Mark 6:33 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And ran afoot thither out of all cities, &c.— The word Πεζη here may signify by land, as Blackwall has shewn; for it appears from Matthew 14:14 that there were many with our Lord in the desart, who cannot be supposed to have walked thither; and as to their travelling with such speed as to arrive at the place before Jesus, it may easily be accounted for, if in sailing he met with a contrary wind. Some think, that when he received the news of the Baptist's death, he was in Peraea, whither he had gone after leaving Nazareth; see Mark 6:6 wherefore, as this country lay at the bottom of the lake westward, in going thence to the desart of Bethsaida, Jesus had to sail the whole length of the lake northwards. If so, the people on the shore might easily run afoot to the place before him: and they might do the same upon the supposition that Jesus now sailed from Capernaum, because either a contrary wind or a calm would retard the motion of his vessel, so as to give the multitude time to arrive at the place before him. The truth is, John (vi. 1.) represents our Lord as sailing across the lake on this occasion; a circumstance which agrees better with his loosing from Capernaum on the west than on the south coast. It is therefore probable, that after sending the disciples away, Jesus left the country of Nazareth, and returned to Capernaum, where he waited their return from their mission; and that from Capernaum he sailed with them to the desart of Bethsaida. See Blackwall's Sacred Classics, vol. 2.