Mark 6 56

Mark 6:56 kjv

And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

Mark 6:56 nkjv

Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Mark 6:56 niv

And wherever he went?into villages, towns or countryside?they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Mark 6:56 esv

And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Mark 6:56 nlt

Wherever he went ? in villages, cities, or the countryside ? they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

Mark 6 verses

Mark 6 56 Meaning

This verse describes the widespread, accessible, and compassionate healing ministry of Jesus across various regions. People brought their sick to public places, demonstrating urgent faith by imploring to touch even the fringe of His garment, believing it held healing power. All who touched were immediately made well, affirming Jesus' divine authority and the tangible manifestation of God's power through Him.

Mark 6 56 Context

Mark 6:56 is the culmination of Jesus's powerful display of authority in chapter 6. Immediately following the miraculous feeding of the five thousand and His walk on water, Jesus and His disciples land in Gennesaret. Word of their arrival instantly spreads throughout the region. The preceding miracles demonstrated Jesus' authority over nature and provision, setting the stage for His profound power over sickness. This scene also contrasts with His recent rejection in His hometown of Nazareth (Mark 6:1-6), highlighting the eager receptivity and desperate faith of the people in Gennesaret. Historically and culturally, the marketplace (agora) was the central public space in towns, used for commerce, social gatherings, and news dissemination, making it the most visible place for these miraculous events. The custom of bringing the sick to Jesus here shows their communal desperation and shared belief.

Mark 6 56 Word analysis

• And wherever he went: Greek: Hotou an (hópou án), emphasizing universality and continuous movement. Jesus' healing power was not geographically restricted or isolated but manifest wherever He was present.
• into villages or cities or countryside: Greek: kómas ê póleis ê choras (kómas ê póleis ê chōras). This comprehensive phrase highlights the vast reach of His ministry, impacting all strata of society and every type of inhabited area. It underlines the indiscriminate nature of His compassion.
• they laid the sick: Greek: ethithoun tous asthenountas (etithoun tous asthenoúntas). The imperfect tense suggests a continuous action of people actively and persistently bringing their infirm. This denotes great urgency and communal effort to bring them to Jesus' vicinity.
• in the marketplaces: Greek: en tais agorais (en taîs agoraîs). The agora was the heart of ancient towns, a public square for all activities. By placing the sick here, their desperate plight became openly visible, and Jesus' healings were undeniable public events, signifying the radical nature of His power. This also suggests the people's understanding that Jesus was accessible and His power was for public display and common good.
• and implored him: Greek: parekaloun (parekáloun). This word means "to call alongside," "to entreat," "to comfort," or "to appeal to." It conveys a strong sense of earnest, humble pleading born out of deep need and desperation. It's more than a request; it's a heartfelt plea.
• that they might touch even the fringe of his garment: Greek: hina hapsontai tou kraspedou tou himatiou autou (hina hápsontai tou kraspédou tou himatíou autoú).
  • "fringe": kraspedon (kraspédon). This is highly significant. In a Jewish context, kraspedon refers to the tassels (Hebrew: tzitzit) that observant Jewish men wore on the four corners of their outer garment (Deut 22:12, Num 15:37-41). These tassels served as a physical reminder of God's commandments. Malachi 4:2 prophesies the "Sun of Righteousness" rising "with healing in its wings (fringe)." The people likely perceived a transfer of divine power or holiness from Jesus through this religiously significant part of His attire. It speaks to a profound belief that His very person was imbued with divine authority, to the point that even an indirect, fleeting touch of His "holy" garment was enough.
  • "his garment": tou himatiou autou (tou himatíou autoú). Refers to the outer cloak or robe. The people believed that divine power resided not just in Jesus' direct touch, but radiated from His person, accessible even through this physical medium.
• And as many as touched it were made well: Greek: hosoi an hapsontai esôzontoi (hósoi án hápsontai esōízonto).
  • "as many as touched it": Emphasizes the universality of the healing – there were no failures, no exceptions, demonstrating the absolute efficacy of Jesus' power when met with faith.
  • "were made well": Greek: esôzontoi (esōízonto). The verb means "were saved," "were healed," or "were made whole." This implies a complete restoration, not just physical cure, but a holistic state of well-being, often indicating a connection to salvation. The passive voice implies the divine agent in the healing, i.e., God, through Christ, was performing the act. This highlights Jesus' divine authority and the automatic outflow of God's power.

Mark 6 56 Bonus section

• The willingness to "lay the sick in the marketplaces" shows not only public display of need but also communal desperation and the collective hope placed in Jesus. This was a testament to the undeniable power and benevolence Jesus exuded, drawing entire communities to seek His intervention.
• The "fringe of his garment" (tzitzit) provides a subtle yet potent connection between Jesus and the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus did not negate the Old Testament Law but embodied and fulfilled it, manifesting God's covenant presence and healing power to a desperate people, precisely as promised. This detail implicitly refutes any notion that Jesus was separate from God's covenant.
• The repeated phrase "as many as touched it were made well" (also found in Mark 5:29 for the woman with the blood issue and Matt 14:36 for the Gennesaret narrative) underscores the infallible nature of Jesus's power and the certainty of healing for all who approached Him with faith. This universal healing demonstrates Jesus' unconstrained grace and limitless power, accessible to anyone regardless of their status or past.
• The public nature of these healings in the marketplaces served as powerful, undeniable testimonies that validated Jesus' claims and reinforced His identity as the Christ. There were no hidden cures; all were open to observation, preventing any dismissal of His miracles.

Mark 6 56 Commentary

Mark 6:56 succinctly captures the immense impact of Jesus's ministry and the profound faith of the people. It showcases Jesus as not just a local figure, but a pervasive source of hope and healing across entire regions. The sheer desperation of the people, evident in their communal effort to bring the sick to public marketplaces and their earnest pleas, underscores the unique power they recognized in Jesus. Their faith was so strong that they believed divine power resided even in the physical fringe of His garment, a part steeped in Old Testament symbolism and messianic expectation. This passage is a powerful affirmation that Jesus' healing virtue flowed without any complex rituals or specific intercessors; it was universally accessible to all who reached out in genuine faith. Every touch was met with instantaneous and complete healing, proving God's compassionate will to restore and the undeniable reality of His Son's saving power. It powerfully illustrates that divine power, flowing from the Christ, requires only the smallest point of contact from human faith for miracles to abound.