Limitless Word
Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a large multitude from Galilee followed, and also from Judea,
Mark 3:7 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea,
  • KJV But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
  • BSB So Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, accompanied by a large crowd from Galilee, Judea,
  • NKJV But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea
  • NLT Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea,

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

Jesus withdraws to the sea, yet great crowds from Galilee and beyond follow him. It matters because his fame and ministry expand even as official opposition hardens.

Overview

As plots against him grow, Jesus draws back but does not stop ministering, and multitudes flock to him. The wide geographic origins of the crowd show his renown spreading throughout the region. Mark contrasts the leaders' rejection with the people's eager pursuit, underscoring that the kingdom advances despite hostility.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • 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;
  • Matt 4:25Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.
  • Matt 12:15Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
  • Luke 23:5But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.”
  • Josh 20:7They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
  • Mark 1:39He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.
  • John 11:53–54So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.
  • Matt 10:23But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.
  • Luke 6:12In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.
  • Acts 14:5–6When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them,
  • Acts 17:14Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.
  • John 7:52They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
  • Josh 21:32Out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the man slayer, Hammothdor with its suburbs, and Kartan with its suburbs: three cities.
  • John 7:41Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “What, does the Christ come out of Galilee?
  • Acts 17:10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
  • John 10:39–41They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Mark videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Mark 3:7YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MarkMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 3:7 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.