And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

MARK 6:31KJV
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Mark 6:31 (KJV)

What does Mark 6:31 mean?

Mark 6:31 shows Jesus inviting his disciples to step away with him to a quiet place and rest, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have time to eat. This verse highlights the need for rest, even in the midst of busy and important work.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to his disciples after they have returned from traveling and teaching. The crowds are large and demanding, leaving no time for the disciples to care for their own basic needs. Jesus recognizes their exhaustion and calls them to take a break, showing his care for their well-being and the importance of balance in life.

The Greek behind Mark 6:31

  • ἔρημον (erēmon, "desert" or "desolate"): This word does not mean a sandy desert, but rather a lonely, uninhabited place. Jesus is inviting the disciples to a spot away from the crowds, emphasizing the need for solitude.
  • ἀναπαύσασθε (anapausasthe, "rest"): The Greek word here carries the sense of stopping to recover strength, not just taking a break. It suggests a deeper kind of rest that restores a person, not just a pause in activity.
  • σχολάσαι (scholasai, "leisure"): This word means to have time free from work or obligations. The verse points out that the disciples were so busy they did not even have this basic freedom, underlining how overwhelming the situation was.

Why Mark 6:31 matters

  • Mark 6:31 clears up the idea that constant activity, even for good causes, is always best; Jesus himself values and commands rest for his followers.
  • The verse shows Jesus’ practical care for his disciples, not just their spiritual needs but also their physical and emotional well-being.
  • This moment connects to the wider passage by setting up the following events, where Jesus and the disciples try to find solitude but are still met by crowds, highlighting the ongoing tension between serving others and caring for oneself.

Where else these words appear

“leisure” Greek G2119 · used in 3 verses

  • Acts 17:21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
  • 1 Corinthians 16:12 As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.

“rest” Greek G373 · used in 12 verses

  • Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
  • Luke 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
  • Philemon 1:20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

“Come” Greek G1205 · used in 13 verses

  • Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
  • Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
  • Luke 20:14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

“while” Greek G3641 · used in 42 verses

  • Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
  • Luke 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
  • 1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.