ Herod was technically not a king, but a tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king. A tetrarch ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. In the NT, Herod, who ruled over Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14–29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.

▼ Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

▼ While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark prefers the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (only twice does he use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).

▼ Grk “he”; here it is necessary to specify the referent as “Herod,” since the nearest previous antecedent in the translation is Philip.

▼ The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.

▼ It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. This was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.

▼ Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

▼ Grk “was fearing,” “was respecting”; the imperfect tense connotes an ongoing fear or respect for John.

▼ Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ In place of ἠπόρει (ēporei, “he was baffled”) the majority of mss (A C D f¹ 33 Maj. lat sy) have ἐποίει (epoiei, “he did”; cf. KJV’s “he did many things.”) The best mss (א B L [W] Θ 2427 co) support the reading followed in the translation. The variation may be no more than a simple case of confusion of letters, since the two readings look very much alike. The verb ποιέω (poieō, “I do”) certainly occurs more frequently than ἀπορέω (aporeō, “I am at a loss”), so a scribe would be more likely to write a more familiar word. Further, even though the reading ἐποίει is the harder reading in terms of the sense, it is virtually nonsensical here, rendering it most likely an unintentional corruption.

▼ Or “terribly disturbed,” “rather perplexed.” The verb ἀπορέω (aporeō) means “to be in perplexity, with the implication of serious anxiety” (L&N 32.9).

▼ Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “and yet” to indicate the concessive nature of the final clause.

▼ Grk “him”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

▼ Grk “a day of opportunity”; cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὔκαιρος, “in our lit. only pert. to time than is considered a favorable occasion for some event or circumstance, well-timed, suitable.”

▼ Behind “his daughter Herodias” is a most difficult textual problem. The reading adopted in the translation, τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (tēs thugatros autou herōdiados), is supported by א B D L Δ 565 pc; it is also the most difficult reading internally since it describes Herodias as Herod’s daughter. Other readings are less awkward, but they do not have adequate external support. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (tēs thugatros autēs tēs Herōdiados, “the daughter of Herodias herself”) is supported by A C (W) Θ f¹³ 33 Maj., but this is also grammatically awkward. The easiest reading, τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (“the daughter of Herodias”) is supported by f¹ pc, but this reading probably arose from an accidental omission of αὐτῆς in the previous reading. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος, despite its historical difficulties, is most likely original due to external attestation and the fact that it most likely gave rise to the other readings as scribes sought to correct it.

▼ ‡ The witnesses here support several different readings: αὐτῇ πολλά (autē polla, “to her insistently”) is found in D Θ 565 700 it; πολλά is the reading of Ƥ^45vid 28; both words are lacking in L pc; and א A B C^2vid f¹³ 33 2427 Maj. lat have just αὐτῇ. The best candidates for authenticity, on external grounds, are αὐτῇ πολλά and αὐτῇ. So the issue revolves around whether πολλά is part of the text. On the one hand, πολλά used adverbially is a distinctive Markanism (10 of the 16 NT instances are found in Mark; of the other Gospels, Matthew alone adds a single example [Matt 9:14]). It could be argued that such an unremarkable term would go unnoticed by the scribes, and consequently would not have been inserted in imitation of Mark’s style observed elsewhere. On the other hand, the largest cluster of instances of an adverbial πολλά are in Mark 5–6, with the most recent example coming just three verses earlier (Mark 5:23, 38, 43; 6:20). Scribes may well have imitated the usage so recently and so frequently seen. Further, the best Alexandrian witnesses, as well as good representatives of the Western and Byzantines texts, lack πολλά. On the whole, though a decision is difficult, it is probably best to read the text without πολλά. NA²⁷ places the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

▼ The expression up to half my kingdom is a proverbial comment meaning “great wealth.”

▼ Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

▼ Grk “She said”; the referent (the girl’s mother) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark employs the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (though twice he does use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).

▼ Grk “she asked, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant and has not been translated.

▼ Grk “and being deeply grieved, the king did not want.”

▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

▼ Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

▼ Grk “ran together on foot.” The idea of συντρέχω (suntrecō) is “to come together quickly to form a crowd” (L&N 15.133).

▼ Or “cities.”

▼ The translation here follows the reading προῆλθον (proēlqon, “they preceded”), found in א B (0187) 892 2427 pc lat co. Some mss (D 28 33 700 pc) read συνῆλθον (sunēlqon, “arrived there with them”), while the majority of mss, most of them late (Ƥ^84vid [A f¹³] Maj. sy^h), conflate the two readings (προῆλθον αὐτοὺς καὶ συνῆλθον πρὸς αὐτόν, “they preceded them and came together to him”). The reading adopted here thus has better external credentials than the variants. As well, it is the harder reading internally, being changed “by copyists who thought it unlikely that the crowd on the land could have outstripped the boat” (TCGNT 78).

▼ Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “came out [of the boat],” with the reference to the boat understood.

▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate this action is the result of Jesus’ compassion on the crowd in the narrative.

▼ Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).

▼ Grk “answering, he said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence has been changed for clarity.

▼ Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (humeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.

▼ The silver coin referred to here is the denarius. A denarius, inscribed with a picture of Tiberius Caesar, was worth approximately one day’s wage for a laborer. Two hundred denarii was thus approximately equal to eight months’ wages. The disciples did not have the resources in their possession to feed the large crowd, so Jesus’ request is his way of causing them to trust him as part of their growth in discipleship.

▼ Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

▼ ‡ Most mss (Ƥ⁴⁵ A D W Θ f^{1, 13} Maj. lat sy) have αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after τοῖς μαθηταῖς (tois mathētais, “the disciples”), but several excellent witnesses (א B L Δ 33 579 892 1241 1424 2427 pc) lack the pronoun. This kind of variant is often a predictable expansion of the text; further, that many important mss lack the pronoun gives support for the shorter reading. For these reasons, the pronoun is considered to be secondary. NA²⁷ puts αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

▼ Grk “the disciples”; the Greek article has been translated here as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

▼ Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate a somewhat parenthetical remark by the author.

▼ The Greek word here is ἀνήρ, meaning “adult male” (BDAG 79 s.v. 1). According to Matt 14:21, Jesus fed not only five thousand men, but also an unspecified number of women and children.

▼ Many good mss (Ƥ⁴⁵ א D W Θ f^{1, 13} 28 565 700 2542 lat sa) lack τοὺς ἄρτους (tous artous, lit. “the loaves” [here translated “the bread“]). On the other hand, just as weighty mss (A B L 33 2427 Maj.) have the words. Although a decision is not easy, the most satisfactory explanation seems to be that scribes were more prone to delete than to add the words here. They may have been puzzled as to why “the bread” should be mentioned without a corresponding mention of “fish.” Since neither Matt 14:21 or Luke 9:17 explicitly mention the bread, a desire for harmonization may have motivated the copyists as well. On the other hand, D and W are prone to longer, explanatory readings. Since they both lack the words here, it is likely that their archetypes also lacked the words. But given Mark’s pleonastic style, the good witnesses with “the bread,” and a reasonable explanation for the omission, “the bread” is most likely part of the original text of Mark.

▼ Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ This verse is one complete sentence in the Greek text, but it has been broken into two sentences in English for clarity.

▼ Grk “about the fourth watch of the night,” between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.

▼ Or “on the lake.”

▼ The καί (kai) was translated so as to introduce a subordinate clause, i.e., with the use of “for.” See BDF #442.9.

▼ The statement he wanted to pass by them is somewhat difficult to understand. There are at least two common interpretations: (1) it refers to the perspective of the disciples, that is, from their point of view it seemed that Jesus wanted to pass by them; or (2) it refers to a theophany and uses the language of the Greek Old Testament (LXX) when God “passed by” Moses at Sinai (cf. Exod 33:19, 22). According to the latter alternative, Jesus is “passing by” the disciples during their struggle, in order to assure them of his presence with them. See W L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 236.

▼ Grk “on the sea,” “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 48).

▼ Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

▼ Grk “he spoke with them, and said to them.”

▼ Gennesaret was a fertile plain south of Capernaum (see also Matt 14:34). This name was also sometimes used for the Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1).

▼ Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “wherever they heard he was.”

▼ Grk “asked that they might touch.”