Mark 8:19 kjv
When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
Mark 8:19 nkjv
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve."
Mark 8:19 niv
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied.
Mark 8:19 esv
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve."
Mark 8:19 nlt
When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?" "Twelve," they said.
Mark 8 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 6:41 | ...took the five loaves and the two fish... He broke the loaves... | First feeding, Jesus breaking bread. |
| Mk 6:42-44 | They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve baskets full... | Result of the 5000 feeding: full satisfaction, abundant leftovers. |
| Matt 14:17-21 | ...We have only five loaves... and they ate and were satisfied, and they took up twelve baskets full... | Synoptic parallel to the first feeding. |
| Luke 9:13-17 | ...We have no more than five loaves... they all ate and were satisfied. And there were picked up twelve baskets of broken pieces... | Synoptic parallel emphasizing sufficiency and surplus. |
| John 6:9-13 | "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves... and the disciples gathered them up, twelve baskets full..." | John's account, focusing on small beginnings and immense surplus. |
| Mk 8:1 | In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered... | Immediate context: setting for the second feeding (4000). |
| Mk 8:8-9 | And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets of broken pieces... | Result of the second feeding (4000), showing different quantity of leftovers. |
| Matt 15:37-38 | ...And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left... | Parallel for the second feeding, again different quantity. |
| Mk 8:14-16 | The disciples had forgotten to bring bread... "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees..." | Immediate preceding context: their concern for physical bread and Jesus' warning about spiritual danger. |
| Mk 8:17-18 | And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand?..." | Jesus' exasperation with their spiritual blindness directly leading to v. 19. |
| Exod 16:3-4 | The whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled... "Behold, I am Tishin for you bread from heaven..." | God's provision of manna in the wilderness, paralleling Jesus as provider. |
| Deut 8:3 | "He humbled you... that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone..." | God's intention beyond mere physical sustenance, hinting at spiritual bread. |
| 1 Kgs 17:15-16 | The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty... | Elijah's miracle of multiplied food, Old Testament precedent for miraculous provision. |
| 2 Kgs 4:42-44 | "There is a servant of God here who has twenty loaves of barley... And there was plenty left over..." | Elisha's feeding miracle, smaller scale, but prefiguring Jesus' abundance. |
| Ps 78:19-20 | "Can God spread a table in the wilderness? Can he provide meat for his people?" | Doubts concerning God's provision in the wilderness, contrasting with Jesus' ability. |
| Ps 23:5 | You prepare a table before me... my cup overflows. | Illustration of God's abundant provision and favor. |
| John 6:26-35 | "...You are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves... I am the bread of life..." | Jesus identifies Himself as the true, spiritual "bread," greater than physical food. |
| 1 Cor 10:1-5 | ...all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink... | Early Christian understanding of spiritual sustenance, often linked to Christ. |
| John 16:12 | "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." | Jesus acknowledging the disciples' limitations in understanding, even late in His ministry. |
| Heb 5:12-14 | ...for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles... | General principle of spiritual immaturity and needing fundamental teaching. |
| Lk 24:30-31 | When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed... their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. | Jesus recognized in the "breaking of bread," highlighting spiritual insight linked to the act. |
| Acts 2:42 | And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. | "Breaking of bread" becomes a central practice in the early church, signifying communion and fellowship. |
Mark 8 verses
Mark 8 19 Meaning
Mark 8:19 records Jesus' rhetorical question to His disciples, prompting them to recall specific details of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. This question serves to expose their spiritual dullness and lack of understanding regarding His divine power and abundant provision, despite having directly witnessed and participated in two distinct, large-scale feeding miracles. He challenges them to connect His miraculous deeds with a deeper comprehension of His identity and authority.
Mark 8 19 Context
Mark 8:19 occurs immediately after Jesus has performed the feeding of the four thousand (Mark 8:1-10) and shortly after His warning against the "leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod" (Mark 8:14-16). The disciples, having forgotten to bring bread for their journey, are consumed with anxiety over physical provisions. Jesus, recognizing their preoccupation with mundane matters and their failure to grasp the spiritual significance of His miracles, initiates a series of pointed questions in verses 17-21. These questions serve as a didactic dialogue, drawing their minds back to the two distinct feeding miracles (Mark 6:30-44 for 5000; Mark 8:1-10 for 4000). By challenging them to recall the specific quantities of loaves, people fed, and most critically, the type and number of leftover baskets, Jesus highlights their profound spiritual dullness and lack of comprehension despite being eyewitnesses to overwhelming divine power. This questioning sets the stage for Peter's pivotal confession of Jesus' true identity later in the chapter (Mark 8:27-30), indicating a turning point in the disciples', albeit still incomplete, understanding.
Mark 8 19 Word analysis
- "When I broke": Greek: ἔκλασα (eklasa), from the verb klazo, meaning "to break." This highlights Jesus' direct, active role in the miracle. It also connects to the Passover and future communion meals, where "breaking bread" becomes a significant ritual. It emphasizes His power to multiply from limited resources.
- "the five loaves": This specific detail points directly to the first feeding miracle recounted in Mark 6:30-44 and its parallels. It establishes a distinct event for the disciples to recall.
- "for the five thousand": This numerical reference to the multitude served is another precise detail recalling the first miracle. The context suggests that the five thousand were primarily Jewish.
- "how many": Greek: πόσους (posous). This rhetorical interrogative seeks a specific numerical answer. Jesus knows the answer; the question is designed to prompt memory and self-assessment in the disciples, revealing their inattentiveness or inability to draw spiritual conclusions.
- "basketfuls": Greek: κοφίνους (kophinous), plural of kophinos. This term refers to a specific type of relatively small, Jewish wicker basket, typically used for carrying provisions by travelers or beggars. It is significant that kophinous (κοφίνους) is used for the first feeding (5000), where twelve were collected. In contrast, Mark 8:20 mentions spyridas (σπυρίδας), a larger, Gentile travel basket (the type used for Paul's escape in Acts 9:25), where seven were collected from the second feeding (4000). The distinction between the basket types and quantities of leftovers subtly underscores Jesus' provision for both Jews (12 tribes, 12 disciples) and Gentiles (7 nations/completeness). The fact that more was left over than originally started with in both cases powerfully demonstrates the divine super-abundance.
- "of broken pieces": Greek: κλασμάτων (klasmatōn). This refers to the fragments or remnants of the broken loaves. The collection of these "broken pieces" emphasizes that nothing was wasted from the divine provision and that the abundance was tangible and undeniable, serving as a testament to the magnitude of the miracle.
- "did you pick up?": Greek: ἤρατε (ērate), from the verb airo, meaning "to take up" or "to collect." This highlights the disciples' direct involvement in gathering the abundant leftovers, meaning they were direct participants and eyewitnesses to the magnitude of the miracle. The question challenges their failure to comprehend what they had literally held in their hands.
Mark 8 19 Bonus section
The mathematical precision Jesus demands of the disciples (5 loaves, 5000 fed, 12 baskets collected from the first miracle, and then 7 loaves, 4000 fed, 7 baskets collected from the second, asked in the very next verse) highlights a divinely orchestrated abundance. The specific numbers, especially the quantities of leftover baskets (12 kophinous vs. 7 spyridas), are rich with symbolism that early Christian scholars often linked to Jesus' comprehensive provision for both Jewish and Gentile peoples, emphasizing His universal reach and limitless grace. The fact that the disciples still worried about physical bread after seeing these super-abundant provisions underscores the human tendency to limit God to our own understanding and material concerns, rather than trusting in His boundless power and provision.
Mark 8 19 Commentary
Mark 8:19 is a key moment in Jesus' ongoing efforts to teach His disciples, exposing their persistent spiritual blindness despite witnessing incredible divine power. Jesus, aware of their misplaced anxiety about physical bread and their inability to connect His previous miracles to their present needs, prompts them to recall precise details of the feeding of the five thousand. The query is not about testing their memory for its own sake, but rather about leading them to a profound realization: If He could miraculously feed thousands with minimal resources and still leave a substantial surplus, why were they worrying about one loaf of bread? The sheer abundance (twelve baskets of kophinous - Jewish baskets, symbolizing Israel's twelve tribes and a complete, overwhelming sufficiency) should have instilled in them absolute confidence in His ability to provide for all their needs, spiritual and physical. Their inability to grasp this basic lesson reveals a deeper problem: a spiritual dullness preventing them from recognizing Him as the Son of God with sovereign power over all creation and an unending supply of provision, not only physical food but the true Bread of Life.