Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 3:10

"for he had healed many; insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him." — Mark 3:10 (ASV)

Only Mark includes the detail about the boat. Its purpose was, of course, to provide escape for Jesus in case the crowd began to get unruly. Great numbers of people were pressing forward just to touch Jesus in the hope that they might be healed. Once again, the crowd seems to have had little interest in Jesus other than as a miracle-worker. Despite this, he graciously healed many of them.