Mark 6 41

Mark 6:41 kjv

And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

Mark 6:41 nkjv

And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.

Mark 6:41 niv

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

Mark 6:41 esv

And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all.

Mark 6:41 nlt

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.

Mark 6 verses

Mark 6 41 Meaning

This verse details Jesus' actions in the pivotal moment of feeding the five thousand. After taking the available meager provisions – five loaves of bread and two fish – Jesus looks up to heaven, signifying reliance on the Father and acknowledging the divine source of power. He then offers a blessing or thanksgiving over the food and proceeds to break the loaves. Following this, He gives the broken food to His disciples to distribute among the multitude, and also divides the fish among everyone, ensuring comprehensive provision for the hungry crowd.

Mark 6 41 Context

Mark 6:41 takes place after the devastating news of John the Baptist's execution (Mk 6:14-29). Jesus, seeking solitude with His disciples in a deserted place (Mk 6:31-32), is instead met by an even larger crowd, "like sheep without a shepherd" (Mk 6:34). Moved by compassion, Jesus begins teaching them. As the day draws to a close, His disciples urge Him to send the crowds away to find food. Instead, Jesus challenges them to provide for the people, exposing their practical inability and limited understanding (Mk 6:35-37). It is in response to this impossible request and their report of only five loaves and two fish that Jesus demonstrates His divine power through this verse, orchestrating the miraculous feeding of five thousand men, plus women and children, transforming scarcity into overwhelming abundance (Mk 6:38-44). This event highlights Jesus' messianic authority, compassion, and identity as the ultimate provider, a theme that also carries profound symbolic meaning foreshadowing the Eucharist and His role as the bread of life.

Mark 6 41 Word analysis

• And when He had taken (λαβὼν - labōn): A strong, decisive action. It signifies Jesus' intentional act of assuming ownership or control over the meager resources. It is not an arbitrary act but a deliberate preparatory step for the divine intervention.
• the five loaves (τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους - tous pente artous): Refers to flat, often unleavened barley cakes, common and inexpensive food of the poor. The number "five" highlights the profound inadequacy of human provision against the need of a multitude, emphasizing that the subsequent abundance is purely miraculous.
• and the two fish (καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας - kai tous duo ichthuas): Likely small, dried, or pickled fish, serving as a condiment or protein with the bread. Again, the number "two" underlines the smallness of the starting point. Together, the five loaves and two fish symbolize human insufficiency contrasted with divine omnipotence.
• He looked up to heaven (ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν - anablepsas eis ton ouranon): A typical posture for prayer in Jewish tradition, especially when seeking divine help or expressing thanks. It signifies acknowledging God the Father as the ultimate source of all blessing and power. It's an act of humble dependence, even by the Son of God, affirming that the miracle originates from divine will and power.
• blessed (εὐλόγησεν - eulogēsen): To invoke a blessing, to speak well of, or to give thanks. This isn't a magical incantation but a prayer of gratitude to God for the food and a petition for its multiplication or effectiveness. It echoes the customary Jewish blessing over meals, sanctifying the act of eating and attributing the provision to God.
• and broke (κατέκλασεν - kateklausen): This is a compound verb implying a forceful or thorough breaking into pieces, distinct from simply klasō (to break). It denotes the preparatory act of making the bread consumable for many, but also carries strong symbolic resonance with the breaking of the body of Christ (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24). The imperfect tense suggests a continuous or repeated action, as Jesus continued breaking as needed.
• the loaves (τοὺς ἄρτους - tous artous): Explicitly the loaves are broken, reinforcing their role as the staple food. The fish, mentioned separately later, are 'divided'.
• and gave them to His disciples (καὶ ἐδίδου αὐτοῖς τοῖς μαθηταῖς - kai edidou autois tois mathētais): The imperfect tense of "gave" (ἐδίδου) suggests a continuous, ongoing process of distribution from Jesus to the disciples. The disciples are thus directly involved as intermediaries, signifying their future role in distributing spiritual nourishment (the Word, the Gospel, the Eucharist) to the world.
• to set before them (ἵνα παρατιθῶσιν αὐτοῖς - hina paratithōsin autois): Means "to place beside, to serve, to offer food." It emphasizes the disciples' active participation in ministry, not just observing but performing the task of feeding.
• and the two fish He divided among them all (καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας ἐμέρισεν πᾶσιν - kai tous duo ichthuas emerisen pasin): While the loaves are 'broken' for continuous distribution, the fish are explicitly 'divided' (emerisen), emphasizing an equitable sharing among all. This detail further stresses the complete and universal provision.

• "And when He had taken...and the two fish": This opening phrase highlights the profound disproportion between the humanly available resources and the immense need. It sets the stage for the miraculous nature of what is to follow, making it clear that no human means could achieve the outcome.
• "He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke": This sequence of actions is deeply significant. "Looked up to heaven" reveals Jesus' intimate connection with the Father and His humble acknowledgment that divine power flows from above. "Blessed" transforms a mere meal into a consecrated act of worship and gratitude, infusing it with divine presence. "Broke" prepares the food for consumption, but liturgically points forward to His own body broken for humanity, a theme profoundly echoing in the Last Supper narratives.
• "and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all": This grouping illustrates the chain of divine provision through human instruments. Jesus' act of giving to the disciples signifies their essential role in extending His ministry. They are not merely observers but active participants in distributing divine abundance. This establishes a paradigm for the Church's ministry of providing spiritual sustenance to the world.

Mark 6 41 Bonus section

• The sequence of actions "took, blessed/gave thanks, broke, and gave" observed in this verse (and its parallel accounts) forms a distinct liturgical pattern. This pattern is conspicuously mirrored in Jesus' actions at the Last Supper (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:23-24) and again in His revelation to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:30). This repetitive pattern reinforces the idea that this miracle is more than just a physical feeding; it carries deep spiritual, redemptive, and Eucharistic meaning.
• The miraculous feeding here is a profound anti-polemic against any belief in human self-sufficiency or dependence on political systems or pagan deities for provision. Jesus alone, through humble prayer to God, provides abundantly from seemingly nothing, establishing His authority and divine power over material creation and the forces of nature.
• The very small amount of food—five loaves and two fish—is symbolic of human limitation and inadequacy. It sets the perfect stage for God's limitless power to be demonstrated, showing that divine grace multiplies not out of abundance, but often out of utter insufficiency, highlighting His glory.
• While the miracle ensures physical nourishment, its deeper significance points to Jesus as the Messiah who truly satisfies the spiritual hunger of humanity. This prefigures the spiritual sustenance He offers through His teaching and, ultimately, through Himself as the "bread of life."

Mark 6 41 Commentary

Mark 6:41 stands as the pivotal verse in the feeding of the five thousand, illuminating several core truths about Jesus. It first reveals His compassion in action, transforming scarcity into superabundance through a series of deliberate, almost liturgical, steps. His act of taking the few loaves and fish signifies ownership and control over even meager resources. His "looking up to heaven" and "blessing" confirm His complete dependence on, and intimate connection with, God the Father, underscoring that the miracle is a divine act. The verb "broke" for the loaves, specifically meaning to break into many pieces, is deeply significant, echoing prophetic acts of communion and profoundly foreshadowing the Last Supper and the broken body of Christ. Jesus' choice to give the food to His disciples for distribution involves them directly in His ministry, teaching them a lesson in faith and showing their future role as ministers of God's grace and spiritual nourishment. The event is a profound demonstration of Christ as the compassionate provider, not only of physical bread but also, by implication, of the spiritual sustenance that is Himself, the true bread of life.