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 6:42 mean?

Explanation

The verse, Mark 6:42 "And they did all eat, and were filled", refers to the conclusion of the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, one of the most well-known miracles performed by Jesus described in the New Testament.

Literally, the verse indicates that all the people who were present ate from the loaves and fishes provided by Jesus and were satisfied.

The deeper meaning extends beyond the physical satiation to a spiritual one, highlighting Jesus' ability to meet the needs of the multitude, both material and spiritual.

This verse emphasizes the divine provision, abundance, and care that Jesus extends to his followers.

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Mark 6:30-44 is the context of this verse, where Jesus feeds five thousand men, not counting women and children, with only five loaves of bread and two fishes.

This event is recounted in all four Gospels, underscoring its importance in Jesus' ministry.

During the time of Jesus, large crowds would gather to hear him teach.

The specific occurrence took place in a remote area near the Sea of Galilee, and since it was getting late, the disciples were concerned about feeding the crowd.

The historical context is the Jewish people living under Roman occupation, where miracles such as this reinforced the hope of the coming Kingdom of God.

Theological Insights

Different theological viewpoints may see this verse as a demonstration of God's Kingdom breaking into the world in a tangible way, with Jesus as the provider mirroring the provision God gave the Israelites in the desert with manna.

The quantity, with leftovers, could also signify the superabundant generosity of God’s Kingdom.

Furthermore, some Christian denominations perceive the feeding as a prefiguration of the Eucharist, seeing Jesus as the bread of life who satisfies not just physical hunger but spiritual longing as well.

Practical Applications

This verse can serve as a reminder of God's provision in one's own life, encouraging faith that God cares for physical needs. It can inspire acts of sharing and generosity, as even scarce resources, when offered in faith, can be multiplied to meet the needs of many.

In a world where there is often a sense of scarcity, this verse motivates believers to trust in God's abundance.

Cross-References

Matthew 14:20 - "And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full."
Luke 9:17 - "And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets."
John 6:12 - "When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost."

Language Study

In the original Greek, key words in this verse are "ἔφαγον" (ephagon), which means "they ate", and "χορτάζω" (chortazō), meaning "they were filled" or "satisfied".

The verb "chortazō" was commonly used in relation to animals being filled with food, which can have the implication of being filled to satisfaction, with no need for more.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

This miracle has counterparts in several other religious texts and ancient myths.

For instance, in the Jewish tradition there is the story of Elisha multiplying the loaves of bread in 2 Kings 4:42-44.

In other traditions such as Hinduism, avatars like Krishna are also shown to have the power to multiply food.

These stories across various cultures and religions often aim to emphasize themes of divine provision and the miraculous.

Scientific Perspectives

While the miracle of feeding the five thousand defies scientific explanation as it is presented as a supernatural event, modern scientific perspectives might analyze the psychological aspects of the event, such as the sense of community, sharing, and the placebo effect which might have made the food seem more fulfilling or caused people to feel satisfied with less food than usual.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars offer varied interpretations of Mark 6:42.

Some suggest the event has Eucharistic overtones, foreshadowing Jesus' institution of the Lord's Supper. Others emphasize the link to Old Testament motifs such as manna in the desert.

Theologians like William Barclay note the shared aspects among the Gospels, proposing that this unification points towards the event's importance and historical reliability.

Meanwhile, skeptical scholars might argue that the story's emphasis is more theological than historical, meant to convey a spiritual message rather than document an actual event.

Mark 6

Mark 6

What does Mark 6:42 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 6:42 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?