Chapter Eight

1–9. The feeding of the four thousand. – 10–12. Christ’s response to the Pharisees regarding their demand for a sign from heaven. – 13–21. A warning to the disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. – 22–26. The healing of a blind man in Bethsaida. – 27–30. The disciples’ confession, which took place in the region of Caesarea Philippi. – 31–33. The first announcement of the sufferings. – 34–38. On self-denial.

Mark 8:1. In those days, when a great crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus, calling His disciples to Him, said to them, Mark 8:2. “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. Mark 8:3. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come from far. Mark 8:4. His disciples answered Him, “Where in this desolate place could anyone get bread to feed them? Mark 8:5. And He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven. Mark 8:6. Then He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to His disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. Mark 8:7. They also had a few small fish; and after blessing them, He commanded them to be distributed as well. Mark 8:8. And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up the broken pieces that were left over, seven baskets full. Mark 8:9. Those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away. Concerning the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand, see the comments to Matt 15:32-39. The evangelist Mark adds only that the Lord paid attention to some of those who came to Him from far away (verse 3) and consequently did not have friends nearby from whom they could obtain bread. By this the evangelist characterizes Christ’s special care for people. Unlike Matthew, who mentions bread and fish together, the evangelist Mark mentions them separately. Moreover, according to Matthew, Christ blesses the loaves and the fish, while according to Mark—over the loaves He offers thanksgiving (εὐχαριστήσας), and over the fish—a blessing (εὐλογήσας).

Mark 8:10. And immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:11. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, demanding from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. Mark 8:12. And He, sighing deeply, said: “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation. Concerning the sign from heaven, see Matt 16:1-4. Mark speaks of this more briefly than Matthew. For example, he omits the words of the Lord about “the sign of Jonah,” probably doing so because his readers, Christians from the Gentiles, would scarcely have understood their meaning. But he adds that Christ “sighed deeply” over the unbelief of the Pharisees. Where Dalmanutha was located is unknown. One can only say that this village, like Magdala, which the evangelist Matthew mentions in his account, was located on the western shore of the Sea of Gennesaret.

Mark 8:13. And leaving them, He again got into the boat and went to the other side. Mark 8:14. Now they had forgotten to take bread; and except for one loaf, they had nothing with them in the boat. Mark 8:15. And He instructed them, saying: “Watch, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Mark 8:16. And they were discussing with one another, saying, “It is because we have no bread. Mark 8:17. Jesus, knowing this, said to them: “Why are you discussing that you have no bread? Do you not yet understand and comprehend? Is your heart hardened? Mark 8:18. Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? Mark 8:19. “When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” They said to Him, “Twelve. Mark 8:20. “And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said, “Seven. Mark 8:21. And He said to them, “Do you not yet understand? Concerning the conversation about leaven, see Matt 16:5-12. Instead of mentioning the Sadducees (Matt 16:6), the evangelist Mark includes mention of the leaven of Herod (verse 15). It is quite possible that by this the evangelist was expressing the idea of a similarity in moral views between Herod Antipas, a man entirely devoted to sensuality, and the Sadducees, who likewise prized material goods of life above all.

Mark 8:22. They came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him and asked Him to touch him. Only one evangelist, Mark, reports about the miracle of healing the blind man in Bethsaida (more precisely, on the way to it). Bethsaida lay on the way to Caesarea Philippi—where, in fact, the Lord was heading—not far from the place where the Jordan flows into the sea. The blind man who was brought to Christ had previously been able to see, as appears from the fact that he had a conception of people and trees (verse 24).

Mark 8:23. And taking the blind man by the hand, He led him out of the village; and spitting on his eyes, He laid His hands on him and asked him, “Do you see anything? The external actions which Christ employs here are the same as He employed in healing the deaf and mute man (cf. Mark 7:32).

Mark 8:24. And looking up, he said, “I see the people, but they look like trees, walking. Mark 8:25. Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently, and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. The blind man did not immediately see clearly; his eyes were still covered with a haze, and he could not distinguish people from trees. Therefore the Lord laid His hands on him a second time, and the sick man began to see everything clearly.

Mark 8:26. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village, and tell no one in the village. The Lord forbids the healed man to speak about the miracle in Bethsaida, perhaps to avoid on this occasion a rush of the curious. The evangelist Mark calls Bethsaida here, as also in verse 23, not a city but a village (κώμη). It had this name from ancient times, and even though the tetrarch Philip called it “the city of Julia” (the daughter of Augustus), the people apparently preserved its ancient name—“village.”

Mark 8:27. And Jesus went out, with His disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He was asking His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am? Mark 8:28. They told Him, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets. Mark 8:29. And He continued, saying to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Christ. Mark 8:30. And He warned them that they should tell no one about Him. The answer of the disciples to Christ’s question and the confession of the apostle Peter are found in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 16:13-20). The evangelist Mark, relating this narrative more briefly than Matthew, omits the praise with which Christ blessed the apostle Peter. Does this not show that he wrote his Gospel under the guidance of the apostle Peter? Of course, the humble apostle did not wish for this praise to be included in Mark’s Gospel. The evangelist Mark reports that Christ’s conversation with the disciples took place “on the way” to Caesarea, not in Caesarea itself, as the evangelist Matthew reports.

Mark 8:31. And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:32. And He was saying this openly. But Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. Mark 8:33. But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men. Concerning Christ’s prediction of His death, see in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 16:21-23). The evangelist Mark adds that the Lord began to speak of His sufferings “openly,” that is, in such a way that there remained no cause for any misunderstanding, and indeed without any fear (παρρησία).

Mark 8:34. And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Mark 8:35. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel’s sake will save it. Mark 8:36. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:37. “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:38. “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. On the teaching about self-denial (see Matt 16:24-27). The evangelist Mark clearly states that the teaching was proclaimed aloud before the “crowd” surrounding Christ, that is, not only to the disciples. Likewise, Mark alone adds to the expression “for My sake” (verse 35): “and for the gospel’s sake.” The gospel or good news about Christ evidently represented for him and his readers as it were the voice of Christ Himself speaking from heaven. How they relate to the gospel, so they relate to Christ Himself. Verse 38 cf. Matt 10:33.