Mark 8:9
And about four thousand men were present. As soon as Jesus had dismissed the crowd,
BSB
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.
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.
TRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF MARK, HOMILY 78 (420)
From 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.
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.
1816–1900
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 .
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.
Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.
