Mark 6:33

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(33) And ran afoot.—The words are used to point the contrast between the disciples, who had come in their boat, and the crowds who came by land.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:30-44 Let not ministers do any thing or teach any thing, but what they are willing should be told to their Lord. Christ notices the frights of some, and the toils of others of his disciples, and provides rest for those that are tired, and refuge for those that are terrified. The people sought the spiritual food of Christ's word, and then he took care that they should not want bodily food. If Christ and his disciples put up with mean things, surely we may. And this miracle shows that Christ came into the world, not only to restore, but to preserve and nourish spiritual life; in him there is enough for all that come. None are sent empty away from Christ but those who come to him full of themselves. Though Christ had bread enough at command, he teaches us not to waste any of God's bounties, remembering how many are in want. We may, some time, need the fragments that we now throw away.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Afoot thither - On foot to the place where they saw them going.

Out of all cities - All cities or large towns in the neighborhood.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

33. And the people—the multitudes.

saw them departing, and many knew him—The true reading would seem to be: "And many saw them departing, and knew or recognized [them]."

and ran afoot—Here, perhaps, it should be rendered "by land"—running round by the head of the lake, and taking one of the fords of the river, so as to meet Jesus, who was crossing with the Twelve by ship.

thither out of all cities, and outwent them—got before them.

and came together unto him—How exceedingly graphic is this! every touch of it betokening the presence of an eye-witness. John (Joh 6:3) says, that "Jesus went up into a mountain"—somewhere in that hilly range, the green tableland which skirts the eastern side of the lake.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 6:31"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the people saw them departing,.... The multitude that came to and fro, saw Christ and his disciples taking ship, and launching off; for though they were as private as could be, and intended to have gone in a very private manner, yet the people observed them:

and many knew him: Jesus; some copies read, "them"; and so do the Syriac and Ethiopic versions; they knew both Christ and his disciples, though they were in the ship, and at some distance:

and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and out went them, and came together unto him; they went on foot, as they might from Capernaum, Nazareth, and the parts adjacent, over the bridge at Chammath of Gadara, to this place, that belonged to Bethsaida; whither they perceived they steered, and made such haste, that they got thither before them; and the people that flocked from several cities met together, and came to Jesus, to hear his doctrine, and see his miracles,

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 6:33 explains why.—εἶδον, etc., they (the people) saw them departing.—ἐπέγνωσαν (or ἔγνωσαν, [54] [55]) is better without an object (αὐτοὺς or αὐτὸν) = they knew, not who they were, but what they were after, where they were going, doubtless from the course they were steering.—πεζῇ (from πεζός, adjective, ὁδῷ, understood), on foot, by land round the end of the lake.—συνέδραμον, they ran together, excited and exciting, each town on the way contributing its rill to the growing stream of eager human beings; what a picture! The ultimate result, a congregation of 5000. This the climax of popularity, and, from the fourth Gospel we learn, its crisis (chap. 6).—προῆλθον, “outran” (A. V[56]), anticipated = φθάνειν in classics.

[54] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[55] Codex Bezae

[56] Authorised Version.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

33. ran afoot] The multitudes saw the vessel start from Capernaum, and quickly ran along the coast and round the northern extremity of the Lake, where they met the little company disembarking on the shore. The motive of their coming in such large numbers is stated by St John, John 6:2.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 6:33. Προῆλθον, outwent [got before]) by various ways.—συνῆλθον, came together) in one place.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 33. - This is very graphic. The Greek in the first part of this verse runs thus, according to the best authorities: Καὶ εϊδον αὐτοὸς ὑπάγοντας καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν αὐτὸν πολλοί: And they - i.e. the people - saw them going, and many knew them. They saw them departing, and observed what direction the boat took, and then hastened thither on foot, and outwent them; and so were ready to meet them again on the opposite shore when they landed. The distance by land from the place where they started would be about twenty miles. Mark 6:33