and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
Parallel translations
- WEB They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish.
- KJV And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
- NKJV And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.
- NASB and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces of bread, and of the fish.
- NLT and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered. The surplus shows that Christ's provision is not merely enough but overflowing.
Overview
The abundant leftovers, one basket perhaps for each disciple, confirmed the miracle and demonstrated divine generosity. Where human resources fell short, Jesus provided more than the crowd could consume. The abundance points to the inexhaustible riches of grace found in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Mark 8:19–20When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 6:43 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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