And He could not do any miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
Parallel translations
- WEB He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them.
- KJV And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
- BSB So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them.
- NKJV Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
- NLT And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
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
Because of their unbelief, Jesus did no mighty work there except heal a few sick people.
Overview
Jesus' limited works in Nazareth reflect not a lack of power but the moral context of unbelief, in which he chose not to display his might. His mercy still touched a few, showing his goodness even amid rejection. This sobering verse shows how unbelief shuts people off from the blessings Christ offers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Matt 13:58He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
- Mark 9:23Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
- Mark 5:23and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.”
- Heb 4:2For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard.
- Isa 59:1–2Behold, Yahweh’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; nor his ear dull, that it can’t hear.
- Gen 19:22Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
- Gen 32:25When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 6:5 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.