Mark 1:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now John was clothed with camel 's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

NIV: John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

NASB: John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.

CSB: John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

NLT: His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

KJV: And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

NKJV: Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

Since John lives in the wilderness, he needs appropriate clothing. Woven camel hair is expensive, but good protection against cold, heat, and rain. His belt or "girdle" controls his flowing robes and serves as a purse as well. The rough clothing is in strong contrast with the priestly garments and fine linens of the wealthy Jewish council and the robes of the Roman royalty (Matthew 11:8). Instead, John resembles the Jewish prophets, especially Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).

In the Gospels, the poor regularly eat bread, fish (Mark 6:38), and grains (Mark 2:23). John the Baptist's diet of honey and locusts illustrates his absolute dependence on the land and on God for his provision. He doesn't farm, raise sheep, or even fish. He lives on what is at hand. Jesus later uses John's lifestyle to point out the hypocrisy of those who claim that John's and Jesus' power come from demonic forces. Jesus eats and drinks wine with tax-collectors and sinners; John eats locusts and honey; both are accused of having a demon (Matthew 11:7–19).

John's clothing and food shows his dependence on God to care for his needs as he does God's work (Matthew 6:25–33). John wears basic, sturdy clothes and lives off the land not because he is pious, but because that's what the ministry requires of him. The food John eats and the clothes he wears are a result of his inner righteousness (Matthew 11:11); they don't cause him to be righteous (Mark 7:20–23).

Mark 1:1–13 rapidly introduces the ministry of Jesus, as introduced by John the Baptist. While other Gospels include many details, the Gospel of Mark briefly sets the stage for Jesus' baptism by John. In a few short verses, we are told that John preached a message of repentance, that Jesus came to be baptized, and that Jesus spent forty days being tempted in the wilderness. The narrative quickly moves on to describe Jesus' miraculous healings.

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.