Vincent's NT Word Studies
42. Sought after (epezhtoun). Imperfect tense: were seeking.Came unto him (hlqon ewv autou). Stronger than came to; for ewv is even up to, showing that they did not discontinue their search until they found him. Mark's narrative here is fuller and more graphic.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:42 {When it was day} (genomenes hemeras). Genitive absolute with aorist middle participle. #Mr 1:35 notes it was "a great while before day" (which see for discussion) when Jesus rose up to go after a restless night. No doubt, because of the excitement of the previous sabbath in Capernaum. He went out to pray (#Mr 1:35). {Sought after him} (epezetoun auton). Imperfect active indicative. The multitudes kept at it until "they came unto him" (elqon hews autou, aorist active indicative). They accomplished their purpose, hews autou, right up to him. {Would have stayed him} (kateicon auton). Better, {They tried to hinder him}. The conative imperfect active of katecw, an old and common verb. It means either to hold fast (#Lu 8:15), to take, get possession of (#Lu 14:9) or to hold back, to retain, to restrain (#Phm 1:13; Ro 1:18; 7:6; 2Th 2:6; Lu 4:42). In this passage it is followed by the ablative case. {That he should not go from them} (tou me poreuesqai ap' autwn). Literally, "from going away from them." The use of me (not) after kateicon is the neat Greek idiom of the redundant negative after a verb of hindering like the French _ne_ (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1171) .