Matthew 16:8 kjv
Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
Matthew 16:8 nkjv
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?
Matthew 16:8 niv
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?
Matthew 16:8 esv
But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?
Matthew 16:8 nlt
Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread?
Matthew 16 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 6:30 | If God so clothes the grass... will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? | Little faith in God's provision for life |
| Mt 8:26 | He said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then He rose and rebuked the winds... | Little faith during storm |
| Mt 14:31 | Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" | Little faith when walking on water |
| Lk 12:28 | ...how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! | Parallel to Mt 6:30, rebuke for anxiety |
| Mk 8:17-21 | ...do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?... And do you not remember? | Parallel account, highlights disciples' dullness |
| Lk 24:25 | And He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" | Disciples slow to understand spiritual truths |
| Heb 5:12 | For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles... | Slowness to grasp deeper teachings |
| Jn 6:26 | Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." | People seeking physical bread over spiritual meaning |
| Mt 14:15-21 | ...fed the five thousand men besides women and children. | First miracle of multiplication they witnessed |
| Mt 15:32-39 | ...fed the four thousand men besides women and children. | Second miracle of multiplication they witnessed |
| Mt 15:16-17 | "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach...?" | Jesus highlighting disciples' lack of understanding of parables |
| Jer 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? | Human inclination to err, requiring divine revelation |
| 1 Chr 28:9 | ...If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will abandon you forever. | Seeking physical vs. spiritual insight |
| Phil 4:19 | And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. | God's assured provision for believers |
| Ps 37:25 | I have been young, and now am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. | Divine assurance of provision and care |
| Heb 13:5 | Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." | Trust in God over material security |
| Mt 16:6 | Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." | The immediate context of Jesus' warning |
| Mk 8:15 | He cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of Herod and the leaven of the Pharisees." | Parallel to Mt 16:6, broadens 'leaven' meaning |
| 1 Cor 5:6-8 | A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump... | 'Leaven' as a metaphor for pervasive sin/evil |
| Gal 5:9 | A little leaven leavens the whole lump. | 'Leaven' as a metaphor for false doctrine/legalism |
| Mt 9:4 | But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?" | Jesus' omniscience, knowing thoughts |
| Jn 2:25 | He himself knew what was in man. | Jesus' inherent divine knowledge of humanity |
Matthew 16 verses
Matthew 16 8 Meaning
Matthew 16:8 reveals Jesus' sharp discernment of His disciples' inner thoughts and their limited faith. Despite having witnessed two miraculous feedings, they remained focused on their immediate, physical lack of bread. Jesus, perceiving their shallow understanding and worry, challenges their spiritual dullness, labeling them as having "little faith" because they failed to grasp His true warning against the "leaven" of corrupt doctrines, instead reducing it to a mundane concern about food. The verse underscores the disciples' persistent struggle to comprehend spiritual truths over temporal needs and highlights Jesus' awareness of their innermost anxieties and their lingering distrust in His power to provide.
Matthew 16 8 Context
Matthew 16:8 follows Jesus' direct warning to His disciples: "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (v. 6). This warning came immediately after Jesus refused to give a sign to the Pharisees and Sadducees, rebuking their spiritual blindness and sign-seeking demands (v. 1-4). Having forgotten to bring bread, the disciples misunderstood Jesus' figurative warning about "leaven" to mean He was criticizing their lack of physical bread (v. 7).
Historically and culturally, "leaven" (ζύμη - zymē) was commonly understood both literally as a fermenting agent and metaphorically as a pervasive influence, whether good or bad. In Jewish custom, the removal of leaven before Passover symbolized purging evil. The disciples, rooted in a very tangible and physical existence, struggled to look beyond the immediate practical problem of food to grasp Jesus' deeper spiritual message about the corrupting doctrines (didachē) of the religious leaders. This moment underscores a recurring theme in the Gospels: the disciples' spiritual dullness and their difficulty discerning heavenly realities amidst earthly concerns. Jesus' rebuke of "little faith" and His subsequent explanation (v. 9-12) serve to clarify the symbolic meaning of leaven, linking it directly to the pervasive teachings that could corrupt.
Matthew 16 8 Word analysis
- But Jesus (Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς - Ho de Iēsous): The conjunction "δὲ" (de) implies a continuation or a contrast, highlighting Jesus' immediate response to the disciples' internal discourse. "Ἰησοῦς" (Iēsous) means "The Lord is salvation" or "God saves," denoting the speaker's divine authority and role.
- aware of this (γνούς - gnous): A participle from γινώσκω (ginōskō), meaning "to know," "to perceive," or "to come to know." This signifies Jesus' full comprehension of their private conversation and their underlying anxieties, without being told. It points to His omniscience or profound spiritual discernment.
- said (εἶπεν - eipen): Simple past tense of λέγω (legō), "to say." Direct speech follows.
- O you of little faith (Ὀλιγόπιστοι - Oligopistoi): A significant compound adjective used uniquely by Jesus for His disciples. It combines ὀλίγος (oligos - "little," "small") and πίστις (pistis - "faith"). It denotes a deficiency or insufficiency of faith, not a total absence. It reveals their wavering trust, particularly regarding God's power and provision, despite having witnessed extraordinary miracles.
- why are you discussing (τί διαλογίζεσθε - ti dialogizesthe): "τί" (ti) means "why?" or "what?" and "διαλογίζεσθε" (dialogizesthe) comes from διαλογίζομαι (dialogizomai), "to reason thoroughly," "to consider," "to dispute within oneself." It describes their internal debate and mental rumination over a trivial concern. This suggests an anxious, unproductive mental process, reflecting their lack of spiritual insight.
- among yourselves (ἐν ἑαυτοῖς - en heautois): Lit. "in yourselves." This emphasizes the private, inward nature of their discussion, highlighting again Jesus' ability to perceive their unuttered thoughts and concerns.
- the fact that you have no bread? (ὅτι ἄρτους οὐκ ἔχετε - hoti artous ouk echete): "ὅτι" (hoti) introduces the content of their discussion: "that" or "because." "ἄρτους" (artous) refers to "loaves" or "bread," a concrete, physical commodity. "οὐκ ἔχετε" (ouk echete) means "you do not have." This reveals their worldly anxiety, misdirecting their focus from Jesus' spiritual warning to a mundane lack.
Matthew 16 8 Bonus section
- The epithet "O you of little faith" (Ὀλιγόπιστοι) is consistently used by Jesus towards His disciples in moments of fear or concern over material needs (Mt 6:30, 8:26, 14:31). It implies potential for greater faith, a call to spiritual growth, rather than utter condemnation.
- The incident highlights the common human tendency to filter profound spiritual warnings through a lens of mundane, material concern, rather than discerning their deeper, more significant implications.
- Jesus' omniscience in knowing their internal discussion serves as a powerful testament to His divine nature and the depth of His understanding of human thoughts and motives, even unexpressed ones.
- This immediate misunderstanding about bread, directly before Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ, emphasizes the persistent challenge of overcoming human limitations and dullness in order to truly grasp spiritual revelation. It's a contrast between human reasoning (disciples' discussion) and divine revelation (Peter's confession based on heavenly input, v.17).
Matthew 16 8 Commentary
Matthew 16:8 is a pivotal moment showcasing the ongoing spiritual education of Jesus' disciples. His immediate and perceptive rebuke, "O you of little faith," cuts directly to the core of their misunderstanding. This was not a condemnation but a disciplinary clarification. The disciples, despite walking with Jesus and witnessing two supernatural feedings of thousands with mere handfuls of bread, were still enslaved by earthly anxieties about a missing meal. Their internal debate ("why are you discussing among yourselves") highlights their inability to grasp spiritual truths when faced with practical challenges. They completely missed the figurative meaning of "leaven" as insidious doctrine, instead applying it literally to physical bread, demonstrating their hardened hearts and minds. Jesus' use of "oligopistoi" points not to a lack of belief in Him, but a limited, immature, or inconsistent application of their faith, especially in God's provision. It's a call to trust fully in the One who demonstrates constant power and care, challenging believers to look beyond temporal circumstances to spiritual realities and the Lord's omnipotent supply.