Four Thousand Men Fed

In those days, (A)when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus summoned His disciples and *said to them, (B)I feel compassion for the [a]people because they have remained with Me for three days already and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” And His disciples replied to Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough [b]bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” And He *directed the [c]people to recline on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve, and they served them to the [d]people. They also had a few small fish; and (C)after He had blessed them, He told the disciples to serve these as well. And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large (D)baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. About four thousand [e]men were there; and He dismissed them. 10 And immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and came to the region of (E)Dalmanutha.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 8:2 Lit crowd
  2. Mark 8:4 Lit loaves
  3. Mark 8:6 Lit crowd
  4. Mark 8:6 Lit crowd
  5. Mark 8:9 I.e., 4,000 men plus women and children, cf. Matt 15:38

He again feeds the people miraculously

1-3 About this time it happened again that a large crowd collected and had nothing to eat. Jesus called the disciples over to him and said, “My heart goes out to this crowd; they have been with me three days now and they have no food left. If I send them off home without anything, they will collapse on the way—and some of them have come from a distance.”

His disciples replied, “Where could anyone find the food to feed them here in this deserted spot?”

“How many loaves have you got?” Jesus asked them. “Seven,” they replied.

6-10 So Jesus told the crowd to settle themselves on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves into his hands, and with a prayer of thanksgiving broke them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people; and this they did. They had a few small fish as well, and after blessing them, Jesus told the disciples to give these also to the people. They ate and they were satisfied. Moreover, they picked up seven baskets full of pieces left over. The people numbered about four thousand. Jesus sent them home, and then he boarded the boat at once with his disciples and went on to the district of Dalmanutha.

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