Mark 8:9
in Mark 8And about four thousand men were present. As soon as Jesus had dismissed the crowd,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
KJV
And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
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This verse in Mark 8
Commentary
11 notes on this verseFrom the lesser number of men [four thousand], less remains; from the greater number [five thousand6], more is left over. Four thousand men—fewer certainly in number, but greater in faith. The one who is greater in faith eats more, and because he does, there is less left over! I wish that we, too, might eat more of the hardy bread of holy writ, so that there would be less left over for us to learn.
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
about four thousand men were present
John Gill notes from Matthew that the count was of men, besides women and children. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown contrast the two feedings. After the five thousand the crowd wanted to take him by force and make him king, but no such excitement is recorded here.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church4 voices
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.
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 …
By the four thousand is meant the year of the new dispensation, with its four seasons. Fitly also are there four thousand, that in the number itself it might be taught us that they were filled with the food of the Gospel.
Now those who ate were about four thousand, and He sent them away. Well, four thousand, that even in the number itself they might show they were fed with evangelical food.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they that had eaten were about four thousand,.... That is, men, besides women and children, as Matthew observes; See Gill on Mat 15:38. and he sent them away; some that came dumb, with their speech, and deaf, with their hearing; others that were maimed, with perfect healing of their wounds, and with their limbs sound and whole; others that came lame, he dismissed leaping; and others that were blind, with their sight restored to them, and all of them full.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
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 .
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It might be added, that in the one case the people, in a frenzy of enthusiasm, would have taken Him by force to make Him a king; in the other case no such excitement is recorded.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
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
7 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἦσαν | esan | There were | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ὡς | hos | about | G5613 → | 500 times |
| τετρακισχίλιοι· | tetrakischilioi | four thousand; | G5070 → | |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀπέλυσεν | apelusen | He sent away | G630 → | 63 times |
| αὐτούς.¶ | autous | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἦσανThere were
esanG1510 →2333 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ὡςabout
hosG5613 →500 times
τετρακισχίλιοι·four thousand;
tetrakischilioiG5070 →
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀπέλυσενHe sent away
apelusenG630 →63 times
αὐτούς.¶them.
autousG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
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On this verse
About Mark
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; 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; Jerome, TRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF MARK, HOMILY 78; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.