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The Gospels · New Testament

Mark 1

Mark 1: the beginning of the gospel, from Jordan to Capernaum

General context

Mark opens by calling his book the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and quotes written prophecy about a messenger and a voice in the wilderness. John baptizes in Jordan, preaches repentance, wears camel's hair and eats locusts and wild honey, and says one mightier is coming who will baptize with the Holy Ghost. Jesus comes from Nazareth and is baptized; he sees the heavens opened and the Spirit descending, and a voice calls him beloved Son. The Spirit drives him into the wilderness forty days among wild beasts. After John is put in prison Jesus preaches in Galilee that the kingdom of God is at hand. He calls Simon and Andrew from their nets, then James and John from Zebedee's ship. In the Capernaum synagogue his teaching astonishes hearers and he casts out an unclean spirit. He lifts Simon's wife's mother by the hand and the fever leaves her, heals many at sunset, prays alone before daybreak, and preaches through Galilee. A leper kneels and is cleansed, is charged to tell no one, and publishes it so widely that Jesus stays in desert places.

Cited passages: Mark 1:1, Mark 1:2, Mark 1:3, Mark 1:4, Mark 1:5, Mark 1:6, Mark 1:7, Mark 1:8, Mark 1:9, Mark 1:10, Mark 1:11, Mark 1:12, Mark 1:13, Mark 1:14, Mark 1:15, Mark 1:16, Mark 1:17, Mark 1:18, Mark 1:19, Mark 1:20, Mark 1:21, Mark 1:22, Mark 1:23, Mark 1:24, Mark 1:25, Mark 1:26, Mark 1:27, Mark 1:28, Mark 1:29, Mark 1:30, Mark 1:31, Mark 1:32, Mark 1:33, Mark 1:34, Mark 1:35, Mark 1:36, Mark 1:37, Mark 1:38, Mark 1:39, Mark 1:40, Mark 1:41, Mark 1:42, Mark 1:43, Mark 1:44, Mark 1:45

Mark 1 (KJV)

1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

2As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

3The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

5And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

6And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

7And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

8I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

9And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

10And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

11And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

12And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

13And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

14Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

16Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

17And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

18And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

19And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

20And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

21And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

22And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

23And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

26And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

27And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

28And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

29And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

30But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

31And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

32And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.

33And all the city was gathered together at the door.

34And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

36And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

37And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

38And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

39And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

40And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

42And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

43And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

44And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

45But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The opening quotation is introduced only as written in the prophets; the printed text names no book and carries no heading or title of its own. John's imprisonment is stated without naming who imprisoned him and without any date or interval. The words spoken by the unclean spirit belong to that spirit, not to the narrator, though the narrator separately says devils were not allowed to speak because they knew him. Three parties name Jesus in this chapter: the opening line, the voice from heaven, and the unclean spirit. The disciples are identified by family and trade, Simon with his brother Andrew, and James and John as sons of Zebedee who leave their father with hired servants. Time markers in the chapter are the sabbath day, sunset, and a great while before day; no year, month or external ruler is given.

Cited passages: Mark 1:1, Mark 1:2, Mark 1:3, Mark 1:4, Mark 1:9, Mark 1:11, Mark 1:14, Mark 1:16, Mark 1:19, Mark 1:20, Mark 1:21, Mark 1:24, Mark 1:32, Mark 1:34, Mark 1:35, Mark 1:44

Literary context

Speed is the chapter's most obvious habit. Mark says straightway of the water, of the nets, of the calling of Zebedee's sons, and of the sabbath entry, and uses immediately, forthwith and anon for the spreading fame, the house, and the fever. The temptation is compressed into two verses while one sabbath in Capernaum runs from the synagogue to the crowd at the door in the evening. Two commands to be silent frame the second half: Jesus forbids the devils to speak and charges the cleansed leper to say nothing, yet fame spreads abroad and the man blazes the matter so that Jesus can no longer enter a city openly. The synagogue crowd answers the exorcism with questions rather than a confession.

Cited passages: Mark 1:10, Mark 1:12, Mark 1:13, Mark 1:18, Mark 1:20, Mark 1:21, Mark 1:25, Mark 1:27, Mark 1:28, Mark 1:29, Mark 1:30, Mark 1:31, Mark 1:34, Mark 1:42, Mark 1:43, Mark 1:44, Mark 1:45

Key moments

  1. A voice at the baptism (Mark 1:11). A voice from heaven calls Jesus beloved Son.
  2. Nets left by the sea (Mark 1:18). Simon and Andrew leave their nets straightway and follow.
  3. Teaching with authority (Mark 1:22). Hearers are astonished because he teaches as one having authority, unlike the scribes.
  4. An unclean spirit named him (Mark 1:24). The spirit calls him Jesus of Nazareth and the Holy One of God.
  5. Alone before daybreak (Mark 1:35). He rises long before day and prays in a solitary place.
  6. A leper touched (Mark 1:41). Moved with compassion, he touches the leper and says, be thou clean.
  7. The news outruns the charge (Mark 1:45). The cleansed man publishes it, and Jesus stays outside in desert places.

For reflection

Jesus tells the cleansed man to say nothing and go to the priest, and the man publishes it everywhere instead. What does the chapter show happening to Jesus' movements once the news travels?

People in this chapter

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