Section 10 of 772:18-22Mark

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King James VersionMark 2:18-22

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.

Scripture text: King James Version, Standardized 1769 text. Public domain in the United States.About this Bible text

Mark 2:18-22

The Bridegroom Explains Fasting and Newness

The bridegroom's presence changes the fast

People notice that John's disciples and the Pharisees fast, while Jesus' disciples do not. He answers with a wedding: as long as the bridegroom is with them, the wedding guests cannot fast. Days will come when he is taken away, and then they will fast. Celebration now and loss later both belong to the saying. Fasting is not mocked as Jewish foolishness; it is timed to his presence.

Unshrunk cloth on an old garment and new wine in old skins picture a moment that will tear what cannot yet hold it. Those images announce eschatological newness. They do not teach that Christianity replaces or despises Judaism, and they do not equate Torah or Pharisaic devotion with ruined containers. John's and Pharisaic fasting remain Jewish acts of devotion. Bridegroom language is about Jesus, not a charter for leaders to treat a community as a spouse they own. Fasting later is grief and longing, not a purchase of God's favor or a program of harming the body.

How this should shape us

Let Jesus' presence set the tone of your practice: joy where he is near, honest fasting where absence hurts, without using new-and-old images to sneer at Jewish life. Do not fast to buy favor or to damage your body, and do not let any leader play bridegroom over you.

Go deeper

The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.

Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties

Where do careful interpreters differ?

Best judgment: The images announce an eschatological moment while acknowledging later loss. They do not simply equate Judaism with old cloth or ruined skins; John's and Pharisaic practices remain Jewish acts of devotion.

How certain? probable

Research trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph flags, supplied-word markup, and coverage.

Mark 2:18-22, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Supports: Greek wording, sentence relations, and material variants checked independently of the KJV.

Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Mark.txt, 2:18-22

STEP Bible Data

Supports: Greek forms, morphology, and lexical ranges; context controls sense.

STEP Bible Data official repository, TAGNT Matthew–Acts data, rows for 2:18-22

NET Bible — Mark with translators' and textual notes

Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, older-English clarification, variants, background, and alternatives.

NET Bible Mark PDF, printed pp. 1868–1901, 2:18-22 and attached translator/textual notes

Mark, Second Edition

Supports: Narrative boundaries, plot, characterization, kingdom, Christology, discipleship, conflict, Passion, and ending.

Broadhead, Mark, printed pp. 15–30, Mark 1.21–3.7a; subsection covering 2:18-22

Mark course: summary, outline, background, introductory issues, theological themes, and Bible in the world

Supports: Authorship/date limits, whole-book movement, secrecy, disciple failure, Passion, Sonship, and reader-first context.

Enter the Bible Mark course, Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, and related passage index; applied to 2:18-22

Mark

Supports: A complete confessional evangelical interpretation used as one traditioned voice, not consensus.

McKinley, “Mark,” Introduction and commentary heading covering Mark 2:18-22

Sources for This Section

These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph flags, supplied-word markup, and coverage.

Exact location: Mark 2:18-22, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus

Open source ↗

Greek textual evidence

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos

Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010

Supports: Greek wording, sentence relations, and material variants checked independently of the KJV.

Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Mark.txt, 2:18-22

Open the Mark Greek text file ↗

Lexical and grammatical evidence

STEP Bible Data

Tyndale House Cambridge

Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026

Supports: Greek forms, morphology, and lexical ranges; context controls sense.

Exact location: STEP Bible Data official repository, TAGNT Matthew–Acts data, rows for 2:18-22

Open source ↗

Translation and textual notes

NET Bible — Mark with translators' and textual notes

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition

Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, older-English clarification, variants, background, and alternatives.

Exact location: NET Bible Mark PDF, printed pp. 1868–1901, 2:18-22 and attached translator/textual notes

Open the official NET Mark PDF ↗

modern scholarly narrative commentary

Mark, Second Edition

Edwin K. Broadhead

Sheffield Phoenix Press; distributed online by the Society of Biblical Literature, 2009

Supports: Narrative boundaries, plot, characterization, kingdom, Christology, discipleship, conflict, Passion, and ending.

Exact location: Broadhead, Mark, printed pp. 15–30, Mark 1.21–3.7a; subsection covering 2:18-22

Open Broadhead's complete Mark commentary ↗

modern scholarly book introduction

Mark course: summary, outline, background, introductory issues, theological themes, and Bible in the world

Paul S. Berge; revised by Kristofer Phan Coffman

Enter the Bible, Luther Seminary, 2023 revision; current online course inspected 2026

Supports: Authorship/date limits, whole-book movement, secrecy, disciple failure, Passion, Sonship, and reader-first context.

Exact location: Enter the Bible Mark course, Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, and related passage index; applied to 2:18-22

Open the Enter the Bible Mark course ↗

modern open confessional commentary

Mark

Mike McKinley

The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023 online edition

Supports: A complete confessional evangelical interpretation used as one traditioned voice, not consensus.

Exact location: McKinley, “Mark,” Introduction and commentary heading covering Mark 2:18-22

Open McKinley's Mark commentary ↗