Church Fathers Commentary Mark 3:19-22

"and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And he cometh into a house. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. And the scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons." — Mark 3:19-22 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: The Lord leads the Apostles, after they were chosen, into a house, as if admonishing them that after receiving the Apostleship, they should withdraw to examine their own consciences.

Therefore, it is said, And they came into a house, and the multitude came together again, so that they could not eat bread.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Indeed, the crowds of princes were ungrateful, as their pride hindered them from knowledge, but the grateful multitude of the people came to Jesus.¹

The Venerable Bede: And blessed indeed was the gathering of the crowd, flocking together, whose eagerness to obtain salvation was so great that they did not leave the Author of salvation even an hour free to eat. But the one whom a crowd of strangers loves to follow, his own relatives hold in low esteem.

For it continues, And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold upon Him.

For since they could not grasp the depth of wisdom they heard, they thought he was speaking senselessly.

Therefore, it continues, for they said, He is beside Himself.

Theophylact of Ohrid: That is, he has a demon and is insane, and therefore they wanted to seize him so they could lock him up as one who had a demon. Even his friends—that is, his relatives, perhaps his countrymen or his brothers—wanted to do this. But it was a foolish insanity on their part to imagine that the Worker of such great miracles of divine wisdom had gone mad.

The Venerable Bede: Now, there is a great difference between those who do not understand the word of God due to slowness of intellect, such as those spoken of here, and those who purposely blaspheme, about whom it is added, And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem... For what they could not deny, they tried to distort with a malicious interpretation, as if these were not the works of God but of a most unclean spirit—that is, of Beelzebub, who was the god of Ekron.

For "Beel" means Baal himself, and "zebub" means a fly. The meaning of Beelzebub, therefore, is "the man of flies," because of the filth of the offered blood. From this most unclean rite, they call him the prince of demons, adding, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils.

Pseudo-Jerome: Mystically, the house to which they came is the early Church. The crowds that prevent them from eating bread are sins and vices, for he who eats unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself (1 Corinthians 11:29).

The Venerable Bede: The scribes coming down from Jerusalem also blaspheme. In contrast, the multitude from Jerusalem and from other regions of Judea or of the Gentiles followed the Lord.

This was because it was destined to be so at the time of his Passion: a crowd of the Jewish people would lead him to Jerusalem with palms and praises, and the Gentiles would desire to see him, while the scribes and Pharisees would plot together for his death.

1. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.