And He *directed the people to recline on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve, and they served them to the people.
Parallel translations
- WEB He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude.
- KJV And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
- BSB And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd.
- NKJV So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.
- NLT So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd.
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
Jesus seats the crowd, gives thanks, breaks the loaves, and has the disciples distribute them. He provides abundantly through ordered means.
Overview
The actions of taking, giving thanks, breaking, and giving echo both the first feeding and anticipate the Last Supper, linking Jesus' provision to his self-giving on the cross. He involves the disciples as servants who pass on what they receive from him. This pattern pictures how Christ feeds his people through the ministry he entrusts to the church.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Col 3:17Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.
- Matt 14:18–19He said, “Bring them here to me.”
- Matt 15:35–36He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;
- John 6:10–11Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
- 1 Cor 10:30–31If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced for that for which I give thanks?
- John 6:23However boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
- Rom 14:6He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks.
- John 2:5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”
- Luke 12:37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve them.
- Luke 9:14–15For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
- Luke 24:30When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave to them.
- Mark 6:39–44He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.
- 1 Sam 9:13As soon as you have come into the city, you will immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he blesses the sacrifice. Afterwards those who are invited eat. Now therefore go up; for at this time you will find him.”
- Matt 26:26As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
- 1 Tim 4:3–5forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 8:6 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.