Mark 6:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

NIV: But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

NASB: The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them.

CSB: but many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.

NLT: But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.

KJV: And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

NKJV: But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.

The Gospel writers, like most ancients, are not as specific about times and places as modern readers would prefer. It's likely Jesus and the Twelve left from Capernaum. This is where Peter, Andrew, James, and John live, and where Jesus makes his ministry center. Luke 9:10 says Jesus took them to Bethsaida. This agrees with Matthew 14:22, as Bethsaida is on the other side of the Jordan River, which both feeds and drains the Sea of Galilee.

The plain of Bethsaida easily fits the description of a "desolate" place (Mark 6:32), since the Greek word erēmon refers to an area which is uncultivated, lonely, or secluded. This is why the same place can also be said to contain green grass (Mark 6:39). However, Mark 6:45, which describes the return home, seems to infer Bethsaida is "on the other side" of the desolate place.

Most likely, Jesus meant for the Twelve to go from the plain to Bethsaida to get the boat, then continue to the other side of the Sea toward Capernaum (John 6:16–17).

Capernaum is only about six miles away from Bethsaida, so it's reasonable that some of the people can quickly cover the distance and arrive before the Twelve have a chance to row to Bethsaida, moor the boat, and walk to the plain. It's also possible that "got there ahead of them" means "anticipated where they were going." The parallel passages in Matthew 14:13, Luke 9:11, and John 6:2 say the people "followed" Jesus. It's likely that some men ran quickly and made it there first while others followed behind.

Jesus has been a victim of His own success since the day He freed the demon-possessed man in the synagogue and healed Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:21–34). Now the crowd recognizes individual members of the Twelve as well. The Twelve are looking forward to some rest after a busy missions trip, but the success of that very mission leaves the people wanting more.

Mark 6:33–44 provides another depiction of Jesus' miraculous feeding of thousands of people. The Twelve have worked so hard on their first missions trip they haven't had time to eat (Mark 6:31), and an attempt to rest is foiled by a demanding crowd. Instead of avoiding the interlopers, Jesus heals (Matthew 14:14) and teaches them. Instead of dismissing them, He feeds them. The Twelve again witness Jesus' great power and authority but don't catch the lesson: Jesus is God and can provide whatever anyone needs. This story is also found in Matthew 14:13–21 and Luke 9:11–17, and it is one of the few miracles mentioned in John (John 6:2–14). This makes it the only miracle referenced in all four Gospels.

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.

Even as the Twelve are given opportunity to wield some of Jesus' power and authority, they still struggle to understand. They misinterpret who He is, what He has come to do, and how much He will ask of them. They fear Jesus' display of deity, but seem to dismiss the murderous rejection of His hometown and the death of John the Baptist. It's easy to have faith in a prophet who seems poised to rescue Israel from foreign rule. It is still beyond them to understand that He is actually God.

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.