Mark 6:37 kjv
He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
Mark 6:37 nkjv
But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"
Mark 6:37 niv
But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take more than half a year's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
Mark 6:37 esv
But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?"
Mark 6:37 nlt
But Jesus said, "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!"
Mark 6 37 Cross References
Cross-references are categorized for clarity:
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 8:2 | "And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to test you, to know what was in your heart..." | God tests His people's faith and obedience. |
| Num 11:13 | "Where can I get meat to give to all these people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat!’” | Moses' human inability to feed the masses. |
| 2 Kgs 4:42-44 | "Then Elisha said, 'Give it to the people, that they may eat.'... He said, 'Give it to the people, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord: "They shall eat and have some left over."'" | Elisha’s prophetic action mirroring divine provision for a crowd. |
| Matt 14:15-18 | "When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, 'This is a deserted place... Send the multitudes away... But Jesus said to them, 'They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.'" | Parallel account highlighting the disciples' limited perspective. |
| Lk 9:12-14 | "When the day began to wear away... 'Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country... But He said to them, 'You give them something to eat.'" | Another parallel emphasizing the command. |
| Jn 6:5-7 | "Jesus said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?' This He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do." | Explicitly states Jesus' intention to test His disciples. |
| Jn 6:9-11 | "One of His disciples, Andrew... said, 'There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are these among so many?'... Then Jesus said, 'Make the people sit down.'" | Limited human resources offered before Christ's miracle. |
| Matt 25:35 | "For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink..." | Call to feed the hungry as serving Christ. |
| Acts 20:35 | "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" | Principles of generosity and serving those in need. |
| Phil 4:19 | "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." | God's abundant provision, contrasted with human lack. |
| 2 Cor 9:8 | "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." | God provides richly so believers can give. |
| Eph 3:20 | "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us..." | God's power transcends human limitations and calculations. |
| Jer 32:27 | "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?" | Rhetorical question emphasizing God's omnipotence. |
| Gen 18:14 | "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" | Affirmation of God's limitless power in the face of impossible human circumstances. |
| Isa 55:1 | "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price." | God offers abundant spiritual food freely. |
| Isa 65:13 | "Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry...'" | Divine provision for His faithful, lack for others. |
| 1 Pet 4:10-11 | "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God... that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ..." | Using given resources for God's glory in service. |
| Lk 1:37 | "For with God nothing will be impossible." | A direct challenge to the human calculation of "impossible." |
| Heb 11:6 | "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." | Emphasizes the need for faith when facing challenges beyond human means. |
| Jn 2:7-9 | "Jesus said to them, 'Fill the waterpots with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, 'Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.'..." | Christ transforming limited resources into abundance (water into wine). |
| 1 Cor 1:27 | "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty..." | God uses what seems inadequate to accomplish great things, defying human logic. |
| Mal 3:10 | "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this... If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it." | God's promise of abundant blessing upon faithful giving and obedience. |
Mark 6 verses
Mark 6 37 Meaning
Mark 6:37 captures a pivotal moment where Jesus challenges His disciples to address the needs of the hungry multitude, confronting their logistical mindset with a divine imperative. He commands them to provide for the crowd, directly shifting responsibility from Himself to them. Their immediate, pragmatic response highlights their reliance on conventional human resources, calculating the enormous cost of feeding so many people, demonstrating a limited understanding of Jesus' power and intention. This exchange sets the stage for a miraculous demonstration of divine provision, contrasting human inadequacy with Christ's boundless capability.
Mark 6 37 Context
Mark 6:37 occurs during the peak of Jesus' Galilean ministry, immediately following the disciples' return from their first mission trip (Mark 6:7-13). They are tired, and Jesus, showing compassion, seeks a quiet place for them to rest (Mark 6:31). However, vast crowds anticipate and follow them. This verse is the crucial turning point in the narrative of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, one of the most significant miracles recounted in all four Gospels. The disciples initially propose sending the hungry multitude away to buy food for themselves (Mark 6:36). Jesus' command to them is a direct response, shifting the responsibility from the crowds to the disciples, thereby setting the stage for a demonstration of His power that would both provide for the people and instruct His followers. It also functions as a challenge to their burgeoning faith and their understanding of the Messiah's role.
Mark 6 37 Word analysis
But he answered them, 'You give them something to eat.'
- But (δὲ - de): A connective particle indicating a slight shift or contrast. It sets Jesus' reply in direct opposition to the disciples' suggestion of dismissal.
- he answered (ἀποκριθεὶς - apokritheis): Implies a direct, decisive response to their logistical, human-centered suggestion.
- them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Refers specifically to the disciples, who had just proposed sending the crowds away (Mark 6:36). This highlights that the challenge is personal and directed at their nascent understanding.
- 'You give' (Δότε - Dote): Second person plural, imperative mood, active voice of δίδωμι (didōmi - "to give"). This is a direct command. The "You" is emphatic in Greek, forcing the disciples to confront their own capabilities (or perceived lack thereof). It's not a suggestion but an order, pushing them beyond their comfort zone and conventional thinking.
- them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Referring to the multitude, emphasizing the recipients of the commanded action.
- something to eat (φαγεῖν - phagein): The infinitive form of "to eat," indicating the object of their giving. It simply means food, specifically that which is eaten.
And they said to him, 'Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?'
- And they said to him (οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ - hoi de eipan autō): Signals the disciples' immediate, practical, and somewhat bewildered reaction to Jesus' command.
- 'Shall we go and buy' (Ἀπελθόντες ἀγοράσωμεν - Apelthontes agorasōmen): Suggests a pragmatic, logistical solution rooted in human means and commercial transactions. They are looking to conventional sources, demonstrating their current lack of faith in divine provision for such a scale.
- two hundred denarii (διακοσίων δηνάριων - diakosiōn dēnariōn): A denarius (δηνάριον - dēnarion) was a typical day's wage for a common laborer. 200 denarii would be roughly eight months' wages, representing a colossal sum from a practical human perspective. This numerical reference starkly illustrates the immense scale of the problem as perceived by the disciples, making Jesus' subsequent miracle even more striking. It emphasizes the financial impossibility from a human standpoint.
- worth of bread (ἄρτους - artous): Plural for "loaves of bread," specifying the type of food needed. The magnitude of bread required underlines the enormity of the task.
- and give it to them to eat? (δῶμεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν; - dōmen autois phagein;): Rephrases Jesus' command back to Him as a question, highlighting their bewilderment and the perceived impossibility. It shows they understand the command but are fixated on the human means.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "But he answered them, 'You give them something to eat.'": This initial statement from Jesus is a radical reversal of the disciples' thinking. They are trying to dismiss the problem; Jesus charges them with solving it. This command pushes them to recognize their direct responsibility and implicit inadequacy, preparing them for a supernatural solution. It implies a deeper lesson: "What do you have, and what is your role in addressing this need?" It serves as a test of their faith and capacity for obedience beyond rational thought.
- "And they said to him, 'Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?'": This question exposes the disciples' spiritual blindness and practical mindset. They immediately translate the problem into a financial one, calculating the immense cost in human terms. Their solution relies entirely on purchasing power, not divine power. The mention of "two hundred denarii" is a vivid measure of the problem's perceived insolvability, a polemic against reliance solely on worldly wealth or human resources to meet overwhelming needs, indirectly pointing to the sufficiency found only in Christ. It also highlights the disciples' initial lack of understanding regarding the miraculous nature of Jesus’ ministry and His ability to provide from seemingly nothing.
Mark 6 37 Bonus section
The sum of two hundred denarii (δηνάριων) was a substantial amount. It represents about two-thirds of a talent or 200 daily wages, equivalent to roughly eight months' wages for an ordinary laborer. This immense figure emphasizes the sheer impossibility of the task from a human economic standpoint. This serves to underscore the greatness of the impending miracle and highlights the divine rather than human source of the solution. The disciples' calculation isn't necessarily a refusal but a genuine assessment of their lack, which unwittingly sets the stage for Christ to showcase His unlimited power over material scarcity. The encounter functions as a critical moment of instruction for the disciples on the nature of ministry—not just relying on their own strength or possessions, but trusting God's power to provide through them, even with little.
Mark 6 37 Commentary
Mark 6:37 is more than just a logistical query; it is a profound spiritual teaching. Jesus' command, "You give them something to eat," challenges His disciples to move beyond their limited human perspectives and acknowledge their part in God's redemptive plan. They are not merely passive observers but called to active participation, even when the task seems insurmountable. Their response, focused on the prohibitive cost of "two hundred denarii worth of bread," perfectly illustrates humanity's common response to overwhelming need: calculation of insufficiency rather than reliance on divine abundance. This exposes the disciples' pragmatic, worldly mindset, a common human struggle where logic dictates limitation, thus stifling faith in miraculous provision. Jesus does not ask if they can do it from their own means, but that they do it. The implied lesson, underscored by the miracle that follows, is that God often calls us to impossible tasks precisely so that His power, not ours, may be demonstrated. This challenges any contemporary belief that human capacity or wealth is the ultimate solution to the world's problems. Instead, it positions Christ as the ultimate provider and calls His followers to be channels of His grace, even with seemingly inadequate resources. The encounter teaches that faith means taking responsibility for a need even when the solution is beyond our human ability, trusting God to accomplish the impossible through our humble obedience.