Mark 3:21

Mark 3:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
• New International Version (NIV)When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

Context of Mark 3:21

19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. 20Then He came to a house [in Capernaum], and a crowd formed again, so [many people] that Jesus and His disciples could not even eat a meal [together]. When His own family heard this they went to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.” 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul (Satan),” and “He is driving out the demons by the [power of the] ruler of the demons.” 23So He called them to Himself and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan?

Mark 3:21 word by word

καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐξῆλθον κρατῆσαι αὐτόν· ἔλεγον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξέστη.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whenἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• friendsπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• they went outἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• to lay holdκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• they saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• He is beside himselfἐξίστημιexistēmi · to amazeG1839
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754

Cross-references for Mark 3:21

• Mark 3:31Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called for Him.
• John 7:3So His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples [there] may also see the works that You do.
• 2 Kings 9:11When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?” And he said to them, “You know [very well] the man and his talk.”
• Jeremiah 29:26“The Lord has made you [Zephaniah] priest instead of Jehoiada the [deputy] priest, to be the overseer in the house of the Lord over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar,
• Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come; The days of retribution are at hand; Let Israel know this! The prophet is [considered] a fool; The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented, Because of the abundance of your wickedness and guilt, And because your deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great.
• John 10:20Many of them said, “He has a demon and He is mad [insane—He raves and rambles]. Why listen to Him?”
• Acts 26:24While Paul was making this defense, Festus said loudly, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great education is turning you toward madness.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:13If we are out of our mind [just unstable fanatics as some critics say], it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit.

Commentaries on Mark 3:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21His friends - Or, relations. On this verse several MSS. differ considerably. I have followed the reading of the Syriac, because I think it the best: ̔ ' signify merely his relatives, his brethren, etc., see Mark 3:31; and the phrase is used by the best writers to signify relatives, companions, and domestics. See Kypke in loc. They said, He is beside himself - It was the enemies of Christ that raised this report; and his relatives, probably thinking that…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21When his friends - Greek, “they who were of him.” Not the apostles, but his relatives, his friends, who were in the place of his nativity. Heard of it - Heard of his conduct: his preaching; his appointing the apostles; his drawing such a multitude to his preaching. This shows that by “his friends” were not meant the apostles, but his neighbors and others who “heard” of his conduct. They went out to lay hold on him - To take him away from the multitude…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-21Verses 13-21 Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with what is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21He is out of his mind: Mark does not explain whether the attempt by the family of Jesus to seize him was motivated by sincere but misguided concern, or by hostility. The brothers and sisters of Jesus were not among his followers until after his resurrection (3:31–35; John 7:3–5). First Corinthians 15:7 mentions James, the brother of Jesus, who became a leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13–21).Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 3:21

• Insanity
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Persecution

In the dictionaries

• Blaspheme
• Ordain
• Surname
• Thunder
• Virtue
• Whole
• Beside
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus Christ
• Mark, John

Commentaries on Mark 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings