And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text notes Jesus crossed "again by ship," which might seem redundant. However, it highlights that Jesus deliberately chose a boat to leave the region of Gadara, subtly emphasizing his withdrawal from a place where he was not welcomed, setting the stage for the next encounter.
And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just returned by boat to the western side of the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum, where he had previously been. A large crowd quickly gathers around him by the shore, eager to see him, and it is in this setting that Jairus, a synagogue ruler, approaches Jesus with a desperate plea for his dying daughter.
Jesus just left a tense situation, and now a crowd is already waiting. What does this tell us about the hunger for His presence?
After the dramatic events in the land of the Gerasenes, Jesus crosses back over the Sea of Galilee. It might seem like a quiet return, but the moment He lands, a large crowd has gathered. This isn't a passive audience; they are actively seeking Him out. This eagerness shows a deep spiritual hunger and anticipation in the region. People are not just curious; they are responding to the signs and wonders they’ve heard about, or perhaps even witnessed.
This scene highlights that Jesus' ministry wasn't happening in a vacuum. Word had spread, and His reputation preceded Him. The gathered crowd represents a community on the cusp of transformation, waiting for the hope and healing that Jesus offers. They are positioned by the sea, a place often associated with both the everyday life of fishermen and a vast, open space for public gatherings, ready to receive what Jesus brings.
Jesus arrives, and a crowd is waiting. But He's about to be interrupted by an urgent plea. How does Jesus handle competing needs?
The immediate gathering of the crowd sets the stage for a pivotal moment. As Jesus is by the sea, a prominent man named Jairus approaches Him with a desperate plea for his dying daughter. This moment showcases Jesus' incredible ability to shift focus from a general public reception to an intensely personal and urgent need.
Despite the pressing crowd, Jesus doesn't dismiss Jairus. The text implies Jesus is aware of the crowd's energy and the growing public presence, yet He prioritizes the urgent cry of this one desperate father. This demonstrates Jesus' deep empathy and His commitment to addressing individual needs, even when surrounded by many.
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This encounter highlights the dynamic nature of Jesus' ministry. He operates both publicly, drawing large crowds, and privately, attending to the most critical individual circumstances. He is completely present and responsive, whether to the collective hope of a multitude or the specific sorrow of a father.
Understand the original words
Iēsous · Greek Proper Noun
In the New Testament, this term refers to Jesus, the Son of God, who is both divine and human, serving as the mediator between God and humanity. He is the central figure of the Gospel message and the promised Messiah.
This passage is set against the backdrop of Jesus establishing his ministry in Galilee and moving between Jewish and Gentile territories, highlighting the diverse needs and responses to his power.
c. AD 28
Jesus settles in Capernaum
After being rejected in his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus makes Capernaum his base of operations in Galilee, fulfilling prophecy and establishing a center for his ministry near the Sea of Galilee.
c. AD 29
Jesus travels to the Decapolis
Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee into the Gentile region of the Decapolis, where he encounters and delivers a man possessed by a legion of demons.
c. AD 29— this verse
Jesus returns to the western shore
Following the event in the Decapolis, Jesus returns by boat to the Galilean side of the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum.
c. AD 29
Jairus seeks Jesus' help
A synagogue ruler named Jairus approaches Jesus, desperately asking him to heal his dying daughter.
c. AD 29
The woman with the hemorrhage is healed
While on the way to Jairus's house, Jesus is touched by a woman who has suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years, and she is instantly healed.
c. AD 29
Jairus's daughter is raised from the dead
Upon arriving at Jairus's home, Jesus rebukes the mourners, declares the child is only asleep, and raises her back to life.
This passage describes the same event from Matthew's perspective, highlighting Jairus's approach to Jesus and his desperate plea for his dying daughter, reinforcing the urgency and faith present in the narrative.
Luke 8:40Luke's account provides a parallel narrative of Jesus returning to the crowds by the sea, setting the stage for the encounter with Jairus and emphasizing the people's eagerness to see Him.
John 6:1-14This event, the feeding of the five thousand, also occurs by the sea and involves a large crowd, illustrating Jesus's ministry drawing vast numbers of people and His ability to meet their needs, similar to the scenario in Mark 5:21.
Acts 4:13-14After Peter and John heal a man, a crowd gathers, and they boldly speak about Jesus. This shows how Jesus's miracles, even when performed by His followers, continue to draw people and bring them to Him, mirroring the effect of Jesus's presence in Mark 5:21.
pooleMark 5:21: "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."
Ver. 21-24. This whole history also is recorded both by Matthew and Luke, and we have already fully opened the several passages of it mentioned by all the evangelists, to which we refer the reader. ( See Poole on "Matthew 9:18" , &c.), Christ was now come over again into Galilee, where though the temple was not, yet there were synagogues, where the people d…
gillMark 5:21: "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."
And when Jesus was passed over again,.... Over the sea of Tiberias, that part of it which was necessary to go over from the country of Gadara, to Capernaum, by ship, or "boat", unto the other side. This may seem to some unnecessary to be added; and it may be asked, what way but by ship, or boat, could he have gone over to the other side of the sea of Galile…
The text notes Jesus crossed "again by ship," which might seem redundant. However, it highlights that Jesus deliberately chose a boat to leave the region of Gadara, subtly emphasizing his withdrawal from a place where he was not welcomed, setting the stage for the next encounter.
Jesus has just returned by boat to the western side of the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum, where he had previously been. A large crowd quickly gathers around him by the shore, eager to see him, and it is in this setting that Jairus, a synagogue ruler, approaches Jesus with a desperate plea for his dying daughter.
Jesus has just returned by boat to the western side of the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum, where he had previously been. A large crowd quickly gathers around him by the shore, eager to see him, and it is in this setting that Jairus, a synagogue ruler, approaches Jesus with a desperate plea for his dying daughter.
"And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea." — The text notes Jesus crossed "again by ship," which might seem redundant. However, it highlights that Jesus deliberately chose a boat to leave the region of Gadara, subtly emphasizing his withdrawal…
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Last reviewed October 2026