Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

“Dark and cheerless was the end reserved for thee: but now thou hast thy Master's benediction, "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me" (Mt 11:6), and hast found the life thou gavest away (Mt 10:39). But where are they in whose skirts is found t…”

“And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother--Herodias did not shed the blood of the stern reprover; she only got it done, and then gloated over it, as it streamed from the trunkless head.”

“How Jesus felt, or what He said, on receiving this intelligence, is not recorded; but He of whom it was said, as He stood by the grave of His friend Lazarus, "Jesus wept," was not likely to receive such intelligence without deep emotion.”

“And they departed into a desert place by ship privately--"over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias," says John (Joh 6:1), the only one of the Evangelists who so fully describes it; the others having written when their readers were supposed to kn…”

“Here we have an important piece of information from the Fourth Evangelist (Joh 6:4), "And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh"--rather, "Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was nigh." This accounts for the multitudes that now crowded around Him.”

“And when the day was now far spent--"began to wear away" or "decline," says Luke (Lu 9:12). Matthew (Mt 14:15) says, "when it was evening"; and yet he mentions a later evening of the same day (Mr 6:23).”

“He answered and said unto them--"They need not depart" (Mt 14:10). Give ye them to eat--doubtless said to prepare them for what was to follow. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?--"Philip answered …”

“He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes--John is more precise and full: "One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves …”

“And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass--or "green hay"; the rank grass of those bushy wastes. For, as John (Joh 6:10) notes, "there was much grass in the place."”

“And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties--Doubtless this was to show at a glance the number fed, and to enable all to witness in an orderly manner this glorious miracle.”

“And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven--Thus would the most distant of them see distinctly what He was doing. and blessed--John (Joh 6:11) says, "And when he had given thanks." The sense is the same.”

“And they did all eat, and were filled--All the four Evangelists mention this: and John (Joh 6:11) adds, "and likewise of the fishes, as much as they would"--to show that vast as was the multitude, and scanty the provisions, the meal to each and all of them w…”

“John (Joh 6:17) says they "went over the sea towards Capernaum"--the wind, probably, occasioning this slight deviation from the direction of Bethsaida. while he sent away the people--"the multitude." His object in this was to put an end to the misdirected e…”

“It had come even when the disciples embarked (Mt 14:23; Joh 6:16). the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land--John says (Joh 6:17), "It was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them." Perhaps they made no great effort to push across at …”

“He "saw" this from His mountain top, and through the darkness of the night, for His heart was all with them: yet would He not go to their relief till His own time came. and about the fourth watch of the night--The Jews, who used to divide the night into three…”

“But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out--"for fear" (Mt 14:26). He would appear to them at first like a dark moving speck upon the waters; then as a human figure; but in the dark tempestuous sky, and not d…”

“Mt 14:31: And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?--This rebuke was not administered while Peter was sinking, nor till Christ had him by the hand: first reinvigorati…”

“"And immediately," adds the beloved disciple, "they were at the land whither they went," or "were bound." This additional miracle, for as such it is manifestly related, is recorded by the fourth Evangelist alone.”

“For they considered not the miracle of the loaves; for their heart was hardened--What a singular statement! The meaning seems to be that if they had but "considered [reflected upon] the miracle of the loaves," wrought but a few hours before, they would have wo…”

“And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret--from which the lake sometimes takes its name, stretching along its western shore. Capernaum was their landing-place (Joh 6:24, 25). and drew to the shore--a nautical phrase, nowhere else u…”

“The time corresponds to that mentioned (Joh 7:1), when He "walked in Galilee," instead of appearing in Jerusalem at the passover, "because the Jews," that is, the rulers, "sought to kill Him"--while the people sought to enthrone Him!”

“For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit--or, as in Matthew (Mt 15:22), "was badly demonized." heard of him--One wonders how; but distress is quick of hearing. and fell at his feet:”

“And he said unto her--"O woman, great is thy faith" (Mt 15:28). As BENGEL beautifully remarks, Jesus "marvelled" only at two things--faith and unbelief (see Lu 7:9). For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter--That moment the deed was …”

“"And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." The wonderfulness of this case in all its features has been felt in every age of the Church, and the balm it has administered, and will yet administer, to millions will be known only in that day that shall…”

“Beyond this it is not clear from the Evangelist's language that the people saw into the claims of Jesus. Well, of these cases Mark here singles out one, whose cure had something peculiar in it.”