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Commentary on Mark 8 verses 10–21
Still Christ is upon motion; now he visits the parts of Dalmanutha, that no corner of the land of Israel might say that they had not had his presence with them. He came thither by ship (Mar 8:10); but, meeting with occasions of dispute there, and not with opportunities of doing good, he entered into the ship again (Mar 8:13), and came back. In these verses, we are told,
I. How he refused to gratify the Pharisees, who challenged him to give them a sign from heaven. They came forth on purpose to question with him; not to propose questions to him, that they might learn of him, but to cross question with him, that they might ensnare him.
1.They demanded of him a sign from heaven, as if the signs he gave them on earth, which were more familiar to them, and were more capable of being examined and enquired into, were not sufficient. There was a sign from heaven at his baptism, in the descent of the dove, and the voice (Mat 3:16, Mat 3:17); it was public enough; and if they had attended John's baptism as they ought to have done, they might themselves have seen it. Afterward, when he was nailed to the cross, they prescribed a new sign; Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe him; thus obstinate infidelity will still have something to say, though ever so unreasonable. They demanded this sign, tempting him; not in hopes that he would give it them, that they might be satisfied, but in hopes that he would not, that they might imagine themselves to have a pretence for their infidelity.
2.He denied them their demand; He sighed deeply in his spirit, Mar 8:12. He groaned (so some), being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, and the little influence that his preaching and miracles had had upon them. The infidelity of those that have long enjoyed the means of conviction, is a great grief to the Lord Jesus; it troubles him, that sinners should thus stand in their own light, and put a bar in their own door. (1.) He expostulates with them upon this demand; "Why doth this generation seek after a sign; this generation, that is so unworthy to have the gospel brought to it, and to have any sign accompanying it; this generation, that so greedily swallows the traditions of the elders, without the confirmation of any sign at all; this generation, into which, by the calculating of the times prefixed in the Old Testament, they might easily perceive that the coming of the Messiah must fall; this generation, that has had such plenty of sensible and merciful signs given them in the cure of their sick? What an absurdity is it for them to desire a sign!" (2.) He refuses to answer their demand; Verily, I say unto you, there shall no sign, no such sign, be given to this generation. When God spoke to particular persons in a particular case, out of the road of his common dispensation, they were encouraged to ask a sign, as Gideon and Ahaz; but when he speaks in general to all, as in the law and the gospel, sending each with their own evidence, it is presumption to prescribe other signs than what he has given. Shall any teach God knowledge? He denied them, and then left them, as men not fit to be talked with; if they will not be convinced, they shall not; leave them to their strong delusions.
II. How he warned his disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. Observe here,
1.What the caution was (Mar 8:15); "Take heed, beware, lest ye partake of the leaven of the Pharisees, lest ye embrace the tradition of the elders, which they are so wedded to, lest ye be proud, and hypocritical, and ceremonious, like them." Matthew adds, and of the Sadducees; Mark adds, and of Herod: whence some gather, that Herod, and his courtiers were generally Sadducees, that is, deists, men of no religion. Others give this sense, The Pharisees demanded a sign from heaven; and Herod was long desirous to see some miracle wrought by Christ (Luk 23:8); such as he should prescribe, so that the leaven of both was the same; they were unsatisfied with the signs they had, and would have others of their own devising; "Take heed of this leaven" (saith Christ), "be convinced by the miracles ye have seen, and covet not to see more."
2.How they misunderstood this caution. It seems, at their putting to sea this time, they had forgotten to take bread, and had not in their ship more than one loaf, Mar 8:14. When therefore Christ bid them beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, they understood it as an intimation to them, not to apply themselves to any of the Pharisees for relief, when they came to the other side, for they had lately been offended at them for eating with unwashen hands. They reasoned among themselves, what should be the meaning of this caution, and concluded, "It is because we have no bread; he saith this, to reproach us for being so careless as to go to sea, and go among strangers, with but one loaf of bread; he doth, in effect, tell us, we must be brought to short allowance, and must eat our bread by weight." They reasoned it - dielogizonto, they disputed about it; one said, "It was owing to you;" and the other said, "It was owing to you, that we are so ill provided for this voyage." Thus distrust of God makes Christ's disciples quarrel among themselves.
3.The reproof Christ gave them for their uneasiness in this matter, as it argued a disbelief of his power to supply them, notwithstanding the abundant experience they had had of it. The reproof is given with some warmth, for he knew their hearts, and knew they needed to be thus soundly chidden; "Perceive ye not yet, neither understand, that which you have had so many demonstrations of? Have ye your hearts yet hardened, so as that nothing will make any impression upon them, or bring them to compliance with your Master's designs? Having eyes, see ye not that which is plain before your eyes? Having ears, hear ye not that which you have been so often told? How strangely stupid and senseless are ye! Do ye not remember that which was done but the other day, when I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, and soon after, the seven loaves among the four thousand? Do ye not remember how many baskets full ye took up of the fragments?" Yes, they did remember, and could tell that they took up twelve baskets full one time, and seven another; "Why then," said he, "how is it that ye do not understand? As if he that multiplied five loaves, and seven, could not multiply one." They seemed to suspect that the one was not matter enough to work upon, if he should have a mind to entertain his hearers a third time: and if that was their thought, it was indeed a very senseless one, as if it were not all alike to the Lord, to save by many or few, and as easy to make one loaf to feed five thousand as five. It was therefore proper to remind them, not only of the sufficiency, but of the overplus, of the former meals; and justly were they chidden for not understanding what Christ therein designed, and what they from thence might have learned. Note, (1.) The experiences we have had of God's goodness to us in the way of duty, greatly aggravate our distrust of him, which is therefore very provoking to the Lord Jesus. (2.) Our not understanding of the true intent and meaning of God's favours to us, is equivalent to our not remembering of them. (3.) We are therefore overwhelmed with present cares and distrusts, because we do not understand, and remember, what we have known and seen of the power and goodness of our Lord Jesus. It would be a great support to us, to consider the days of old, and we are wanting both to God and ourselves if we do not. (4.) When we thus forgot the works of God, and distrust him, we should chide ourselves severely for it, as Christ doth his disciples here; "Am I thus without understanding? How is it that my heart is thus hardened?"
(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Matthew says, of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees; Luke, however, of the Pharisees only. All three, therefore, name the Pharisees, as being the most important of them, but Matthew and Mark have each mentioned one of the secondary sects; and fitly has Mark added of Herod, as a supplement to Matthew's narrative, in which they were left out. But in saying this, He by degrees brings the disciples to understanding and faith.
(in Marc. 2, 33) The Pharisees, then, seek a sign from heaven, that He, Who had for the second time fed many thousands of men with a few loaves of bread, should now, after the example of Moses, refresh the whole nation in the last time with manna sent down from heaven, and dispersed amongst them all.
(ubi sup.) When, as related above, He was about to refresh the believing multitude, He gave thanks, so now, on account of the foolish petition of the Pharisees, He groans; because, bearing about with Him the feelings of human nature, as He rejoices over the salvation of men, so He grieves over their errors. Wherefore it goes on, And he groaned in spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, If a sign shall be given to this generation. That is, no sign shall be given; as it is written in the Psalms, (Ps. 89:36) I have sworn once by my holiness, if I shall fail David, that is, I will not fail David.
(ubi sup.) For a sign from heaven was not to be given to a generation of men, who tempted the Lord; but to a generation of men seeking the Lord, He shows a sign from heaven, when in the sight of the Apostles He ascended into heaven. It goes on, And he left them, and entering into a ship again, he departed to the other side.
(ubi sup.) Some may ask, how they had no bread, when they had filled seven baskets just before they embarked in the ship. But Scripture relates that they had forgotten to take them with them, which is a proof how little care they had for the flesh in other things, since in their eagerness to follow the Lord, even the necessity of refreshing their bodies had escaped from their mind.
(ubi sup.) Or, the leaven of the Pharisees is making the decrees of the divine law inferior to the traditions of men, preaching the law in word, attacking it in deed, tempting the Lord, and disbelieving His doctrine and His works; but the leaven of Herod is adultery, murder, rash swearing, a pretence of religion, hatred to Christ and His forerunner.
(ubi sup.) Taking occasion then from the precept, which He had commanded, saying, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod, our Saviour teaches them what was the meaning of the five and the seven loaves, concerning which He adds, And do ye not remember, when I brake the five loaves amongst five thousand, and how many baskets full of fragments ye took up? For if the leaven mentioned above means perverse traditions, of course the food, with which the people of God was nourished, means the true doctrine.
After that our Lord had worked the miracle of the loaves, He immediately retires into another spot, lest on account of the miracle, the multitudes should take Him to make Him a king; wherefore it is said, And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
Or they seek for a sign from heaven, that is, they wish Him to make the sun and moon stand still, to bring down hail, and change the atmosphere; for they thought that He could not perform miracles from heaven, but could only in Beelzebub perform a sign on earth.
Now the reason why the Lord did not listen to them was, that the time of signs from heaven had not arrived, that is, the time of the second Advent, when the powers of the heaven shall be shaken, and the moon shall not give her light. But in the time of the first Advent, all things are full of mercy, and such things do not take place.
The Lord indeed quits the Pharisees, as men uncorrected; for where there is a hope of correction, there it is right to remain; but where the evil is incorrigible, we should go away. There follows: Now they had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
By a special providence1 also the disciples forgot to take bread, that they might be blamed by Christ, and thus become better, and arrive at a knowledge of Christ's power. For it goes on, And he charged them, saying, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod.
He means by leaven their hurtful and corrupt doctrine, full of the old malice, for the Herodians were the teachers, who said that Herod was the Christ.
But the disciples themselves thought that the Lord spoke of the leaven of bread. Wherefore it goes on, And they reasoned amongst themselves, saying, it is because we have no bread; and this they said, as not understanding the power of Christ, who could make bread out of nothing; wherefore the Lord reproves them; for there follows, And when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, Why reason ye because ye have no bread?
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SUMMARY
Mark 8:19 captures a pivotal moment in Jesus's patient instruction to His disciples, who, despite witnessing profound miracles, consistently struggle with spiritual perception. Following His warning against the "leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod," Jesus gently prompts their memory by recalling the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, using a rhetorical question about the twelve baskets of fragments collected. This exchange underscores the disciples' spiritual dullness and Jesus's persistent effort to awaken their understanding of His divine power and identity as the abundant Provider.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Mark 8:19 primarily employs Rhetorical Question as its central literary device. Jesus's question, "how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?", is not posed to gain information, but to provoke thought, expose the disciples' spiritual dullness, and guide them toward a deeper understanding of His divine power and identity. This technique forces the audience (both the disciples and the reader) to confront their own memory and comprehension. There is also an element of Irony present; the disciples, who have witnessed such an extraordinary display of divine provision, are still preoccupied with a lack of physical bread, demonstrating a profound disconnect between their empirical experience and their spiritual faith. Furthermore, Symbolism is at play, with the "fragments" and "baskets" symbolizing the superabundant nature of God's provision, which always exceeds the immediate need and points to a greater spiritual reality.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Mark 8:19 powerfully illustrates the contrast between physical sight and spiritual insight, a recurring theme in the Gospels. Jesus's question about the "twelve baskets full of fragments" is not merely a test of memory, but a profound theological inquiry into the disciples' understanding of His identity and the nature of God's kingdom. The abundance of leftovers, symbolized by the twelve baskets, speaks to God's lavish provision, which is always more than sufficient, even in the face of immense need. This divine generosity should have instilled unwavering trust, yet the disciples' continued focus on earthly concerns reveals a hardened heart and a failure to connect past miracles with present faith. The passage challenges believers to move beyond mere intellectual recall of God's acts to a deep, transformative trust in His character and power.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Mark 8:19 serves as a timeless mirror for believers, reflecting our own tendencies toward spiritual amnesia and dullness. Like the disciples, we often forget God's past faithfulness and abundant provision when faced with new challenges, allowing present anxieties to overshadow the testimony of His character. This verse calls us to actively remember and meditate on the instances where God has intervened, provided, and delivered in our lives. Such remembrance is not mere nostalgia but a vital spiritual discipline that fortifies our faith and cultivates a deeper trust in His limitless resources. It encourages us to move beyond a superficial understanding of God's power to a profound, heart-level comprehension that shapes our responses to scarcity, fear, and uncertainty, always expecting His more-than-enough provision.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Jesus ask rhetorical questions like this if He already knows the answer?
Answer: Jesus frequently uses rhetorical questions, not because He lacks information, but as a pedagogical tool to prompt reflection, expose spiritual blindness, and guide His disciples toward deeper understanding. In Mark 8:19, He is forcing them to recall the undeniable evidence of His power and provision, hoping that the act of remembering the "twelve baskets" will trigger a spiritual breakthrough and help them grasp the true nature of His identity and the spiritual implications of His teaching, especially concerning the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Herod mentioned in Mark 8:15.
What is the significance of the "Twelve" baskets of fragments?
Answer: The "Twelve" baskets are highly significant. Firstly, they represent an astonishing superabundance, demonstrating that Jesus's provision not only met the immediate need of five thousand people but far exceeded it, with more leftovers than the initial amount of bread. Secondly, the number twelve often symbolizes the twelve tribes of Israel and, by extension, God's complete provision for His people. It suggests that Jesus's miraculous provision is for all of God's chosen, and that His grace is always sufficient, even overflowing, for the entire community of faith, as seen in the gathering of the fragments after the feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6:43.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Mark 8:19, with its emphasis on Jesus's superabundant provision and the disciples' spiritual dullness, profoundly points to Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises. The "twelve baskets full of fragments" foreshadow the boundless grace and life found in Jesus, who is the true Bread of Life. Unlike the physical bread that perishes, Jesus offers eternal sustenance, His body broken for the life of the world (John 6:51). The disciples' struggle to comprehend Jesus's power and identity, despite witnessing His miracles, highlights humanity's inherent spiritual blindness, which only Christ can overcome. It is through His atoning work that our spiritual eyes are opened, and our hearts are softened to truly understand the depths of God's provision and love. The ultimate "taking up" (from the Greek aírō) of sin and death occurs through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, where He bore the weight of humanity's transgressions, providing an abundance of grace that far exceeds our need, just as the fragments exceeded the initial loaves. His resurrection then confirms His victory and His ongoing power to provide all that we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).