Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Mark 2:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21No 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 2:21 within Mark 2:18-22: “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”.
Read It With
- Mark 2:18-22
Read Mark 2:21 with 2:18-22. This verse anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 2:21 within Mark 2:18-22: “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”. The complete unit's controlling movement is: Asked why his disciples do not fast, Jesus uses bridegroom, cloth, and wineskin images to explain celebration in his presence and future fasting in his absence.
Why This Verse Appears Here
This verse anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 2:21 within Mark 2:18-22: “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”. This specific contribution advances Mark 2:18-22 toward its narrated or taught result.
Follow the Context
- Mark 2:18-22 is one coherent narrated or teaching movement titled “The Bridegroom Explains Fasting and Newness.” Its opening change of scene, speaker, audience, journey stage, or controversy and its closing response distinguish it from the adjacent unit.
- Asked why his disciples do not fast, Jesus uses bridegroom, cloth, and wineskin images to explain celebration in his presence and future fasting in his absence.
- 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.
What This Verse Is Not Saying
The new-and-old images do not teach that Christianity replaces or despises Judaism.
What Remains True
This verse anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 2:21 within Mark 2:18-22: “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”. Its faithful force remains governed by God's kingdom, Jesus' cross-defined authority, truthful discipleship, and protection of vulnerable people.
How It Can Shape Life
- When teaching Mark 2:21, explain this exact role inside Mark 2:18-22, state the material uncertainty or first-century control, and refuse the unit's first harmful misuse.
Teach It Back
Explain Mark 2:21's specific contribution to Mark 2:18-22: anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 2:21 within Mark 2:18-22: “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”. Include the surrounding movement, one uncertainty or ethical boundary, and what the verse does not authorize.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Mark 2:18-22 — The Bridegroom Explains Fasting and NewnessSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The preferred reading follows Mark's immediate narrative and whole-book movement while keeping the material alternative visible: 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.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
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 ↗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 ↗