Mark 8:5

8:5 Seven loaves: Numerous attempts have been made to allegorize the numbers in the two feeding miracles, but the lack of consensus among these interpretations, and the reference to “a few fish” in the present story, suggest that the numbers are not symbolic. None of the Gospel writers associate any clear significance with these numbers, and this should warn us against doing so. As with the feeding of the 5,000, the purpose of the numbers is to magnify the greatness of the miracle and of Jesus.

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

And he asked them, how many loaves have ye?.... See Gill on Mat 15:34;

and they said, seven. Matthew adds, "and a few little fishes", which are here afterwards mentioned.

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

5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

Ver. 5. {See Trapp on "Mat 15:34"}

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.

The seven loaves and the few small fishes appear to have been the modest provision for our Lord and his disciples. As he often retired into the desert, they were no doubt accustomed to carry small supplies about with them, though poor and scanty. In the former miracle of the multiplying of the loaves, (Mar_6:35) we find that their stock consisted of five loaves and two fishes. It was, of course, just as easy for our Lord to multiply the smaller quantity as the larger. But he chose so to order it that the original quantity of food, as well as the number requiring to be fed, should in each case be different, in order that it might be evident that they were different occasions, although the miracles were of the same kind.

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

He asked them

"Jesus asked his disciples"

He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground

This can be written as a direct quote. "Jesus commanded the crowd, 'Sit down on the ground'" (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

sit down

Use your language's word for how people customarily eat when there is no table, whether sitting or lying down.

translationWords

command

disciple

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

5. ἠρώτα. The imperf. is probably conversational; Mt. has λέγει. See notes on Mar 6:38 f. The first aor. εἶπα is freq. in class. Grk.

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.

5. Καὶ ἠρώτα—And he asked. Οἱ δὲ εἶπαν—And they said.

ἠρώτα, instead of ἐπηρώτα, Tisch. Treg. WH. א BL Δ. εἶπαν, instead of εἶπον, Tisch. Treg. WH. א BN Δ.

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