Mark 3:6–12

3:6 So13 the Pharisees14 went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians,15 as to how they could assassinate16 him.

Crowds by the Sea

3:7 Then17 Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him.18 And from Judea, 3:8 Jerusalem,19 Idumea, beyond the Jordan River,20 and around Tyre21 and Sidon22 a great multitude came to him when they heard about the things he had done. 3:9 Because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so the crowd23 would not press toward him. 3:10 For he had healed many, so that all who were afflicted with diseases pressed toward him in order to touch him. 3:11 And whenever the unclean spirits24 saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 3:12 But25 he sternly ordered them not to make him known.26

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13	tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
14	sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
15	tn Grk inserts “against him” after “Herodians.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has not been translated. sn The Herodians are mentioned in the NT only once in Matt (22:16 = Mark 12:13) and twice in Mark (3:6; 12:13; some mss also read “Herodians” instead of “Herod” in Mark 8:15). It is generally assumed that as a group the Herodians were Jewish supporters of the Herodian dynasty (or of Herod Antipas in particular). In every instance they are linked with the Pharisees. This probably reflects agreement regarding political objectives (nationalism as opposed to submission to the yoke of Roman oppression) rather than philosophy or religious beliefs.
16	tn Grk “destroy.”
17	tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
18	tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
19	map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
20	tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).
21	map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
22	sn These last two locations, Tyre and Sidon, represented an expansion outside of traditional Jewish territory. Jesus’ reputation continued to expand into new regions. map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
23	tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24	sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
25	tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
26	sn Jesus did not permit the demons to make him known because the time for such disclosure was not yet at hand, and such a revelation would have certainly been misunderstood by the people. In all likelihood, if the people had understood him early on to be the Son of God, or Messiah, they would have reduced his mission to one of political deliverance from Roman oppression (cf. John 6:15). Jesus wanted to avoid, as much as possible, any premature misunderstanding about who he was and what he was doing. However, at the end of his ministry, he did not deny such a title when the high priest asked him (14:61–62).

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