Mark 6:41

6:41 The words took, blessed, breaking, and giving echo Jesus’ words at the Last Supper (14:22-25). Both events envision the final messianic banquet in which believers will eat and drink with Jesus in the Kingdom of God (14:25; Matt 5:6; 22:1-10; see Rev 2:7; 19:7-9; 22:1-2, 14, 17-19).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 6:41. Πᾶσι, all) All partook even of the accompaniment, the fish: even of it also remnants were left, Mar 6:43; [which, as a fish consists of very different parts, is therefore less intelligible to mere reason, than the multiplication of the bread.—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 41. And blessed] I think the word God should be inserted here, as in Mt 14:19. See the note there. The food we receive from God is already blessed, and does not stand in need of being blessed by man; but God, who gives it, deserves our warmest thanksgivings, as frequently as we are called to partake of his bounty.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

41. and blessed] The words, though not given, were probably those of the ordinary grace before meat in use in Israel. “He gives thanks to God, as the father surrounded by his household was on the occasion of the Passover wont to do, for His natural gifts and covenant blessings. This action is made almost equally prominent in each of the four Narratives, and after the thanksgiving, He distributed the food, as the father was accustomed to do at the Paschal meal.” See note on Mar_14:16.

and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples] The first of these words denotes an instantaneous, the second a continuous act. The multiplication of the loaves and fishes had a beginning and went on in the hands of Christ between the acts of breaking and distributing the bread. Comp. 2Ki_4:42-44.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when he had taken the five loaves and two fishes,.... Out of the hands of those that brought them into his own:

he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves: See Gill on Mat 14:19,

and gave them to his disciples to set before them; the multitude, in order to eat of them:

and the two fishes divided he among them all; that every one might have a part. The Syriac and Persic versions read, they divided; that is, the apostles.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

41 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.

Ver. 41. {See Trapp on "Mat 14:20"} {See Trapp on "Joh 6:12"} {See Trapp on "Joh 6:13"} {See Trapp on "Joh 6:14"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. Gave… his disciples to set before them — Here, according to the beautiful thought of Stier, we have the image of a true and holy tradition. God gives to his Son, his Son to his apostles, his apostles to the people, the heavenly bread.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All the synoptists give our Lord"s acts in the same words. The taking of the food into the hands would seem to have been a formal act before the" blessing," or "giving of thanks," for it. Probably our Lord used the ordinary form of benediction. This is one amongst other instances showing the fitness and propriety of" grace before meat." In considering the miraculous action which followed the benediction, our reason is baffled. It eludes our grasp. It is best simply to behold in this multiplying of the food, both the bread and the fishes, an act of Divine omnipotence; not indeed now, as at the beginning, a creation out of nothing, for here there was the nucleus of the five loaves and the two fishes, but an act of creative development of the food in its best kind; for all the works of God are perfect, He gave (edidou) would be better rendered, he was giving. It was in his hands that the miracle was wrought, and the food continually multiplied.

Christian care for the needy.

Observe the contrast between this feast on the mountain and the festival just alluded to in the palace of Herod. There self-indulgence, folly, and guilt prevailed; here the necessities of the body were generously met, and hungry souls were satisfied and gladdened. Describe the scene. let us learn some of the lessons here inculcated by him who on all occasions was an example to his disciples.

I WE SHOULD DEVOUTLY RECOGNIZE GOD IN THE SUPPLY OF EARTHLY WANTS. When our Lord came here he found religion divorced from common things. It had become a matter of ceremonies, of place and time, of ecclesiastical fast and feast, and therefore one of the main purposes of his teaching and miracles was to associate God with everything in men"s thoughts. He worked as a carpenter, and so toil was sanctified; he cured diseases, and the work of the physician and of the nurse was ennobled; he went to a wedding feast, and hallowed marriage; he blessed little children, and directed their joys heavenward; he spoke of lilies in the field, of corn white unto the harvest, of birds nestling in the trees, and so made nature vocal with God"s teaching; and here, when he took into his hands the bread and fish with which he would provide a labourer"s meal for the hungry people, he looked up to heaven as the source whence it came, and blessed it, so that to the disciples the common meal became a sacrament. Too often we are unmindful of this teaching, and attribute our successes to our own skill and strength. Therefore God allows some disaster to come, so that in the recognition of human helplessness Divine goodness may begin to be considered. "Lord, we cannot satisfy this great necessity," said the disciples; and as they looked despondently on the handful, he looked hopefully and thankfully to heaven, leading them to think of him who satisfies the desire of every living thing.

II WE SHOULD ALWAYS CULTIVATE THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS, These people, on their way to the Passover at Jerusalem, had turned aside to hear the Prophet of Nazareth. They did not profess to be his followers, although they were sufficiently interested in what they heard to remain till all their provisions were exhausted. Then the disciples thought it was time that they should depart, and were unprepared for the command, "Give ye them to eat." Our Lord was not like those Christians who withhold their sympathy from all but their fellow-believers, nor did he argue that the hungry people ought to have foreseen the difficulty, and made reasonable provision to meet it. He was the "express Image" of him who is kind to the unthankful and to the unworthy. God never withholds his beneficence till his creatures deserve it. He watches the supplanter leaving his father"s house after a shameful sin, and even to him, in his merited loneliness, the heavens are opened. He hears the murmuring of the people of Israel, yet causes the manna to fall round about their comp. And when he sees no sign of the world turning to him, he sends for its redemption his only begotten Sou; and "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly." The goodness of the Lord, as well his chastisement, should lead us to repentance. Through us that goodness should reveal itself to others. Jesus said of this undeserving crowd, "I have compassion on the multitude;" and so he sought to inspire his disciples with pitifulness towards all who are in need.

III WE OUGHT WILLINGLY TO MAKE SACRIFICES FOR OTHERS EVEN WHEN OUR GIFTS SEEM INADEQUATE TO THEIR WANTS. The disciples themselves were hungry, and all that was to be had was this bread and fish which a boy in the crowd was carrying; but of it Jesus said, "Bring them hither to me." At once it was given up, though it was evident that what might have sufficed for the twelve disciples was ridiculously insufficient if divided between five thousand men, besides women and children, Yet even this, which was very small as a gift, but very great as a sacrifice, was by the Lord"s blessing made enough for all. It is the sacrifice in it which constitutes the value of every offering presented to God. We might have supposed that one with infinite power would have despised so trivial a supply as this; but God always uses what man has, as far as it will go. Even under the wing of the cherubim the hand of a man must be. When man can do nothing, God does all; but when man can do anything, God requires he should do it to the utmost. The manna will cease directly it is possible to revert to the old law of sowing and reaping. It is thus with Christian enterprise. The world shall be won for Christ not independently of human effort, but as a result of God"s work through it. Concerning all that we can offer of wealth and talent and work, though it is inadequate to the world"s necessity, Christ says, "Bring it hither to me. A.R.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. [1291][1292][1293][1294] omit αὐτοῦ after μαθηταῖς.

[1291] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[1292] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[1293] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[1294] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

41. λαβὼν τ. πέντε ἄρτους κ.τ.λ. Cf. λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐλογήσας ἔκλασεν κ. ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς (Mar 14:22). He is now the host (Luk 24:30), with His staff of servants, and with what in His hands was a sufficient supply of food, and as such He utters the usual blessing and directs everything. The gifts are His, bestowed, however, not directly, but through the Twelve, εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν, and herein we have the germ of Church organization.

ἀναβλέψας. In all three; cf. Mar 7:34; Joh 11:41.

εὐλόγησεν, In all three; Jn has the equivalent εὐχαριστήσας. Both verbs are used of the Eucharist (Mar 14:22-23). The “grace” at meals was virtually a thanksgiving; “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, who bringest forth bread out of the earth.”

κατέκλασεν. He broke in pieces; zerbrach. Mt. has simply κλάσας, and all three, with Paul, have ἔκλασεν of the Eucharist. The compound occurs nowhere else in N.T. The breaking was part of the ceremony of saying grace and was done once (aor.). The breaking in pieces indicated the completeness of the munificence; διάθρυπτε πεινῶντι τὸν ἄρτον σου (Isa 58:7).

ἐδίδου. The giving continued (imperf.), either to each Apostle in turn, or to all of them as they returned for fresh supplies, if they did return. The manner of the multiplication is not revealed, and conjectures are futile. We are told that it “must have taken place in the hands of the Apostles.” “Must” is out of place in such matters. “His disciples” (A.V.) is as correct as “the disciples” (R.V.): cf. Mar 4:26; Mar 4:36, Mar 6:32. Note the πᾶσιν and the πάντες following. The disciples’ share in the work would impress the events on their memory (Euthym.), but they did not see its significance.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41.] κατέκλασεν and ἐμέρισεν, aorists, each express the one act by which He broke up the bread, and divided the fishes: ἐδίδου, imperf., that He gave the bread, bit by bit, to His disciples to distribute: with the fish there was no need of this bit by bit giving—one assignment sufficed. See Bp. Wordsw.’s note. The dividing of the fishes, and (ver. 43) the taking up fragments from the fishes, are both peculiar to and characteristic of Mark: but it would have been most inconsistent with his precision to have omitted χωρὶς γυν. κ. παιδ. in ver. 44, had he had it before him.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. εὐλόγησε—he blessed. This word in Greek means to praise, and only in Biblical Greek does it signify to invoke a blessing on a person or thing, copying from the Heb. use.

καὶ κατέκλασε—and he broke in pieces.1 καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἵνα παρατιθῶσιν αὐτοῖς—and gave to his disciples to set before them.

Omit αὐτοῦ after μαθηταῖς Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BL Δ 33, 102, two mss. Lat. Vet. Memph. παρατιθῶσιν, instead of παραθῶσιν, Tisch. Treg. marg. WH. א* BLM* ΔΠ* 42, 63, 122, 229, 251 **, 253.

πᾶσι—to all. In this, and the πάντες ἐχορτάσθησαν, all were filled, and δώδεκα κοφίνων πληρώματα, fillings of twelve baskets, and finally the πεντακισχίλιοι ἄνδρες, five thousand men alone, are enumerated the several things that point to the greatness of the miracle.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Brake and gave [κατεκλασεν, εδιδου] . The verbs are in different tenses; the former in the aorist, the latter in the imperfect. The aorist implies the instantaneous, the imperfect the continuous act. He brake, and kept giving out. Farrar remarks that the multiplication evidently took place in Christ 's hands, between the acts of breaking and distributing.

All. Peculiar to Mark.

Were filled. See on Mt 5:6.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.