The Meaning of Mark 6:45 Explained

Mark 6:45

KJV: And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

YLT: And immediately he constrained his disciples to go into the boat, and to go before to the other side, unto Bethsaida, till he may let the multitude away,

Darby: And immediately he compelled his disciples to go on board ship, and to go on before to the other side to Bethsaida, while he sends the crowd away.

ASV: And straightway he constrained his disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side to Bethsaida, while he himself sendeth the multitude away.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  straightway  he constrained  his  disciples  to get  into  the ship,  and  to go  to  the other side  before  unto  Bethsaida,  while  he  sent away  the people. 

What does Mark 6:45 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The feeding of the5 ,000 evidently happened on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee south of Bethsaida Julius. This town stood immediately east of the place where the Jordan River empties into the lake on its northern coast. Some of the town may have been on the western side of the Jordan. [1] Evidently Jesus sent His disciples to another Bethsaida, near Capernaum, by boat (cf. John 6:17). Peter, Andrew, and Philip were evidently from this Bethsaida ( John 1:45; John 12:21), and Peter and Andrew"s home was in Capernaum ( Mark 1:29). So the two villages must have been very close together, perhaps even connected. [2] "The boat" was the one they had used to travel in earlier that day ( Mark 6:32). God had appeared to Israel from a mountain ( Deuteronomy 33:2; Habakkuk 3:3), and now Jesus appeared to His disciples after being on a mountain with God in prayer. [3]

Context Summary

Mark 6:30-56 - The Sympathy And Compassion Of Jesus
When the Apostles returned they had much to tell. Some were flushed with success, others radiant with victory over demons, others, perhaps, overstrained and weary, and all needing the quiet, holy influence of repose and silence in the Lord's company. And in those quiet hours or days, as the fever passed out of them, He taught them memorable lessons of how He would feed the world by His Church, and how His people would be safe amid the storms that swept the sea, for always he would watch them from the height, and come to them at the moment when His help was most needed. Christ sits as host at the great table of the Church, and the meager resources of His servants yield the starting point for His multiplication of bread. He bids us go and consider how little we have, that we may properly estimate the greatness of His help. Notice how the upward look precedes the breaking and giving. There is enough for each, not of bread alone, but of fish; and the disciples are refreshed by another kind of ministry. So the Lord recreates us by turning exhausted energies into new channels. What threatens to overpower us brings Christ to our side. But His footsteps must be arrested, if we would have His company. Where Jesus is, storms cease and the sick are made whole. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 6

1  Jesus is a prophet without honor in his own country
7  He gives the twelve power over unclean spirits
14  Various opinions of Jesus
16  John the Baptist is imprisoned, beheaded, and buried
30  The apostles return from preaching
34  The miracle of five loaves and two fishes
45  Jesus walks on the sea;
53  and heals all who touch him

Greek Commentary for Mark 6:45

To Bethsaida [προς ητσαιδαν]
This is Bethsaida on the Western side, not Bethsaida Julias on the Eastern side where they had just been (Luke 9:10). [source]
While he himself sendeth the multitude away [εως αυτος απολυει τον οχλον]
Matthew 14:22 has it “till he should send away” (εως ου απολυσηι — heōs hou apolusēi) with the aorist subjunctive of purpose. Mark with the present indicative απολυει — apoluei pictures Jesus as personally engaged in persuading the crowds to go away now. John 6:41. explains this activity of Jesus. The crowds had become so excited that they were in the mood to start a revolution against the Roman government and proclaim Jesus king. He had already forced in reality the disciples to leave in a boat to go before him (προαγειν — proagein) in order to get them out of this atmosphere of overwrought excitement with a political twist to the whole conception of the Messianic Kingdom. They were in grave danger of being swept off their feet and falling heedlessly into the Pharisaic conception and so defeating the whole teaching and training of Jesus with them. See note on Matthew 14:22, Matthew 14:23. To this pass things had come one year before the Crucifixion. He had done his best to help and bless the crowds and lost his chance to rest. No one really understood Jesus, not the crowds, not the disciples. Jesus needed the Father to stay and steady him. The devil had come again to tempt him with world dominion in league with the Pharisees, the populace, and the devil in the background. [source]
to go before him [προαγειν]
(προαγειν — proagein) in order to get them out of this atmosphere of overwrought excitement with a political twist to the whole conception of the Messianic Kingdom. They were in grave danger of being swept off their feet and falling heedlessly into the Pharisaic conception and so defeating the whole teaching and training of Jesus with them. See note on Matthew 14:22, Matthew 14:23. To this pass things had come one year before the Crucifixion. He had done his best to help and bless the crowds and lost his chance to rest. No one really understood Jesus, not the crowds, not the disciples. Jesus needed the Father to stay and steady him. The devil had come again to tempt him with world dominion in league with the Pharisees, the populace, and the devil in the background. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 6:45

Matthew 14:22 Constrained [ηναγκασεν]
Literally, “compelled” or “forced.” See this word also in Luke 14:23. The explanation for this strong word in Mark 6:45 and Matthew 14:22 is given in John 6:15. It is the excited purpose of the crowd to take Jesus by force and to make him national king. This would be political revolution and would defeat all the plans of Jesus about his kingdom. Things have reached a climax. The disciples were evidently swept off their feet by the mob psychology for they still shared the Pharisaic hope of a political kingdom. With the disciples out of the way Jesus could handle the crowd more easily, till he should send the multitudes away The use of the aorist subjunctive with εως — heōs or εως ου — heōs hou is a neat and common Greek idiom where the purpose is not yet realized. So in Matthew 18:30; Matthew 26:36. “While” sometimes renders it well. The subjunctive is retained after a past tense instead of the change to the optative of the ancient Attic. The optative is very rare anyhow, but Luke uses it with πριν η — prin ē in Acts 25:16. [source]
Mark 6:36 Into the country and villages round about [εις τους κυκλωι αγρους και κωμας]
The fields The villages The other Bethsaida was on the Western side of the lake (Mark 6:45). [source]
John 6:14 That should come [ὁ ἐρχόμενος]
Literally, the one coming. Rev., that cometh. John 6:15-21. Compare Matthew 14:22-36; Mark 6:45-52. [source]
John 1:28 Bethabara [βηθαναρᾷ]
The correct reading is βηθανία , Bethany. Not the Bethany of John 11:18, but an unknown village. It was not uncommon for two places to have the same name, as the two Bethsaidas, the one on the eastern shore of the Lake of Gennesaret (Mark 6:32, Mark 6:45), and the other on the western shore (John 1:44); the two Caesareas, on the Mediterranean (Acts 8:40), and in Gaulonitis, at the foot of Lebanon, Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13). [source]
John 1:44 From Bethsaida [απο ητσαιδα]
Same expression in John 12:21 with the added words “of Galilee,” which locates it in Galilee, not in Iturea. There were two Bethsaidas, one called Bethsaida Julias in Iturea (that in Luke 9:10) or the Eastern Bethsaida, the other the Western Bethsaida in Galilee (Mark 6:45), perhaps somewhere near Capernaum. This is the town of Andrew and Peter and Philip. Hence Philip would be inclined to follow the example of his townsmen. [source]
John 12:21 To Philip which was of Bethsaida of Galilee [Πιλιππωι τωι απο ητσαιδα της Γαλιλαιας]
He had a Greek name and the Greeks may have seen Philip in Galilee where there were many Greeks, probably (Mark 6:45) the Western Bethsaida in Galilee, not Bethsaida Julias on the Eastern side (Luke 9:10). Asked Imperfect active, probably inchoative, “began to ask,” in contrast with the aorist tense just before Sir Most respectfully and courteously. We would see Jesus “We desire to see Jesus.” This is not abrupt like our “we wish” or “we want,” but perfectly polite. However, they could easily “see” Jesus, had already done so, no doubt. They wish an interview with Jesus. [source]
John 6:1 After these things [μετα ταυτα]
A common, but indefinite, note of time in John (John 3:22; John 5:1; John 6:1; John 7:1). The phrase does not mean immediate sequence of events. As a matter of fact, a whole year may intervene between the events of chapter 5 in Jerusalem and those in chapter 6 in Galilee. There is no sufficient reason for believing that chapter 6 originally preceded chapter 5. The feeding of the five thousand is the only event before the last visit to Jerusalem recorded in all Four Gospels (Mark 6:30-44; Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13). The disciples have returned from the tour of Galilee and report to Jesus. It was the passover time (John 6:4) just a year before the end. To the other side of the Sea of Galilee The name given in Mark and Matthew. It is called Gennesaret in Luke 5:1 and “Sea of Tiberias” in John 21:1. Here “of Tiberias” (της Τιβεριαδος — tēs Tiberiados) is added as further description. Herod Antipas a.d. 22 built Tiberias to the west of the Sea of Galilee and made it his capital. See John 6:23 for this city. Luke (Luke 9:10) explains that it was the eastern Bethsaida (Julias) to which Jesus took the disciples, not the western Bethsaida of Mark 6:45 in Galilee. [source]
John 6:15 Perceiving [γνους]
Second aorist active participle of γινωσκω — ginōskō It was not hard for Christ to read the mind of this excited mob. They were about Present active indicative of μελλω — mellō Probably the leaders were already starting. Take him by force Present active infinitive of αρπαζω — harpazō old verb for violent seizing (Matthew 11:12; Matthew 13:19). There was a movement to start a revolution against Roman rule in Palestine by proclaiming Jesus King and driving away Pilate. To make him king Purpose clause with ινα — hina and the first aorist active subjunctive of ποιεω — poieō with βασιλεα — basilea as predicate accusative. It was a crisis that called for quick action. Himself alone At first he had the disciples with him (John 6:3). But he sent them hurriedly by boat to the western side (Mark 6:45.; Matthew 14:22.) because clearly the apostles were sympathetic with the revolutionary impulse of the crowd. Then Jesus sent the multitudes away also and went up into the mountain alone. He was alone in every sense, for no one but the Father understood him at this stage, not even his own disciples. He went up to pray (Mark 6:46; Matthew 14:23). [source]
John 6:16 When evening came [ως οπσια εγενετο]
“The late hour” The disciples were in no hurry to start back to Bethsaida in Galilee (Mark 6:45), Capernaum in John (John 6:17). [source]
John 6:22 Which stood [ο εστηκως]
Perfect active (intransitive) participle of ιστημι — histēmi to put, to stand. Jesus had sent the multitudes away the evening before (Mark 6:45; Matthew 14:22), but evidently some did not go very far, still lingering in excitement on the eastern side of the lake next morning. Boat Diminutive of πλοιον — ploion little boat (Mark 3:9). Entered not with Second aorist active of the double compound verb συνεισερχομαι — suneiserchomai followed by associative instrumental case ματηταις — mathētais Went away alone Second aorist active indicative of απερχομαι — aperchomai to go away or off. Μονοι — Monoi is predicate nominative. These people noted these three items. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 6:45 mean?

And immediately He compelled the disciples of Him to enter into the boat to go before to other side to Bethsaida until He should dismiss the crowd
Καὶ εὐθὺς ἠνάγκασεν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον προάγειν εἰς πέραν πρὸς Βηθσαϊδάν ἕως αὐτὸς ἀπολύει τὸν ὄχλον

εὐθὺς  immediately 
Parse: Adverb
Root: εὐθέως  
Sense: straightway, immediately, forthwith.
ἠνάγκασεν  He  compelled 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναγκάζω  
Sense: to necessitate, compel, drive to, constrain.
μαθητὰς  disciples 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: μαθητής  
Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐμβῆναι  to  enter 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἐμβαίνω  
Sense: to go into, step into.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
πλοῖον  boat 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πλοῖον  
Sense: a ship.
προάγειν  to  go  before 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: προάγω  
Sense: to lead forward, lead forth.
πέραν  other  side 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πέραν  
Sense: beyond, on the other side.
Βηθσαϊδάν  Bethsaida 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Βηθσαϊδά 
Sense: a small fishing village on the west shore of Lake Gennesaret, home of Andrew, Peter, Philip and John.
ἕως  until 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
ἀπολύει  should  dismiss 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολύω  
Sense: to set free.
ὄχλον  crowd 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὄχλος  
Sense: a crowd.