Mark 8:17

KJV

And when Jesus knew [it], he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} when Jesus {G2424} knew {G1097} it, he saith {G3004} unto them {G846}, Why {G5101} reason ye {G1260}, because {G3754} ye have {G2192} no {G3756} bread {G740}? perceive ye {G3539} not yet {G3768}, neither {G3761} understand {G4920}? have ye {G2192} your {G5216} heart {G2588} yet {G2089} hardened {G4456}?

Complete Jewish Bible

But, aware of this, he said, "Why are you talking with each other about having no bread? Don't you see or understand yet? Have your hearts been made like stone?

Berean Standard Bible

Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?

American Standard Version

And Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Mark 8:17 captures Jesus's profound frustration and disappointment with His disciples' spiritual dullness following two miraculous feedings. Despite witnessing His abundant provision and hearing His warning against the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Herod, they remain preoccupied with physical bread, demonstrating a persistent inability to grasp the spiritual implications of His teachings and miracles, leading Jesus to question their understanding and the hardening of their hearts.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated immediately after Jesus's second miraculous feeding of a large crowd (the 4,000 in [Mark 8:1-9](/mark/8-1-9 "Mark 8:1-9 - Feeding the Four Thousand")). Following this, Jesus and His disciples cross the sea, and a confrontation with the Pharisees occurs, where they demand a sign from heaven ([Mark 8:11-12](/mark/8-11-12 "Mark 8:11-12 - Pharisees Demand a Sign")). Jesus then warns His disciples to "take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod" ([Mark 8:15](/mark/8-15 "Mark 8:15 - Warning Against Leaven")). The disciples, however, misinterpret this warning, assuming it concerns their lack of physical bread, which leads directly to Jesus's rebuke in [Mark 8:17](/mark/8-17 "Mark 8:17 - Jesus Rebukes Disciples' Dullness") and the subsequent dialogue about their spiritual blindness. This passage serves as a critical bridge between Jesus's mighty works and His later direct revelation of His suffering Messiahship in [Mark 8:27-33](/mark/8-27-33 "Mark 8:27-33 - Peter's Confession and Jesus's Prediction").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The disciples' preoccupation with physical bread was deeply rooted in the daily realities of their time. Bread was a staple, often symbolizing basic sustenance and survival. Forgetting to bring enough bread for a journey would be a genuine practical concern. Furthermore, the "leaven of the Pharisees" likely refers to their hypocrisy and legalistic adherence to external rituals without true inward transformation, while the "leaven of Herod" could signify the corrupting influence of worldly power and political ambition. Jesus's warning, therefore, was not about literal bread, but about the pervasive, corrupting spiritual influences that could dull their perception of God's kingdom. The Jewish expectation of the Messiah often included a figure who would provide physical sustenance, echoing the manna in the wilderness, making the disciples' focus on bread understandable yet spiritually short-sighted in light of Jesus's true mission.
* **Key Themes:** Mark 8:17 powerfully highlights the theme of **spiritual dullness and misunderstanding** among Jesus's closest followers. Despite witnessing two miraculous feedings (the 5,000 in [Mark 6:30-44](/mark/6-30-44 "Mark 6:30-44 - Feeding the Five Thousand") and the 4,000 in [Mark 8:1-9](/mark/8-1-9 "Mark 8:1-9 - Feeding the Four Thousand")), the disciples remain fixated on material concerns, failing to grasp the spiritual significance of Jesus's power and teaching. This reveals a persistent **lack of faith** in Jesus's ability to provide and a profound inability to discern His true identity and the nature of His kingdom. Jesus's questions also underscore His **divine omniscience**, as He "knew" their internal reasoning without being told, demonstrating His supernatural awareness of their thoughts and spiritual state. Finally, the pointed question, "have ye your heart yet hardened?", introduces the severe theme of **spiritual hardening**, echoing an earlier observation about their hearts after the feeding of the 5,000 in [Mark 6:52](/mark/6-52 "Mark 6:52 - Disciples' Hearts Hardened"). This suggests a persistent resistance or slowness to grasp spiritual truth, even after repeated exposure to His teaching and miraculous power.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Jesus (Greek, _Iēsoûs'_):** The name of our Lord, derived from the Hebrew "Jehoshua" or "Joshua," meaning "Yahweh saves." His divine identity and mission are central to the disciples' failure to understand; they are struggling to comprehend the spiritual implications of the one whose very name signifies salvation, yet they are preoccupied with earthly concerns.
* **reason ye (Greek, _dialogízomai'_):** This verb means "to reckon thoroughly" or "to deliberate (by reflection or discussion)." It implies an internal debate or questioning, often leading to doubt or confusion. The disciples were engaged in a discussion among themselves about their forgotten bread, indicating a focus on mundane logistics rather than spiritual discernment of Jesus's warning. Their internal reasoning was misdirected and unproductive.
* **hardened (Greek, _pōróō'_):** This word literally means "to petrify" or "to become calloused." Figuratively, it describes a spiritual insensitivity or dullness, where the heart becomes unresponsive to divine truth, much like a physical callus loses sensation. Jesus's use of this term is a severe rebuke, indicating a persistent spiritual obtuseness that prevents them from perceiving and understanding spiritual realities despite ample evidence.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And when Jesus knew [it], he saith unto them":** This opening clause emphasizes Jesus's divine omniscience. He did not need to be told of their internal debate or their misunderstanding; He perceived their thoughts and the state of their hearts directly. This highlights His supernatural insight into human nature and spiritual condition.
* **"Why reason ye, because ye have no bread?":** Jesus immediately addresses the root of their internal discussion. Their "reasoning" was entirely focused on the physical lack of bread, revealing their failure to grasp the symbolic and spiritual nature of His warning about the "leaven." This question underscores their misplaced priorities and limited perspective.
* **"perceive ye not yet, neither understand?":** This rhetorical question points to a twofold deficiency in their comprehension. "Perceive" (Greek: _noiéō_) refers to understanding with the mind or intellect, while "understand" (Greek: _syníēmi_) implies putting things together, comprehending fully, or having spiritual discernment. Jesus implies they lack both basic mental grasp of His words and deeper spiritual insight into their meaning and connection to His identity and power.
* **"have ye your heart yet hardened?":** This is the most severe and poignant part of the rebuke. The term "hardened" (Greek: _pōróō_) suggests a persistent, almost willful, insensitivity or dullness of heart. Despite witnessing incredible miracles of provision and hearing profound teachings, their hearts remain resistant to spiritual truth, preventing them from truly seeing and believing. This question reveals Jesus's deep concern over their spiritual condition.

#### Literary Devices
Mark 8:17 employs several powerful **rhetorical questions** ("Why reason ye...?", "perceive ye not yet...?", "have ye your heart yet hardened?"). These are not asked for information, but to provoke self-reflection and highlight the disciples' spiritual deficiencies. The questions serve as a sharp **rebuke**, exposing their lack of spiritual discernment and persistent focus on the mundane. The **metaphor** of "leaven" (mentioned in the preceding verse, [Mark 8:15](/mark/8-15 "Mark 8:15 - Warning Against Leaven")) is central, representing corrupting spiritual influences, yet the disciples' misinterpretation of it as literal bread exemplifies their spiritual blindness. The phrase "heart yet hardened" uses **metonymy**, where "heart" represents the core of a person's understanding, will, and spiritual receptivity, and its "hardening" signifies a severe spiritual insensitivity. This passage also contains **irony**, as the disciples, who have just witnessed Jesus miraculously feed thousands, are still worried about a lack of physical bread, underscoring their profound spiritual amnesia and lack of faith.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Mark 8:17 serves as a poignant reminder of humanity's persistent struggle to move beyond physical realities and grasp spiritual truths, even in the presence of divine revelation. The disciples' spiritual dullness, despite witnessing Jesus's miraculous power and hearing His profound teachings, highlights the fallen human tendency to prioritize material concerns over spiritual discernment. This passage underscores that true understanding comes not merely from intellectual assent but from a heart open and receptive to God's truth, a heart that trusts in His abundant provision beyond the visible. Jesus's frustration reveals the divine longing for humanity to comprehend the deeper realities of His kingdom and His identity, moving beyond superficial interpretations to a transformative faith.

* [Jeremiah 17:9](/jeremiah/17-9 "Jeremiah 17:9 - The Deceitfulness of the Heart")
* [Matthew 16:8-11](/matthew/16-8-11 "Matthew 16:8-11 - Jesus Rebukes Disciples' Lack of Faith")
* [Hebrews 3:7-8](/hebrews/3-7-8 "Hebrews 3:7-8 - Do Not Harden Your Hearts")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Mark 8:17 is a mirror reflecting our own spiritual tendencies. Like the disciples, we often become preoccupied with the immediate and the material—our daily bread, our anxieties, our perceived lacks—and miss the profound spiritual truths God is revealing. Jesus's questions challenge us to examine the state of our own hearts: Are we truly perceiving and understanding His Word, or are we allowing spiritual dullness or a hardened heart to prevent us from grasping His deeper truths and His abundant provision? This passage calls us to cultivate a heart that is soft and receptive, quick to discern the spiritual implications of life's circumstances and God's interventions. It reminds us that true faith looks beyond the visible scarcity to the invisible abundance of God's grace and power, trusting Him not just for physical sustenance but for spiritual nourishment and guidance in all things. We are invited to move beyond mere intellectual assent to a transformative comprehension that shapes our priorities and deepens our trust in Christ.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life am I prone to focus on physical concerns and anxieties, potentially missing deeper spiritual truths?**
* **How might my "heart" be hardened or dull to God's voice and truth, despite repeated exposure to His Word and His work in my life?**
* **What steps can I take to cultivate greater spiritual perception and understanding, allowing God's Word to penetrate and transform my heart more deeply?**

### FAQ
**Why were the disciples so slow to understand, even after witnessing miracles?**

Answer: The disciples' slowness to understand, as evidenced in [Mark 8:17](/mark/8-17 "Mark 8:17 - Jesus Rebukes Disciples' Dullness"), stemmed from several factors. Firstly, they were deeply ingrained in a worldview that often prioritized physical needs and a literal interpretation of events. Despite witnessing Jesus miraculously feed thousands (e.g., [Mark 6:41-44](/mark/6-41-44 "Mark 6:41-44 - Feeding the Five Thousand")), they still worried about a lack of physical bread, indicating a failure to connect Jesus's power to their present needs. Secondly, their understanding of the Messiah was likely shaped by prevailing Jewish expectations of a political or earthly king, making it difficult for them to grasp Jesus's spiritual kingdom and His warnings about spiritual "leaven." Lastly, Jesus Himself points to a "hardened heart" as the core issue, suggesting a spiritual insensitivity or resistance to truly comprehending the divine nature and mission of Christ. This was not a lack of intelligence, but a spiritual dullness that prevented them from seeing beyond the superficial to the profound spiritual realities Jesus was communicating.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Mark 8:17, with Jesus's exasperated questions about the disciples' hardened hearts and lack of understanding, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate spiritual blindness that humanity, in its fallen state, exhibits towards the true nature of God's provision and salvation. The disciples' preoccupation with physical bread, despite Jesus's miraculous power, mirrors humanity's tendency to seek satisfaction in earthly things rather than in the spiritual sustenance offered by Christ. Jesus, the true "Bread of Life" ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")), came to satisfy not merely physical hunger but the deepest spiritual longings of the soul. Their inability to "perceive" and "understand" the spiritual implications of His warnings and miracles underscores the need for divine illumination, which only the Spirit of Christ can provide ([1 Corinthians 2:14](/1_corinthians/2-14 "1 Corinthians 2:14 - The Natural Person Does Not Accept Spiritual Things")). The "hardened heart" Jesus identifies is the very condition from which Christ came to deliver us, offering a new heart and a new spirit ([Ezekiel 36:26](/ezekiel/36-26 "Ezekiel 36:26 - A New Heart and Spirit")). Ultimately, this passage highlights that true spiritual discernment and understanding are gifts received through faith in the one who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life ([John 14:6](/john/14-6 "John 14:6 - Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life")), not through human reasoning or worldly preoccupation.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Mark 6:52

For they considered not [the miracle] of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

Isaiah 63:17

O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, [and] hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Hebrews 5:11

Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

Hebrews 5:12

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Mark 2:8

And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

Mark 3:5

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Matthew 16:8

[Which] when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?