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 6:40 mean?

Explanation

Mark 6:40 narrates a moment from the New Testament where Jesus organizes a large crowd prior to the miracle of feeding the five thousand.

The verse indicates that the people were instructed to sit down in groups on the green grass.

The fact that Mark specifies the arrangement in "ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties" suggests an orderly process, where Jesus is taking control of what could be a chaotic situation given the large number of people present.

The imagery of the people sitting in groups may imply a sense of community and shared experience, and it may also reflect the organizational capability and intentionality of Jesus' ministry.

It allows for an efficient distribution of food and indicates foresight and preparation.

On a deeper level, this ordered gathering can be seen as a symbol of God’s kingdom – organized, cared for, and provided for by the divine shepherd.

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

The Gospel of Mark is believed to have been written around 70 A.D. and it is the second book in the New Testament.

At the time, it was common for Jews to eat in a reclining position during meals, as noted in other historical sources from that period.

The miraculous feeding would have occurred in a Jewish context, possibly in a remote location near the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus had been teaching the crowds about the kingdom of God.

The detail of having the crowd sit "by hundreds, and by fifties" could also suggest a military-like organization or reflect the organizational structure of the twelve tribes of Israel, which would resonate with Jewish readers familiar with their own history and traditions.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse showcases Jesus as a compassionate provider and also as someone who brings order out of chaos.

The act is reminiscent of Old Testament motifs such as Moses providing manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16), which points to Jesus as a new Moses or a prophet figure who provides for his people.

Some theologians may interpret this organizational aspect of the feeding of the five thousand as a foreshadowing of the New Testament church – organized groups under the leadership of Jesus.

It also reflects the Eucharist, where believers gather in orderly fashion to partake in the body and blood of Christ, a practice that would become central to Christian worship.

Practical Applications

The practical applications of Mark 6:40 can include the importance of organization and planning in community gatherings and events, especially within a church context.

It can also be a reminder for individuals to practice orderliness in their personal lives as a reflection of divine order.

Furthermore, this event teaches about the role of community in sharing resources and experiences, and encourages believers to trust in Jesus as a provider who is concerned with both the spiritual and physical needs of his people.

Cross-References

Mark 6:34-44: The broader narrative of Jesus feeding the five thousand.
Exodus 16:13-18: The account of manna being provided to the Israelites, which is reminiscent of Jesus' miracle.
Acts 2:46-47: The early church breaking bread together, possibly reflecting the communal nature of the feeding of the five thousand.
John 6:10: John's account of Jesus' instruction for the people to sit down, echoing this verse in Mark.

Language Study

The Greek terms used in this verse are worth examining:

"sat down" (ἀναπίπτω - anapipto): to recline or lie back, which was a customary posture for eating at the time.
"ranks" (πρασιαὶ - prasiai): This can mean "garden beds" or "plots," but in this context, it likely implies an ordered arrangement of rows.
"hundreds" (ἑκατόν - hekaton) and "fifties" (πεντήκοντα - pentekonta): These numbers suggest precision and order, and they signify large but manageable groups.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The communal meal has significance in many ancient cultures and religions.

In the Jewish tradition, the Passover meal is a prime example of a structured community gathering around food.

In Greco-Roman culture, the symposium was a formalized way for people to eat and discuss.

Comparatively, in some ancient myths, there are depictions of gods or heroes providing food, though perhaps none show the same mix of miraculous abundance and mundane organization as seen in the feeding of the five thousand.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific standpoint, the organization of people into groups for the distribution of resources reflects principles seen in logistics and crowd management. In large-scale food distribution, even today, such organization would be essential for efficiency and order.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and commentators have offered interpretations of Mark 6:40:

William Barclay sees the seating arrangement as a means of ensuring that all were fed and none were trampled or missed out in the distribution of food.
John Calvin interprets it as Jesus showing his disciples that by divine power, he could easily dispense with human arrangements, but chooses an orderly approach to prevent confusion.
Matthew Henry views the verse as illustrative of the care Jesus took to seat the people comfortably on the green grass, emphasizing his compassion and attention to detail.

Mark 6

Mark 6

What does Mark 6:40 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 6:40 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?