Mark 6:39
in Mark 6Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he commanded them that all should sit down by companies upon the green grass.
KJV
And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
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This verse in Mark 6
Commentary
11 notes on this verseI believe that he ordered the people to sit down upon the grass because of what is said in Isaiah: "all flesh is grass"; that is, to humble the flesh, to make subject the arrogance of the flesh; so that each one may become a partaker of the loaves to which Jesus gave his blessing.
This site's exposition
sit in groups on the green grass
on Mark 6:39-40
The green grass is Mark's own detail, and it places the scene in springtime. The people sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties, which turns a hungry crowd into an ordered and countable assembly before a single loaf is broken. The order eases the distribution and lets Mark count the men fed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Con. Evan. 2. 46) It goes on, And he commanded them to wake all sit down by companies upon the green grass, and they sat down in ranks by hundreds and by fifties. But we need not be perplexed, though Luke says that they were ordered to sit down by fifties, and Mark by hundreds and fifties, for one has mentioned a part, the other the whole. Mark, who mentions the hundreds, fills up what the other has left out.
The Medieval Church4 voices
We are given to understand that they lay down in parties, separate from one another, for what is translated by companies, is repeated twice over in the Greek, as though it were by companies and companies.
(ubi sup.) Again, those men lie down on grass and are fed by the food of the Lord, who have trodden under foot their concupiscences by continence, and apply themselves diligently to hear and fulfil the words of God. The Saviour, however, does not create a new sort of food; for when He came in the flesh He preached no other things than were predicted, but showed how pregnant with mysteries of grace were the writings of the Law and the Prophets. He looks up to heaven, that He may teach us that there we must look for grace. He breaks and distributes to the disciples that they may place the bread before the multitudes, because He has opened the mysteries of prophecy to holy doctors, who are to preach them to the whole world. What is left by the crowd is taken up by the disciples, because the more sacred mysteries, which cannot be received by the foolish, are not to be passed by with negligence, but to be inquired into by the perfect. For by the twelve baskets, the Apostles and the following Doctors are typified, externally indeed despised by men, but inwardly full of healthful food. For all know that carrying baskets is a part of the work of slaves.
And he commanded them to make them all sit down in companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. The different groups of those reclining signify the distinct gatherings of the churches around the world, which make …
Finally, the Lord has them all recline on the grass in separate groups—that is, as if at different tables.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he commanded them to make all sit down,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass--or "green hay"; the rank grass of those bushy wastes. For, as John (Joh 6:10) notes, "there was much grass in the place."
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
Of all our Lord Jesus Christ's miracles, none is so frequently described in the Gospels, as that which we have now read. Each of the four Evangelists was inspired to record it. It is evident that it demands a more than ordinary attention from every reader of God's word. Let us observe, for one thing, in this passage, what an example this miracle affords of our Lord Jesus Christ's almighty POWER . We are told that He fed five thousand men, with five loaves and two fish. We are distinctly told that this multitude had nothing to eat. We are no less distinctly told that the whole provision for their sustenance consisted of only five loaves and two fish. And yet we read that our Lord took these loaves and fish, blessed, broke, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And the conclusion of the narrative tells us, that "they ate, and were filled," and that "twelve baskets full of fragments" were taken up. Here was creative power, beyond all question. Something real, solid, substantial, must manifestly have been called into being, which did not before exist. There is no room left for the theory, that the people were under the influence of an optical delusion, or a heated imagination. Five thousand hungry people would never have been satisfied, if they had not received into their mouths material bread. Twelve baskets full of fragments would never have been taken up, if the five loaves had not been miraculously multiplied. In short, it is plain that the hand of Him who made the world out of nothing was present on this occasion. None but He who at the first created all things, and sent down manna in the desert, could thus have "spread a table in the wilderness." It becomes all true Christians to store up facts like these in their minds, and to remember them in time of need. We live in the midst of an evil world, and see few with us, and many against us.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
Of all our Lord Jesus Christ's miracles, none is so frequently described in the Gospels, as that which we have now read. Each of the four Evangelists was inspired to record it. It is evident that it demands a more than ordinary attention from every reader of God's word. Let us observe, for one thing, in this passage, what an example this miracle affords of our Lord Jesus Christ's almighty POWER . We are told that He fed five thousand men, with five loaves and two fish. We are distinctly told that this multitude had nothing to eat.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπέταξεν | epetaxen | He commanded | G2004 → | 10 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀνακλῖναι | anaklinai | to recline | G347 → | |
| πάντας | pantas | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| συμπόσια | sumposia | groups | G4849 → | |
| συμπόσια | sumposia | [by] groups | G4849 → | |
| ἐπὶ | epi | on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χλωρῷ | chloro | green | G5515 → | |
| χόρτῳ. | chorto | grass. | G5528 → |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπέταξενHe commanded
epetaxenG2004 →10 times
αὐτοῖςthem
autoisG846 →5565 times
ἀνακλῖναιto recline
anaklinaiG347 →
πάνταςall
pantasG3956 →1235 times
συμπόσιαgroups
sumposiaG4849 →
συμπόσια[by] groups
sumposiaG4849 →
ἐπὶon
epiG1909 →883 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
χλωρῷgreen
chloroG5515 →
χόρτῳ.grass.
chortoG5528 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
1 Corinthians 14:33For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace—as in all the churches of the saints.
it leads to
- James 3:17–18
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
- 1 Corinthians 14:40
But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
- Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- 1 Corinthians 11:16
If anyone is inclined to dispute this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.
- James 3:17–18
Through
1 Corinthians 14:40But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.
it leads to
- Colossians 2:5
For although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see your orderly condition and firm faith in Christ.
- Titus 1:5
The reason I left you in Crete was that you would set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.
- 1 Corinthians 14:26–33
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the…
- Colossians 2:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Mark
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Mark; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; 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; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 11.3; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.