For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
Parallel translations
- WEB For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him.
- BSB For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him.
- NKJV For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.
- NASB for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had diseases pushed in around Him in order to touch Him.
- NLT He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Many sought to touch Jesus because he had healed so many. It matters because it displays both his abundant healing power and the desperation of the afflicted.
Overview
The crowds pressed in physically, believing that mere contact with Jesus could bring healing. His ministry of restoration was so effective that the sick surged toward him in hope. This reveals the compassion of God in Christ, who does not turn away the suffering but draws them to himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Mark 6:56And 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.
- Matt 14:36And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
- Matt 4:23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
- Acts 19:11–12And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
- Luke 7:2And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
- Acts 5:15Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
- Matt 14:14And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
- Heb 12:6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
- Gen 12:17And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.
- Matt 12:15But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
- Mark 5:34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
- Num 11:33And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.
- Mark 5:27–29When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
- Matt 9:20–21And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 3:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.