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Mark 8:6

in Mark 8

And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And he commandeth the multitude to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.

KJV

And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

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This verse in Mark 8

Commentary

12 notes on this verse

A commentator

Bede

On the Gospel of Mark · Written before 735.

And he commanded the crowd to recline on the ground. Earlier, during the feeding of the five loaves, the crowd reclined on the green grass; now, when they are to be fed with seven loaves, they are commanded to recline on the ground, because through …

This site's exposition

Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread

on Mark 8:4-9

The disciples' question, Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread, comes as though the five thousand fed earlier were forgotten. Jesus feeds them from seven loaves, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

This site's exposition

gave thanks and broke them

John Gill notes that the disciples set the bread before the people as told, obedient even while forgetful and slow to believe. Augustine takes the scene as a picture of preaching. The one who breaks the bread of Scripture hands on what is not his own.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Remigius of Rheims

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 533.

proposed

And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground. In the former feeding they lay down on grass, in this one on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake. In giving thanks, He has left us an example, that for all gifts conferred on us from heaven we should return thanks to Him. And it is to be remarked, that our Lord did not give the bread to the people, but to His disciples, and the disciples to the people; and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

SERMONS ON NEW TESTAMENT LESSONS 45.1 · Written before 430.

proposed

In expounding holy Scriptures, I am, so to speak, now breaking bread for you. If you hunger to receive it, your heart will sing out with the fullness of praise. And if you are thus made rich in your banquet, why would you then be niggardly in good works and deeds of mercy? What I am distributing to you is not my own. What you feast upon, I also feast upon.

The Medieval Church3 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 1107.

After the Lord had performed the former miracle concerning the multiplication of the loaves, now again, a fitting occasion presents itself, and He takes the opportunity of working a similar miracle; wherefore it is said, In those days, the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and, saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat.

A commentator

Bede

On the Gospel of Mark · Written before 735.

proposed

And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he broke them and gave to his disciples to set before the crowd. The Lord, taking the loaves, gave them to his disciples so that they might distribute them to the crowd, because, bestowing the spiritual gifts of …

A commentator

Bede

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 735.

proposed

(ubi sup.) For our Lord's breaking the bread means the opening of mysteries; His giving of thanks shows how great a joy He feels in the salvation of the human race; His giving the loaves to His disciples that they might set them before the people, signifies that He assigns the spiritual gifts of knowledge to the Apostles, and that it was His will that by their ministry the food of life should be distributed to the Church.
4 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Mark · Written before 1107.

proposed

The Lord had already performed a similar miracle before. He works wonders now as well, having a fitting occasion for it. And the occasion was this: the people had been with Him for three days, and the food supply they had taken for the journey …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground,.... See Gill on Mat 15:35; and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake them; See Gill on Mat 15:36; and gave to his disciples to set before them, the multitude, and they did set them before the people; in which they were obedient to their Lord's commands, though they were so forgetful, unbelieving, and stupid.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Once more we see our Lord feeding a great multitude with a few loaves and fish. He knew the heart of man. He saw the rise of cavilers and skeptics, who would question the reality of the wonderful works He performed. By repeating the mighty miracle here recorded, He stops the mouth of all who are not wilfully blind to evidence. Publicly, and before four thousand witnesses, He shows His almighty power a second time. Let us observe in this passage how great is the kindness and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ .
Once more we see our Lord feeding a great multitude with a few loaves and fish. He knew the heart of man. He saw the rise of cavilers and skeptics, who would question the reality of the wonderful works He performed. By repeating the mighty miracle here recorded, He stops the mouth of all who are not wilfully blind to evidence. Publicly, and before four thousand witnesses, He shows His almighty power a second time. Let us observe in this passage how great is the kindness and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ . He saw around Him a "very great multitude," who had nothing to eat. He knew that the great majority were following Him from no other motive than idle curiosity, and had no claim whatever to be regarded as His disciples. Yet when He saw them hungry and destitute, He pitied them — "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat." The feeling heart of our Lord Jesus Christ appears in these words. He has compassion even on those who are not His people — the faithless, the graceless, the followers of this world. He feels tenderly for them, though they know it not. He died for them, though they care little for what He did on the cross. He would receive them graciously, and pardon them freely, if they would only repent and believe on Him. Let us ever beware of measuring the love of Christ by any human measure. He has a special love, beyond doubt, for His own believing people. But He has also a general love of compassion, even for the unthankful and the evil. His love "passes knowledge." (Ephes. 3:19.) Let us strive to make Jesus our pattern in this, as well as in everything else. Let us be kind, and compassionate, and piteous, and courteous to all men. Let us be ready to do good to all men, and not only to friends and the household of faith.

The words behind it

26 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

16 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Colossians 3:17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.8 worksJohn 6:10–11“Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.7 worksMatthew 14:18–19“Bring them here to Me,” Jesus said.7 worksMatthew 15:35–36And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground.7 works1 Corinthians 10:30–31If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?6 worksRomans 14:6He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.5 works
The other 10 cross-references, with their words ▾
John 2:5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”5 worksJohn 6:23However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.5 worksMatthew 26:26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”4 worksLuke 24:30While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.4 worksLuke 9:14–15(There were about five thousand men.) He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”4 worksMark 6:39–44Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass.4 works1 Samuel 9:13As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.”4 worksLuke 12:37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.4 works1 Timothy 4:3–5They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.3 worksActs 27:35After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.2 works

The walk

5 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Colossians 3:17

    And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 10:31

      So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

    • Colossians 3:23

      Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,

    • Proverbs 3:6

      in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

    • Ephesians 5:20

      always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    • 1 Thessalonians 5:18

      Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Where this verse is studied

About Mark

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Mark: the study guide →Read Mark 8 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Augustine of Hippo, SERMONS ON NEW TESTAMENT LESSONS 45.1; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Remigius of Rheims, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.

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