Mark 8 20

Mark 8:20 kjv

And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

Mark 8:20 nkjv

"Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven."

Mark 8:20 niv

"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven."

Mark 8:20 esv

"And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven."

Mark 8:20 nlt

"And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?" "Seven," they said.

Mark 8 verses

Mark 8 20 Meaning

Jesus directly challenges His disciples to recall the specific details of the miraculous feeding of the four thousand, pressing them to remember the immense surplus of seven large baskets of bread fragments. This rhetorical question is designed to expose their lingering spiritual incomprehension and misplaced anxieties about physical provisions, redirecting their focus towards His divine identity and limitless power to provide for all.

Mark 8 20 Context

Mark 8:20 is nestled within a critical teaching moment following Jesus' warning about "the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod" (Mark 8:15). The disciples, lacking bread, misinterpret Jesus' warning as a practical concern about food, revealing their material rather than spiritual preoccupation (Mark 8:16). In response, Jesus poses a series of pointed rhetorical questions, reminding them of the two large-scale feeding miracles they had just witnessed (Mark 6:30-44 and Mark 8:1-10). Verse 19 queries the 5,000-man feeding, while verse 20 focuses on the 4,000. Through this direct recall of demonstrable supernatural provision, Jesus highlights their astonishing spiritual blindness and dullness of heart despite tangible evidence of His power. This dialogue serves as a crucial bridge leading to Peter's eventual confession of Jesus as the Christ, emphasizing the disciples' need for deeper understanding of His identity beyond that of a mere miracle-worker or teacher. Historically, this account would resonate with Mark's early Christian readers, who might also face doubt and spiritual struggles.

Mark 8 20 Word analysis

• "When I broke" (ὅτε ἔκλασα - hote eklasa): The Greek eklasa is an aorist active verb, denoting a specific, completed action performed by Jesus. It highlights His direct, active, and personal involvement as the primary agent of the miraculous provision. The act of "breaking" bread, a common meal practice, carried profound symbolic weight, foreshadowing the institution of the Last Supper and the broken body of Christ for humanity's spiritual sustenance.
• "the seven" (τοὺς ἑπτά - tous hepta): Refers specifically to the seven initial loaves that Jesus multiplied for the four thousand. This precision forces the disciples to recall the specific details of the second feeding miracle, underscoring that the enormous quantity of food originated from a remarkably small amount, solely through Jesus' power. The number seven in biblical numerology often signifies completeness or perfection, potentially hinting at the universal and perfect nature of Christ's provision.
• "for the four thousand" (εἰς τοὺς τετρακισχιλίους - eis tous tetrakischilious): This phrase definitively anchors the reference to the feeding miracle recorded in Mark 8:1-9, distinguishing it from the earlier feeding of the five thousand. This distinction is significant as scholars often interpret the crowd of four thousand, located possibly in a more Gentile region (Decapolis), to represent the inclusivity of Christ's mission and His provision for all nations.
• "how many baskets full" (πόσους σπυρίδας πλήρεις - posous spyridas plēreis): The crucial word here is spyridas (σπυρίδας), which is plural of spyris (σπυρίς). This is a large, personal travel basket, sometimes used for carrying an entire journey's food supply, and was large enough for a person to be lowered in (Acts 9:25 for Paul's escape). This distinguishes it from the kophinos (κόφινος), a smaller basket used in the feeding of the five thousand. The use of spyris emphasizes the immense, overflowing quantity of leftovers, indicating not just enough, but super-abundant provision.
• "of broken pieces" (κλασμάτων - klasmatōn): Refers to the fragments or leftover pieces of bread. This term highlights that not only was the immediate hunger satisfied, but there was an incredible surplus. This abundance demonstrates God's overflowing generosity and efficiency—nothing is wasted, and there is more than enough for all.
• "did you pick up?" (ἤρατε - ērate): This verb is in the second person plural, a direct question to the disciples, drawing them into personal accountability and recall. Jesus wants them to actively remember their physical involvement in collecting the immense leftovers. It is a pedagogical technique to make them confront their own empirical experience and connect it to a spiritual truth, challenging their memory and understanding of His power.

• Words-group analysis:
  • "When I broke the seven for the four thousand": Jesus intentionally uses specific numbers, "seven" and "four thousand," to force the disciples to precisely recall His direct actions in the second major miracle of provision. This emphasis on numerical exactness highlights His sovereign power over scarcity and creation, challenging any doubt they might harbor regarding His capabilities. It signifies His divine authority as the singular source of miraculous sustenance.
  • "how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?": This phrase emphasizes the undeniable physical evidence of super-abundant provision. The term "baskets" (specifically spyris), coupled with "broken pieces," forces the disciples to confront the sheer scale of the leftovers—an overwhelming amount generated from little. Their personal involvement in "picking up" the fragments makes their inability to grasp Jesus' power even more pointed, pushing them to move from simple recall to a deeper comprehension of His boundless sufficiency, beyond mere physical need, but extending to their spiritual anxieties.

Mark 8 20 Bonus section

The distinction between the two types of baskets, kophinos (used after feeding 5,000, 12 collected) and spyris (used after feeding 4,000, 7 collected), is a crucial detail highlighted by Mark and Matthew. Scholars often interpret this as symbolic of the two primary mission fields: the 12 kophinos representing the mission to Israel (12 tribes, 12 apostles), and the 7 spyris (with 7 possibly signifying gentile universality, e.g., 7 churches in Revelation, or 7 nations conquered) pointing to the expansive Gentile mission. This subtle but deliberate detail underlines the scope of Jesus' provision extending beyond the boundaries of Israel to all of humanity, resonating deeply with Mark's anticipated Gentile audience. The disciples' inability to recall this specific distinction further emphasizes their general lack of spiritual insight at this stage.

Mark 8 20 Commentary

Mark 8:20 serves as a sharp, rhetorical question by Jesus, following His pointed warning about the deceptive "leaven" of worldly concerns that had seemingly infected His disciples' thoughts. By meticulously referencing the exact numbers and types of baskets from the second feeding miracle, Jesus forces His disciples to re-engage with the undeniable evidence of His limitless power. Their failure to grasp the implications of two large-scale provisions and their continued anxiety about not having bread reveals a profound spiritual dullness. Jesus is not merely testing their memory, but probing their faith: if He can miraculously feed thousands from minimal resources and generate overwhelming abundance (symbolized by the large spyris baskets of leftovers), why do they still worry about a trivial lack of physical bread? This challenge is designed to jolt them from their carnal anxieties towards a deeper, spiritual understanding of who He is – the ever-present, all-sufficient God, preparing them for the crucial confession of His Messiahship that follows shortly thereafter. It exemplifies that true discipleship involves more than witnessing miracles; it demands internalizing their significance and allowing them to transform one's trust and perception of Christ.