Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him.
Parallel translations
- WEB He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him.
- KJV And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
- BSB Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.
- NKJV So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.
- NASB And He told His disciples to see that a boat would be ready for Him because of the masses, so that they would not crowd 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
Jesus has a boat kept ready so the pressing crowd will not crush him. It matters because it shows both the intensity of the people's need and his practical wisdom in ministry.
Overview
The sheer size and eagerness of the crowd required a measure of protection so Jesus could continue teaching and healing. The detail reveals his humanity and the overwhelming demand his compassion generated. It also sets the stage for his later teaching from a boat, using the lakeside as a natural platform for the crowds.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- John 6:15Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
- Mark 5:30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
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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 3:9 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.