Mark 8

8:1-10 Our Lord Jesus encouraged the meanest to come to him for life and grace. Christ knows and considers our frames. The bounty of Christ is always ready; to show that, he repeated this miracle. His favours are renewed, as our wants and necessities are. And those need not fear want, who have Christ to live upon by faith, and do so with thanksgiving.

CHAPTER 8Mr 8:1-26. Four Thousand Miraculously Fed—A Sign from Heaven Sought and Refused—The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees—A Blind Man at Bethsaida Restored to Sight. ( = Mt 15:32-16:12).This section of miscellaneous matter evidently follows the preceding one in point of time, as will be seen by observing how it is introduced by Matthew.Feeding of the Four Thousand (Mr 8:1-9).1. In those days the multitude being very great, &c.

"\nI have compassion on the multitude,.... Christ is a compassionate Saviour both of the bodies and souls of men: he had compassion on the souls of this multitude, and therefore had been teaching them sound doctrine and he had compassion on the bodies of many of them, and had healed them of their diseases; and his bowels yearned towards them all;\n\nbecause, says he,\n\nthey have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat; for if they brought any food with them, it was all spent, and they were in a wilderness, where nothing was to be got; where they had no house to go into, nor bed to lie upon, and no provisions to be bought; and in this case they had been two nights and three days; which showed great affection and zeal in these people, and a close attachment to Christ, in exposing themselves to all these difficulties and hardships, which they seemed to bear with much patience and unconcernedness. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions prefix the word "behold" to this clause, as expressing admiration at their stay with him so long in such a place.\n\n\n "

2. I have compassion on the multitude—an expression of that deep emotion in the Redeemer's heart which always preceded some remarkable interposition for relief. (See Mt 14:14; 20:34; Mr 1:41; Lu 7:13; also Mt 9:36, before the mission of the Twelve; compare Jud 2:18; 10:16).because they have now been with me—in constant attendance.three days, and have nothing to eat:

"\nAnd if I send them away fasting to their own houses,.... Greek, "to their own house", or home; but all the Oriental versions render it as we do, in the plural, "their own houses", or habitations; and it seems from hence that they were now tasting, and at least had had no food all that day, whatever they might have the day before, which it not certain.\n\nThey will faint by the way; for want of food their strength will be exhausted, their animal spirits will fail, their nerves will be loosened, they will not be able to perform their journey, or get to the end of it:\n\nfor divers of them came from far; perhaps some had followed him from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, from whence he came last; and others from Decapolis, through the midst of the borders of which he passed hither; and others from different parts, who had heard of his coming; [See comments on Mt 15:32].\n\n\n "

"\nAnd his disciples answered him,.... The Syriac version renders it, "say unto him"; and the Persic and Ethiopic, "said unto him"; forgetting the late miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, when they had now a less number, and more provisions:\n\nfrom whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? from what place, and by what ways and means can it be thought, that such a quantity of bread can be got at any rate in a desert, as to satisfy so large a number of hungry men?\n[See comments on Mt 15:33].\n\n\n "

3. And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way—In their eagerness they seem not to have thought of the need of provisions for such a length of time; but the Lord thought of it. In Matthew (Mt 15:32) it is, "I will not send them away fasting"—or rather, "To send them away fasting I am unwilling."

"\nAnd he asked them, how many loaves have ye?....\n[See comments on Mt 15:34];\n\nand they said, seven. Matthew adds, "and a few little fishes", which are here afterwards mentioned.\n\n\n "

4. From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?—Though the question here is the same as when He fed the five thousand, they evidently now meant no more by it than that they had not the means of feeding the multitude; modestly leaving the Lord to decide what was to be done. And this will the more appear from His not now trying them, as before, by saying, "They need not depart, give ye them to eat"; but simply asking what they had, and then giving His directions.

"\nAnd he commanded the people to sit down on the ground,....\n[See comments on Mt 15:35];\n\nand he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake them;\n[See comments on Mt 15:36];\n\nand gave to his disciples to set before [them], the multitude,\n\nand they did set [them] before the people; in which they were obedient to their Lord's commands, though they were so forgetful, unbelieving, and stupid.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd they had a few small fishes,.... Which they also acquainted Christ with, and brought out unto him:\n\nand he blessed, and commanded to set them also before [them]. It looks, by this account, as if the fishes were blessed, and brake, and distributed separately, alter the blessing, breaking, and distribution of the bread; and so the Syriac version renders it, "upon whom also he blessed"; and the Persic thus, "and he also blessed the fishes"; but, according to Matthew they were both blessed, and brake, and distributed together, as it is highly reasonable to suppose they were both ate together;\n[See comments on Mt 15:36].\n\n\n "

"\nSo they did eat, and were filled,....