Mark 6:5

So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses His hometown crowd and relatives, noting that prophets face dishonor in their own community, and reports that He performed no miracles there except healing a few sick individuals by touch. The words — The Greek οὐκ ἐδυνάτο (ouk edynato) literally means "He was not able," directly preceding the statement that He could do no mighty work (δύναμιν, dunamin) in that place. The thread — This limitation parallels Matthew 13:58, which attributes the lack of miracles to the people's unbelief, and contrasts with Mark 9:23's declaration that all things are possible to the one who believes. Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize that faith is the operative condition for miraculous power, demanding a response of trust rather than reliance on physical proximity or tradition.

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

καὶkaiAnd οὐκouknot ἐδύνατοedunatoHe was able ἐκεῖekeithere ποιῆσαιpoiēsaito do οὐδεμίανoudemiannot any δύναμιν,dunaminwork of power εἰeionly μὴmēexcept ὀλίγοιςoligoison a few ἀρρώστοιςarrōstoissick ἐπιθεὶςepitheishaving laid τὰςtasthe χεῖραςcheirashands ἐθεράπευσεν.etherapeusenHe healed.

King James Version

And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

Cross-references

Matthew 13:58 And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
Mark 9:23 “If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”
Mark 5:23 and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”
Hebrews 4:2 For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.
Isaiah 59:1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
Genesis 19:22 Hurry! Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.” That is why the town was called Zoar.
Genesis 32:25 When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled.