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In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way.”

His disciples answered him, “From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?”

He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”

They said, “Seven.”

He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude. They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also. They ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.

10 Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha. 11 The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him. 12 He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation[a] seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

13 He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side. 14 They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15 He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”

16 They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”

17 Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18 Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”

They told him, “Twelve.”

20 “When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”

They told him, “Seven.”

21 He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

22 He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. 23 He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

24 He looked up, and said, “I see men; for I see them like trees walking.”

25 Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. 26 He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”

27 Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?”

28 They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others, one of the prophets.”

29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

30 He commanded them that they should tell no one about him. 31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.”

34 He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his life? 38 For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Father’s glory, with the holy angels.”

Footnotes

  1. 8:12 The word translated “generation” here (genea) could also be translated “people”, “race”, or “family”.

In those days when [again] an immense crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and told them,

I have pity and sympathy for the people and My heart goes out to them, for they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat;

And if I send them away to their homes hungry, they will be feeble through exhaustion and faint along the road; and some of them have come a long way.

And His disciples replied to Him, How can anyone fill and satisfy [these people] with loaves of bread here in [this] desolate and uninhabited region?

And He asked them, How many loaves have you? They said, Seven.

And He commanded the multitude to recline upon the ground, and He [then] took the seven loaves [of bread] and, having given thanks, He broke them and kept on giving them to His disciples to put before [the people], and they placed them before the crowd.

And they had a few small fish; and when He had [a]praised God and given thanks and asked Him to bless them [to their use], He ordered that these also should be set before [them].

And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven [[b]large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

And there were about 4,000 people. And He dismissed them,

10 And at once He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha (or Magdala).

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with and question Him, demanding from Him a sign (an attesting miracle from heaven) [maliciously] to test Him.

12 And He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, Why does this generation demand a sign? Positively I say to you, no sign shall be given this generation.

13 And He went away and left them and, getting into the boat again, He departed to the other side.

14 Now they had [[c]completely] forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15 And Jesus [repeatedly and expressly] charged and admonished them, saying, Look out; keep on your guard and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod [d]and the Herodians.

16 And they discussed it and reasoned with one another, It is because we have no bread.

17 And being aware [of it], Jesus said to them, Why are you reasoning and saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in [a settled state of] hardness?(A)

18 Having eyes, do you not see [with them], and having ears, do you not hear and perceive and understand the sense of what is said? And do you not remember?

19 When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many [[e]small hand] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to Him, Twelve.

20 And [when I broke] the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many [[f]large provision] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? And they said to Him, Seven.

21 And He [g]kept repeating, Do you not yet understand?

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And [people] brought to Him a blind man and begged Him to touch him.

23 And He [h]caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, Do you [[i]possibly] see anything?

24 And he looked up and said, I see people, but [they look] like trees, walking.

25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again; and the man looked intently [that is, fixed his eyes on definite objects], and he was restored and saw everything distinctly [even what was [j]at a distance].

26 And He sent him away to his house, telling [him], Do not [even] enter the village [k]or tell anyone there.

27 And Jesus went on with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, Who do people say that I am?

28 And they answered [Him], John the Baptist; and others [say], Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.

29 And He asked them, But who do you yourselves say that I am? Peter replied to Him, You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

30 And He charged them sharply to tell no one about Him.

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must of necessity suffer many things and be tested and disapproved and rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days rise again [[l]from death].

32 And He said this freely (frankly, plainly, and explicitly, making it unmistakable). And Peter took Him [m]by the hand and led Him aside and then [facing Him] began to rebuke Him.

33 But turning around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind [n]intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God’s side, but that of men].

34 And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and [o]lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [[p]joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow [q]with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me].

35 For whoever wants to save his [[r]higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the [s]lower, natural, temporal life [t]which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his [u]higher, spiritual life [v]in the eternal kingdom of God].

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [[w]in the eternal kingdom of God]?

37 For what can a man give as an exchange ([x]a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [[y]in the eternal kingdom of God]?

38 For whoever [z]is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous (unfaithful) and [preeminently] sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory (splendor and majesty) of His Father with the holy angels.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 8:7 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  2. Mark 8:8 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
  3. Mark 8:14 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  4. Mark 8:15 Some ancient manuscripts add “and the Herodians.”
  5. Mark 8:19 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
  6. Mark 8:20 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
  7. Mark 8:21 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
  8. Mark 8:23 William Tyndale, The Tyndale Bible.
  9. Mark 8:23 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
  10. Mark 8:25 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  11. Mark 8:26 Some manuscripts add this phrase.
  12. Mark 8:31 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
  13. Mark 8:32 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  14. Mark 8:33 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  15. Mark 8:34 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  16. Mark 8:34 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  17. Mark 8:34 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  18. Mark 8:35 Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausett and David Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.
  19. Mark 8:35 Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausett and David Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.
  20. Mark 8:35 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  21. Mark 8:35 Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausett and David Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.
  22. Mark 8:35 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  23. Mark 8:36 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  24. Mark 8:37 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
  25. Mark 8:37 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  26. Mark 8:38 A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures.