Mark 6.1-56 tells us about the rejection of Yeshua in his hometown of Nazareth, and the sending out of his talmidim to other areas where they will also suffer rejection. It also tells us about the arrest and death of Yocahnon ha Matvil (John the Immerser), Yeshua walking on the sea during a wind storm, and the healing of many sick people as they touched his tzitzit, or fringes, on the corners of his garment.
v 1…And he went out from there (Capernaum) and he came into his hometown (Nazareth) and his talmidim followed him.
v 2…And when the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished (at his doctrine) saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to him (he didn’t go to any rabbinical schools, so where did he get his ability to explain the Scriptures), and such miracles as these performed by his hands (the people of Nazareth thought they were familiar with him and knew everything about him)?
v 3…Is this not the carpenter (a building technician in stone or wood; but this is also an idiom for a scholar or learned man; they may have thought that his father taught him and he learned from him. To illustrate this point, we would like to quote from two sources. The first source is the book of Yechezkel (Ezekiel) commentary by the Artscroll Tanach Series, Mesorah Publications, p. 74-75, where we will paraphrase in parenthesis for clarity, a commentary on Ezek 1.2: “King Yehoyachin’s exile: This is to be the nucleus from which a new, regenerated Israel would grow. Included in it were the best of Israel’s sons. The carpenters and locksmiths mentioned in 2 Kings 24.14 were no ordinary workers. The sages identify them as the greatest teachers of Torah in the nation. They silenced everyone who would want to argue with them (the root for carpenter also means “silence” as well as carpentry) with their brilliance; and when they spoke everyone else would close his mouth (the root for close is also the root for locksmith).” A second source is from the book, “Jesus the Jew” by Geza Vermes, Macmillan Publications Co, and it says, “Jesus the Carpenter: his secular profession remains uncertain. Tradition has it he was a carpenter and learned his trade from his father, but this is the fragile evidence that after his first and last sermon in the synagogue of Nazareth, the townsfolk could not understand how ‘the carpenter’, or the ‘carpenter’s son’, could have acquired such great wisdom. Was he a carpenter by himself, or was he only the son of a carpenter? The confused state of the Greek text of the Gospels usually indicates either (a) a doctrinal difficulty thought by some to demand rewording; or (b) the existence of a linguistic problem in the expression in Hellenistic terms of something typically Jewish. Here the second alternative applies. The congregation in the synagogue voices astonishment. ‘Where does he get it from?’ ‘What wisdom is this…? ‘Is not this the carpenter/the son of the carpenter…?’ Now those familiar with the language spoken by Jesus are acquainted with the metaphorical use of ‘carpenter’ and ‘carpenter’s son’ in ancient Jewish writings. In Talmudic sayings the Aramaic noun denoting carpenter or craftsman (naggar) stands for a ‘scholar’ or ‘learned man.’ “) the son of Miriam (the heir of Miriam, meaning “bitter”) and brother (Mark 3.31) of James (Jacob), of Joses (Joseph) and Judas (Yehudah, and Simon (Shimon)? Are not his sisters (he had at least two) here with us?” And they took offense (were scandalized, offended wrongfully) at him (they thought they knew him enough to think that he could not have learned his doctrine or obtained his power for miracles through any agency they knew of, it must be something sinister or unlawful; they were not even entertaining the thought that he may be the Messiah and his power came from Yehovah).
v 4…And Yeshua said to them, “A prophet is not without honor (respect) except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household (Yehovah can work with people who have no belief at all, but not unbelief).
v 5…And he could do no miracle there except he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them (not that he didn’t have the power, and some did have faith).
v 6…And he wondered (marveled) at their unbelief (Yeshua sometimes required faith in him with those he was about to heal; not that faith contributed to their cure because Yeshua raised people who were dead or example; but it was the way and means he was pleased to communicate his power; when people express their faith in him it gives him the opportunity to work a miracle and draw attention to his teachings; these people here did not even ask for such a favor from him, so it gave no opportunity to do a mighty miracle). And he was going around (in a circuit) the villages teaching (he did not let their rejection stop him with his business concerning the kingdom of God).
v 7…And he summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs (as “shaliachim” or his agents as witnesses-Ecc 4.9-12; Luke 7.19, 10.1, 14.3; Acts 13.1-3; 15.39-41, 19.22); and he was giving them authority over the unclean spirits (they needed to overcome the opposition of the enemy);
v 8…and he instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff (to walk with, or against animals and robbers, etc); no bread, no bag, no money in their belt (they were going to be provided for-Matt 10.10);
v 9…but to wear sandals (to protect their feet over rough terrain); and (he added), “Do not put on two tunics (an inner and an outer one-they were not to appear wealthy among the common people, and Yeshua wanted them to be totally reliant on Yehovah).”
v 10…And he said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town (the focus was their ministry, and to be content with where they were-1 Tim 6.6-8).
v 11…And any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go from there, shake off the dust from the soles of your feet, for a testimony against them (a symbolic act of renunciation-it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, or Yom Ha Din, than for that city-Matt 10.11-15).”
v 12…And they went out and preached that men should repent (and turn to Yehovah and his Torah).
v 13…And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them (the word for “anointing” here is “alepho” and it means to rub with medicinal oil-Jam 5.14. The word “chrio” is the word used for the sacred, ritual, and religious act of anointing, and it is not used here).
v 14…And King Herod (Antipas-a tetrarch) heard (of him) for his name had become well known; and (people) were saying, “John the Baptist (Yochanon ha Matvil) has risen from the dead, and therefore these miraculous powers are at work in him (this shows that superstition has replaced the Torah in these people).”
v 15…But others were saying, “He is Elijah (whose return was prophesied in spirit and power; reincarnation is not found in the Torah either).” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old (who went about the country preaching and working miracles-this was closer to the truth than the other rumors-Deut 18.15).”
v 16…But when Herod heard, he kept saying, “John whom I beheaded (beheading was done standing up according to the Mishnah, Sanhedrin 7.3, following the Roman practice), he has risen (his conscience was bothering him).
v 17…For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip (Herod Philip II), because he had married her (Herodias divorced her uncle/husband Philip to marry Herod Antipas her uncle/brother-in-law, and this was forbidden by the Torah on the grounds of consanguinity, or having descended from the same ancestor-Lev 18.6);
v 18…for John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
v 19…And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to kill him and could not do so (Herod stopped her);
v 20…For Herod feared John (respected him), knowing he was a righteous and holy man (had a kedusha, set apart as a messenger of God-Isa 40.3), and kept him safe (from Herodias and others). And when he heard him, he was very perplexed, but he used to enjoy listening to him (he was a “stony ground” listener-Mark 4.5).
v 21…And a strategic (convenient) day came (for Herodias) when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee (the great men of the court, army and the province);
v 22…and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in (to the hall where everyone was) and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.”
v 23…And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom (similar to Ahasuerus in Est 5.3-6, 7.2).”
v 24…And she went out (of the hall) and said to her mother (not a good example to begin with), “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”
v 25…And immediately she came in haste (prodded by her mother) before the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me right away (tonight) the head of John the Baptist on a platter (obviously this was the result of collusion between the daughter and a wicked woman who wanted revenge).”
v 26…And although the king was very sorry (grieved and shocked that he was manipulated into murder), because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests (Matt 15.7-9; Num 30.2, 10; Ecc 9.2), he was unwilling to refuse her (deny her, send her away, grieve her, defraud her of the promise).
v 27…And immediately the king sent an executioner (a military official) and commanded (him) to bring back his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison,
v 28…and brought his head on a platter (into the banquet hall, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother (showing their collusion and she was the one who coveted it).
v 29…And when his talmidim heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb (what can be gleaned from this event? We see the depravity of people, drunkenness can lead to wicked acts and promises, our grudges and revenge can lead to murder, rash oaths can bring destruction, a conscience can be affected for life for evil acts done, and believers in Yeshua can expect to suffer and be hated for exposing the evil in their generation).
v 30…And the apostles (Hebrew “shaliachim” or agents of Yeshua) gathered together with Yeshua; and they reported to him all that they had done and taught (in their ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel-Matt 10.5-6).
v 31…And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while (free from the noise and stresses of the past days, they were fatigued).” And they did not even have time to eat (being constantly interrupted by those interested in what was happening).
v 32…And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves (out of the reach of Herod on the east side of the sea of Galilee).
v 33…And the people saw them going (to Bethsaida on the northeast edge of the lake-Luke 9.10), and many recognized him and they ran there together on foot from all the cities and got there ahead of them (outran them around the north end of the lake ).
v 34…And disembarking, he saw a great multitude (this was just after Passover-John 6.49), and he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd (all they had was blind rabbinical guides, especially from Beit Shammai); and he began to teach them many things.
v 35…And when it was already quite late (in the day), his talmidim came up to him and began saying, “The place is desolate and it is already quite late (to teach, and for them to start going home);
v 36…send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside (fields) and villages and buy themselves something to eat (they brought no provisions).”
v 37…But he answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat (before they leave to find a sleeping spot for the night; this is a test for them because he knew what he was going to do). And they said to him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat (probably all they had on hand)?”
v 38…And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five and two fish (these were barley loaves because this was after Passover-John 6.9).”
v 39…And he commanded them all to recline by groups on the green grass.
v 40…And they reclined in companies of hundreds and fifties (like Elisha in 2 Kings 4.42-44).
v 41…And he took the five loaves (bread is symbolic of the Torah/word of God) and the two fishes (from a young boy in John 6.7-9), and looking up toward heaven (to Yehovah and the throne), he blessed (Yehovah and probably prayed the “Ha Motzi” which is in Hebrew, “Baruch atah Yehovah, eloheynu melek ha olam, ha motzi lechem min ha eretz” or “Blessed are you, O Yehovah, king of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth”) and broke the loaves and he kept giving them to the talmidim to set before them; and he divided up the two fish among them all.
v 42…And they all ate and were satisfied (filled).
v 43…And they picked up twelve full baskets (symbolizing that his teaching and government was enough for the twelve tribes of Israel, and the loaves on the Shulchan Lechem ha Pannim or “table of the bread of the faces” in the Temple) of the broken pieces, and also of the fish.
v 44…And there were five thousand men (women and children were not included in this number) who ate the loaves (five loaves symbolic of the Torah and his glory is revealed, but they could not comprehend it-John 1.15).
v 45…And immediately he made his talmidim get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side to Bethsaida (house of fishing), while he himself was sending the multitude away (to their homes).
v 46…And after bidding them farewell, he departed to the mountain to pray (a place where he could not be disturbed).
v 47…And when it was evening, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land.
v 48…And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night (between 3 am and 6 am), he came to them, walking on the sea (Yeshua is showing them that he has dominion over the sea, which is a type of the domain of ha Satan and Leviathan-Exo 14.19-25; Isa 27.1, 57.20; Rev 13.1; Psa 74.13; Job 26.12-13) and he intended to pass by (when Yehovah reveals his glory, he is said to be “passing by”-Exo 33.12-33. But most of the time we don’t comprehend it; we need to ask for understanding and invite him to teach us, in this case, “into the boat”; he doesn’t play games and there is no guile in him).
v 49…But when they saw him walking on the sea (showing his dominion over the waters), they supposed that it was a ghost (a form he never assumed-Luke 24.37), and cried out (amazed);
v 50…for they all saw him and were frightened. But immediately he spoke to them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid (be encouraged; they invited him into the boat-John 6.21).
v 51…And he got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished (to see it was Yeshua and his power over the storm; they said “certainly you are God’s son” or “king” in Matt 14.3),
v 52…for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves (v 44-they did not comprehend the care and compassion he had for them and let it slip away-John 1.5; Job 9.10-11; but he will give us insight if we ask him “to stay”-Luke 24.28); but their heart was hardened (made dull and insensitive).
v 53…And when they crossed over they came to the land at Gennesaret (between Magdala and Capernaum on the northwest side) and moored to the shore.
v 54…And when they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him,
v 55…and ran about that whole country and began to carry about on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard he was.
v 56…And whenever he entered villages, or cities, or countryside (agricultural areas), they were laying the sick in the marketplaces (where they expected Yeshua to pass by), and entreating him that they might just touch the fringe (where the tzitzit were Num 15.37-41) of his cloak (Mal 4.2; Mark 5.28); and as many touched it were being cured).
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