Mark 2:21

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse tear will result.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses the crowd and his disciples regarding their questions about fasting, placing the teaching immediately after noting that the bridegroom will eventually be taken away. He delivers these words during a direct confrontation with religious observers who expect strict adherence to traditional practices.

The words — ἁγνάφου (agnaphou) denotes unshrunk cloth, while ἐπιρράπτει (epirraptēi) describes the act of sewing a patch onto a garment. These terms ground the metaphor in practical tailoring, where new material shrinks and tears the old fabric.

The thread — The identical tailoring image appears in Matthew 9:16, while the wineskin analogy in Mark 2:22 extends the same incompatibility principle. The broader theme of God's faithfulness amid human limitation connects to 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Isaiah 57:16.

Why it lands — The text states that forcing new practices onto old structures causes structural failure, demanding a reader to abandon rigid religious frameworks. It requires accepting that the present ministry cannot be patched into previous systems without causing ruin.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

Cross-references

Matthew 9:16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.
Isaiah 57:16 For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me—the breath of life I have made.
Psalms 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.