Bible Strands
Mark 5:21
When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator records Jesus returning to the western shore after the Gadarene demoniac departs, immediately preceding Jairus’s approach. The scene positions Jesus at the water’s edge as a large crowd assembles around Him.
The words — διαπεράσαντος (diaperasantos) literally means "having crossed over," denoting the completed action of the boat journey. πάλιν (palin) translates to "again," marking this return as a deliberate recurrence to the same region.
The thread — This boat crossing mirrors the return in Matthew 9:1 and Luke 8:40, where crowds consistently await Jesus. The gathering beside the sea also recalls the teaching event in Mark 4:1, establishing a recurring pattern of ministry by the water.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to note Jesus’ deliberate movement back to a populated area after a remote miracle. It demands attention to the immediate narrative shift from isolated healing to the imminent public encounter with Jairus.
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
And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
Cross-references
- Matthew 9:1 Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.
- Mark 4:1 Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.
- Luke 8:40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him.