And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.
Ver. 1. And he arose from thence , etc..] From Galilee, and particularly from Capernaum: and cometh into the coasts of Judea ; into those places, which bordered on that part of the land of Israel, called Judea, as distinct from Galilee: by , or rather to the further side of Jordan ; which he crossed at the bridge of Chammath: the particular place he came to was Bethabara; (see John 10:40 1:28): where John formerly preached, and baptized: and the people resorted unto him again ; great multitudes followed him out of Galilee, and more doubtless flocked to him from the adjacent parts, when they heard of his coming again to them. And, as he was wont, he taught them again : it had been his custom before, and so it was wherever he went, to preach the word of God, and teach men what was profitable to them, and useful for the good of their immortalsouls; and so he did now, and here: and not only so, but healed many of them of their bodily disorders, as Matthew relates, ( Matthew 19:2).
Verses 1-12 - Wherever Jesus was, the people flocked after him in crowds, and he taught them. Preaching was Christ's constant practice. He here show that the reason why Moses' law allowed divorce, was such that the ought not to use the permission; it was only for the hardness of their hearts. God himself joined man and wife together; he has fitted them to be comforts and helps for each other. The bond which God has tied, is not to be lightly untied. Let those who are for putting away their wives consider what would become of themselves, if God should deal with them in like manner.
10:1 {Into the border of Judea and beyond Jordan} (eis ta horia tes ioudaias kai peran tou iordanou). See on Mt 19:1 for discussion of this curious expression. Matthew adds "from Galilee" and #Lu 17:11 says that Jesus "was passing through the midst of Samaria and Galilee" after leaving Ephraim (#Joh 11:54). A great deal has intervened between the events at the close of Mark 9 and those in the beginning of Mark 10. For these events see #Mt 18; Joh 7-11; Lu 9:57-18:14 (one-third of Luke's Gospel comes in here). It was a little over six months to the end at the close of Mark 9. It is just a few weeks now in Mark 10. Jesus has begun his last journey to Jerusalem going north through Samaria, Galilee, across the Jordan into Perea, and back into Judea near Jericho to go up with the passoverpilgrims from Galilee. {Multitudes} (ocloi). Caravans and caravans journeying to Jerusalem. Many of them are followers of Jesus from Galilee or at least kindly disposed towards him. They go together (sunporeuontai) with Jesus. Note dramatic historical present. {As he was wont} (hws eiwqei). Second past perfect used like an imperfect from eiwqa, second perfect active. Jesus {was teaching} (edidasken, imperfect, no longer present tense) this moving caravan.
