Mark 6

And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

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?

He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

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.

And they did all eat, and were filled.

And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

What does Mark 6:37 mean?

Explanation

The verse in question, Mark 6:37, comes from the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand.

Jesus' response "Give ye them to eat" follows the disciples' concern about the late hour of the day and the remote location, which made it impractical for the crowd to find food.

His command to the disciples suggests that they take responsibility for feeding the people.

Their reply about needing two hundred pennyworth of bread highlights the enormity of the task and their doubt about the feasibility of providing for such a large crowd with their limited resources.

Here, the literal meaning relates to the provision of food, while the deeper meaning points to the disciples' lack of understanding of Jesus' capability and resources.

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

This event likely occurred in a remote area near the Sea of Galilee during the early part of Jesus' public ministry.

Historically, the term "pennyworth" translates to "denarius," a Roman coin equivalent to a typical laborer's daily wage.

Hence, "two hundred pennyworth" would represent about eight months' wages for a laborer, emphasizing the perceived impossibility of feeding such a large crowd with the disciples' means.

Theological Insights

Theologically, there are a few different perspectives to consider:

Divine Provision: The event foreshadows the Eucharist and highlights Jesus as the provider who can miraculously meet the needs of His people.
Faith and Obedience: The disciples' initial doubt contrasts with the expected attitude of faith and obedience in the face of seemingly impossible tasks.
Jesus' Divinity: The miracle that follows (feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish) affirms Jesus' divine nature and His authority over creation.

Practical Applications

This verse invites believers today to trust in God's provision even when circumstances seem impossible. It encourages stepping out in faith when called to serve others, relying not on our own resources but on God's power and provision.

The verse also calls for responsiveness to the immediate needs of those around us, challenging us to act with compassion as Jesus did.

Cross-References

Matthew 14:16: "But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat."
Luke 9:13: "But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat.

And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people."

John 6:5-7: "When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little."

Language Study

Give ye them to eat: the verb here is δότε αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν (dote autois phagein), with the imperative form "dote" commanding the giving of food.

The directness of the command indicates responsibility and action on the part of the disciples.

Two hundred pennyworth of bread: The Greek for "pennyworth" is δηναρίων (denarion), denoting the cost of bread in terms of a day's wage for a laborer.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

From ancient myths and other religious interpretations, the concept of a deity providing food from little or nothing is not unfamiliar.

For instance, in the Greco-Roman mythos, gods often provide abundantly for their followers by miraculous means.

In Jewish tradition, the miracle is reminiscent of God providing manna to the Israelites in the desert.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern scientific understanding does not provide an explanation for the miracle described following this verse.

The feeding of the five thousand defies known laws of physics and biology, where multiplication of food from such a small quantity does not naturally occur.

Such events remain outside the realm of empirical scientific investigation and are accepted on faith within religious contexts.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians have varying interpretations and commentaries on this verse:

John Calvin: He suggested that Jesus is urging His disciples to test their faith and to rely on His divine power rather than their calculations and resources.
William Barclay: He points out the contrast between human despair and divine adequacy, highlighting the difference in perspective between Jesus and His disciples.
Matthew Henry: Henry notes the compassion of Jesus to feed the hungry crowd and the instruction to His disciples that translates to an expectation of proactive behavior when faced with a need.

Mark 6

Mark 6

What does Mark 6:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 6:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?