1 In those days, there was again a great crowd, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they continue to be with me already for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away to their home without eating, they may faint on the way. Some of them have come a long way.” 4 His disciples answered him, “Where can we get enough loaves of bread in such a deserted place to satisfy these people?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves, gave thanks, and broke them. He gave them to his disciples to set before them, and they set them before the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish, and after he gave thanks for them, he commanded the disciples to serve these as well. 8 They ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the remaining broken pieces, seven large baskets. 9 There were about four thousand people. Then he sent them away. 10 Immediately he got into the boat with his disciples, and they went into the region of Dalmanutha. 11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to argue with him. They sought from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 12 He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then he left them, got into a boat again, and went away to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread with them. They had no more than one loaf of bread in the boat. 15 He warned them and said, “Keep watch and be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” 16 The disciples reasoned with each other, “It is because we have no bread.” 17 Jesus was aware of this, and he said to them, “Why are you reasoning about not having bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not understand? Have your hearts become so dull? 18 You have eyes, do you not see? You have ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces of bread did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke the seven loaves among the four thousand, how many basketfuls did you take up?” They said to him, “Seven.” 21 He said, “Do you not yet understand?” 22 They came to Bethsaida. The people there brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 Jesus took hold of the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up, and said, “I see men who look like walking trees.” 25 Then he again laid his hands upon his eyes, and the man opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw all things clearly. 26 Jesus sent him away to his home and said, “Do not enter the town.” 27 Jesus went out with his disciples into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do the people say that I am?” 28 They answered him and said, “John the Baptist. Others say, 'Elijah,' and others, 'One of the prophets.'” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him, “You are the Christ.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and would be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and would be killed, and after three days rise up. 32 He said this clearly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of people.” 34 Then he called the crowd and his disciples together, and he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel, will save it. 36 What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and then forfeit his life? 37 What can a person give in exchange for his life? 38 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
Places
Bethsaida
Bethsaida lay near the Jordan's inflow to the Sea of Galilee. Its precise site is debated (et-Tell and el-Araj are candidates; approximate location). Jesus rebuked it for unbelief.
Cited in the guide: Mark 8:22; John 1:44; Luke 9:10
Caesarea Philippi
Caesarea Philippi (Banias) sat at the northern edge of the land by a spring of the Jordan and a shrine to Pan. Here Peter made his great confession of Jesus as Messiah.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27
Cross references (37)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 15:32–39; Mark 6:34–44
- 2 Matthew 9:36; Micah 7:19; Psalm 103:13; Psalm 145:15; Hebrews 4:15
- 3 Isaiah 40:31; Judges 8:4–6; 1 Samuel 14:28–31; 1 Samuel 30:10–12
- 4 Mark 6:52; Matthew 15:33; Psalm 78:19–20; Mark 6:36–37; Numbers 11:21–23
- 5 Matthew 14:15–17; Matthew 15:34; Luke 9:13; Mark 6:38
- 6 Colossians 3:17; John 6:10–11; Matthew 14:18–19; Matthew 15:35–36; 1 Corinthians 10:30–31
- 7 Matthew 14:19; John 21:5; John 21:8–9; Luke 24:41–42; Luke 6:41
- 8 Matthew 16:10; Psalm 145:16; Mark 8:19–20; 2 Kings 4:42–44; Psalm 107:8–9
- 10 Matthew 15:39
- 11 Matthew 12:38; John 4:48; 1 Corinthians 10:9; Malachi 3:15; Luke 12:54–57
- 12 Matthew 12:39–40; Mark 7:34; John 12:37–43; Matthew 16:4; Luke 11:29–30
- 13 Acts 18:6; Hosea 9:12; Matthew 7:6; Acts 13:45–46; Psalm 81:12
- 14 Matthew 16:5
- 15 1 Corinthians 5:6–8; Matthew 16:6; Matthew 16:11–12; Mark 12:13; Luke 12:1–2
- 16 Luke 20:5; Luke 9:46; Matthew 16:7–8
- 17 Mark 6:52; Hebrews 5:11–12; Mark 2:8; Isaiah 63:17; Mark 3:5
- 18 Acts 28:26–27; Matthew 13:14–15; Jeremiah 5:21; Mark 4:12; Ezekiel 12:2
- 19 Matthew 14:17–21; Luke 9:12–17; Mark 6:38–44; John 6:5–13
- 20 Matthew 15:34–38; Mark 8:1–9
- 21 Psalm 94:8; Mark 6:52; John 14:9; Mark 8:17; 1 Corinthians 15:34
- 22 Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13; Mark 6:45; Mark 2:3; John 1:44
- 23 Mark 7:33; John 9:6–7; Acts 9:8; Mark 5:23; Isaiah 51:18
- 24 Isaiah 29:18; 1 Corinthians 13:9–12; Isaiah 32:3; Judges 9:36
- 25 Proverbs 4:18; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 3:18; Matthew 13:12
- 26 Matthew 8:4; Matthew 12:16; Matthew 9:30; Mark 8:23; Mark 7:36
- 27 Luke 9:18–20; Matthew 16:13–20
- 28 John 1:21; Mark 9:11–13; Matthew 14:2; Malachi 4:5; Luke 9:7–9
- 29 1 John 4:15; Matthew 16:15–16; 1 John 5:1; John 11:27; Luke 9:20
- 30 Matthew 16:20; Luke 9:21; Mark 9:9; Mark 7:36; Mark 8:26
- 31 Mark 10:33–34; John 2:19; Luke 24:26; Hosea 6:2; 1 Samuel 10:19
- 32 Matthew 16:22; John 16:25; John 16:29; John 18:20; Mark 4:38
- 33 Matthew 4:10; Philippians 3:19; 1 John 2:15; James 3:15–18; Mark 3:34
- 34 Matthew 10:38; Luke 14:26–27; John 10:27; Galatians 5:24; Galatians 2:20
- 35 2 Timothy 2:11–13; 1 Corinthians 9:23; Luke 17:33; Matthew 16:25; 2 Timothy 1:8
- 36 Matthew 16:26; Psalm 49:17; Luke 9:25; James 1:9–11; Philippians 3:7–9
- 37 Psalm 49:7–8; 1 Peter 1:18–19
- 38 Luke 12:8–9; Romans 1:16; 1 John 2:23; James 4:4; Luke 9:26
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
In expounding to you the Holy Scriptures, I as it were break bread for you. Do ye in hunger receive it, and break forth with a fulness of phrase from the heart; and ye who are rich in your banquet, be not meagre in good works and deeds. What I deal out to you is not mine own.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
… for the remission of sins be preached in His name among all nations." Now this is He who was born of Mary; for He says: "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected, and crucified, and on the third day rise again." The Gospel, therefore, knew no other son of man but Him who was of Mary, …
Hard and grievous does that appear which the Lord hath enjoined, that "whosoever will come after Him, must deny himself." But what He enjoineth is not hard or grievous, who aideth us that what He enjoineth may be done.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
But Mark saith, that when they were come unto Him, and were questioning with Him, "He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign?" And yet surely their inquiry was deserving of anger and great displeasure; yet nevertheless the benevolent and provident One is not angry, but pities and bewails them as incurably …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
We ask them to listen to the Lord Himself, distinctly setting forth the equal dignity of His glory with the Father, in His words, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father;" and again, "When the Son cometh in the glory of his Father;" that they "should honour the Son even as they honour the Father;" and, "We beheld …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)