OET interlinear MARK 6:45

6:45a

Immediately: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Immediately connects this story with the previous story about feeding five thousand men. Mark used this word to show that this new story follows right after the previous one. These events began immediately after the previous events.

In your translation, introduce this new story in a way that makes it clear that this is what happened next. Also make it clear that another story is beginning.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Immediately after this (NLT)

As soon as they had finished (REB)

Jesus made His disciples get into the boat: The Greek word that the BSB translates as made here means “compelled,” “commanded” or “strongly urged.” This word implies that the disciples were hesitant to go. But it does not imply that Jesus had to use force to get them to leave.Gould pages 120–121: “This language expresses haste and urgency, for which, however, Mt. and Mk. give no reason. But the fourth Gospel states a fact, which would certainly account for this urgency, telling us that the people were about to come and seize him to make him a king (J. 6:15). According to this, Jesus knew that his disciples would side with the multitude in this design, and therefore dismisses them with this abruptness and imperativeness.”

The NLT has another way to translate this clause:

Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat

disciples: This is the same word as in 6:41d. See the note at 6:1c.

boat: The boat mentioned here is probably the same boat that Jesus and the disciples had ridden in to come to this place. See the note at 6:32 for a more complete description of this type of boat.

6:45b

go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida: There is a textual issue in this verse:

1. Almost all Greek manuscripts have “go on ahead to the other side to Bethsaida.” For example the NRSV says:

   go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida (GNT, RSV, NJB, ESV, JBP, NCV, NLT, NET, NASB, KJV)

2. A few Greek manuscripts have only “go on ahead to Bethsaida.” They do not have the phrase “to the other side.” For example, the NIV says:

   go on ahead of him to Bethsaida (BSB, NIV, REB)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), since it has the support of the majority of manuscripts. Also, nearly every English version follows this option.The phrase “on the other side” was most likely omitted in some manuscripts because of the geographical difficulties presented with this reading. Bethsaida was under the rule of Philip the tetrarch, and therefore was east of the Jordan River. (Metzger page79, Blight and Smith page 143)

Bethsaida: The word Bethsaida is the name of a town northeast of the Lake of Galilee.

6:45c

while He dismissed the crowd: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as He dismissed the crowd indicates that Jesus sent the crowd of people away. These are the people whom he fed in 6:30–44.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

while he sent the crowd away (GNT)

while he gave all the people permission to leave

It is implied that Jesus did not get into the boat with the disciples. He stayed behind on the land to dismiss the crowd. In some languages it may be natural to follow the NCV and make this explicit:

He stayed there to send the people home.

In some languages it may be natural to translate what Jesus said as direct speech. For example:

…while he stayed behind and said to the crowd, “You may/should go home now.”