Mark 6 Mark 6:1–6 Christ is slighted by his own countrymen. Mark 6:7–13 He sendeth out the twelve with power over unclean spirits. Mark 6:14–15 The opinions of Herod and others concerning him. Mark 6:16–29 John the Baptist imprisoned and beheaded by Herod at the instigation of Herodias.

We meet with all this in Matt. 13:53–58; See Poole on “Matt. 13:53”, and following verses to Matt. 13:58. By his own country, questionless, is meant Nazareth, the place of his education, though Bethlehem were the place of his birth; hence he was usually called Jesus of Nazareth.

Experience tells us that familiarity breeds a contempt. Our Saviour (though there was a deeper cause) assigns this the cause why those of Nazareth paid him no greater respect. Unbelief in us bindeth the hands of God.

Mark had before told us of the election of the twelve, Mark 3:14, which neither Matthew nor Luke mention: here he gives us an account of their mission, which is mentioned by both them also. The instructions which he gave them are much the same with what we meet with in Matt. 10, and there opened.

Go in your ordinary habits, making no provision for yourselves, as travellers, who think they may need something before their return.

Matt. 10, gives us a larger copy of the instructions given by Christ to the twelve than doth either Mark or Luke: See Poole on “Matt. 10:12”, and following verses to Matt. 10:15.

They executed both the trusts which Christ had reposed in them, preaching the gospel, and by miraculous operations confirming the doctrine which they brought to be from heaven.

We meet with this history in Matt. 14:1–12, to which I refer the reader, having there taken in the most considerable things in the relation of the same thing by Matthew or Mark. Mark calleth him Herod the king, whom Mark and Luke called tetrarch.

When Christ chose the twelve, it is said, Luke 3:14–15, that he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils.

Matthew makes the cause of this motion of our Saviour’s to have been his receiving the report of Herod’s dealing with John the Baptist, as we often find him yielding to the fury of his adversaries.

When Christ came out of the ship, on the other side of the water, he found that the people had outwent the ship; they were come about with a desire to hear the word.

We meet with the relation of this miracle Matt. 14:15–21, and shall again meet with it John 6:1–14. John relates it with some more particular circumstances, telling us it was Philip that moved our Saviour to dismiss them so seasonably, that they might provide themselves food, and making Christ to…

If this desert where Christ was were, as Luke saith, Luke 9:10, a desert belonging to Bethsaida, those words, εις το περαν προς βηθσαιδαν, are ill translated unto Bethsaida, and the marginal note in our larger Bibles is better, over against Bethsaida.

See Poole on “Matt. 14:24”, and following verses to Matt. 14:33. By the sea here is meant the lake of Gennesaret. The fourth watch of the night was after four in the morning. The foregoing part of the night our Saviour had spent alone upon the mountain in prayer.

See Poole on “Matt. 14:34”, and following verses to Matt. 14:36. The charity of this people to their sick neighbours is very commendable, and instructive of us as to our duty to do good to others, as to their bodily wants and necessities, so far as we are able; but how much greater is that charity,…