The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
- BSB Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.
- NKJV Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
- NASB And He *came home, and the crowd *gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal.
- NLT One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat.
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
The crowd gathers again so densely that Jesus and his disciples cannot even eat. It matters because it shows the overwhelming demand on Jesus and his self-giving devotion to the people.
Overview
The relentless press of the multitude leaves no time even for a meal, illustrating Jesus' tireless ministry. This intensity sets the scene for the concern of his family and the slander of the scribes that follow. Mark portrays a Savior so consumed with serving others that his own basic needs are set aside.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Mark 6:31He said to them, “You come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile.” For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
- John 4:31–34In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
- Mark 7:17When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.
- Luke 6:17He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
- Mark 3:7Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea,
- Mark 9:28When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?”
- Mark 3:9He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him.
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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 3:20 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.