In a boat, Jesus asked them why they are arguing about bread.
Mark 8:19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?
Mark 8:19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?
When I fragmented those five bread rounds for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you remove?
The word translated as "brake/broke" here is a unique word for Jesus and the word translated as "fragments/pieces" is the noun form of the same root and it is an uncommon word. Translated the "broke" as "fragmented" captures the fragmented/fragments" relationship.
The verb translated as "took up/pick up" is one of Jesus's multi-meaning words meaning to "lift up" and to "remove" which is the sense here.
Sometimes we can get out much more than we put in if we break things down the right way.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is the common word usually translated as "bread."
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "among."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "five thousand" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "took."
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is the common word usually translated as "bread."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "five thousand" is not shown in the English translation.
When -- "When" is an adverb that means "when", "as when", "at the time when," and "sometimes."
I -- This comes from the first-person form of the verb, not the use of a pronoun.
brake -- "Brake" is a verb that Jesus only uses here. It means to "break", "break off", "deflect", "weaken," and "frustrate."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
five --"Five" is the number five.
loaves -- (CW) -- The word translated as "bread" means "small loaf or cake of bread." It is more like a slice of bread today. It describes a thin 1/2 inch thick round or an oblong loaf of wheat bread, meant to be torn into pieces and not cut. It was closer to a flour tortilla or a piece of pan than a loaf of bread. "Bread" is one of Jesus most basic symbols, representing temporary physical nourishment as contrasted with permanent spiritual nourishment.
among -- (CW) The word translated as "among" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure. However, it also means "for a purpose," which is clearly the sense here. This is not the common word for "among."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
five thousand, -- "Five thousand" is an adjective that means "five thousand."
how many -- The adjective translated as "how many" means "of what quantity," [in distance] "how far." [of number] how far," [of time] "how long," [of value] "how much", "how great", "how many," and "how much."
baskets -- "Baskets" is from a Greek noun for a large basket, like a creel, woven out of reeds. We might think of this as a bushel basket.
full --"Full" is a noun that captures various ideas of filling and completing, but here, we might simply say "the filler.
of -- This comes from the form of the following noun. The form of this word requires that addition of extra words in English to capture its meaning. The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of", "which is", "than" (in comparisons), or "for", "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs.
fragments -- "Fragments" is a word that means "fragment" and "morsel." It is the noun form of the verb used above that means "break into pieces."
took -- (CW) "Took" is one of Jesus's favorite "multiple meaning" words. It is a verb that means "to raise up", "elevate", "to bear", "to carry off", "to take and apply to any use," and "to cause to cease." Jesus uses this verb to refer to what will happen to "the son of man," which can apply either to his being raised from the dead or lifted up on the cross.
ye -- This comes from the second-person, plural form of the verb not the use of a pronoun.
up -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb that means "up."
When -- "When" is an adverb that means "when", "as when", "at the time when," and "sometimes."
I -- This comes from the first-person form of the verb, not the use of a pronoun.
broke -- "Broke" is a verb that Jesus only uses here. It means to "break", "break off", "deflect", "weaken," and "frustrate."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
five --"Five" is the number five.
loaves -- (CW) -- The word translated as "bread" means "small loaf or cake of bread." It is more like a slice of bread today. It describes a thin 1/2 inch thick round or an oblong loaf of wheat bread, meant to be torn into pieces and not cut. It was closer to a flour tortilla or a piece of pan than a loaf of bread. "Bread" is one of Jesus most basic symbols, representing temporary physical nourishment as contrasted with permanent spiritual nourishment.
for -- The word translated as "among" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure. However, it also means "for a purpose," which is clearly the sense here.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
five thousand, -- "Five thousand" is an adjective that means "five thousand."
how many -- The adjective translated as "how many" means "of what quantity," [in distance] "how far." [of number] how far," [of time] "how long," [of value] "how much", "how great", "how many," and "how much."
basketfuls -- "Basketfulls" is a noun that Jesus only uses here and in Matthew 16:9 that means "basket" and infers a measure. And it includes the following adjective that means "full of", "full", "satisfied", "solid", "complete", "whole," and "full-bodied."
of -- This comes from the form of the following noun. The form of this word requires the addition of extra words in English to capture its meaning. The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of", "which is", "than" (in comparisons), or "for", "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs.
pieces -- "Pieces" is a word that means "fragment" and "morsel." It is the noun form of the verb used above that means "break into pieces."
did -- This English helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in translation from Greek
you -- This comes from the second-person, plural form of the verb not the use of a pronoun.
pick -- "Pick" is one of Jesus's favorite "multiple meaning" words. It is a verb that means "to raise up", "elevate", "to bear", "to carry off", "to take and apply to any use," and "to cause to cease." Jesus uses this verb to refer to what will happen to "the son of man," which can apply either to his being raised from the dead or lifted up on the cross.
up -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb that means "up."
ὅτε [19 verses](adv/conj) "Then" is hote, which means "when", "as when", "at the time when," and "sometimes."
τοὺς [821 verses](article pl masc acc ) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
πέντε [12 verses] (number) "Five" is pente, the number five.
ἄρτους [32 verses] ( noun pl masc acc ) "Loaves" is artos, which means specifically a "cake of whole wheat bread," and generally "loaf," and "bread."
ἔκλασα [1 verse]( verb 1st sg aor ind act ) "I brake" is from klao, which means to "break", "break off", "deflect", "weaken," and "frustrate."
εἰς [325 verses] (prep) "Among" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)", "until (of time)", "as much as (of measure or limit)", "as far as (of measure or limit)", "towards (to express relation)", "in regard to (to express relation)", "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
τοὺς [821 verses](article pl masc acc ) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
πεντακισχιλίους, [2 verses](adj pl masc acc) "Five thousand" is from pentakischilioi, which means "five thousand."
πόσους [19 verses](adj pl masc acc) "How many" is from posos, which means "of what quantity," [in distance] "how far." [of number] how far," [of time] "how long," [of value] "how much", "how great", "how many," and "how much."
κοφίνους [2 verses](noun pl masc acc) "Baskets" is kophinos, which means "basket" and infers a measure.
κλασμάτων [3 verses]( noun pl neut gen) "Of fragments" is klasma, which means "fragment" and "morsel."
πλήρεις [2 verses]( adj pl masc acc ) "Full" is from pleres, which means "full of", "full", "satisfied", "solid", "complete", "whole," and "full-bodied."
ἤρατε; [56 verses]( verb 2nd pl aor ind act ) "Took ye up" is airo, which means "to lift up", "to raise", "to raise up", "to exalt", "to lift and take away," and "to remove." In some forms, it is apaomai, which means to "pray to," or "pray for."
As said in Mark 7:15, it is what goes into the bread that is important because it comes out of our effort and heart (emotions). The role of bread as nutrition is less important. While it seems that bread is important to our survival, that is an illusion. God determines our survival. Christ points out in this verse that God can create bread without our having to work for it. This point is made directly elsewhere when Christ tell us not to worry about what we eat, saying that the the birds of the air do not sow or reap (Matthew 6:26, discussed here), but they still eat. He cover this idea even more directly in the first temptation (Matthew 4:4, discussed here.)
Jesus simply asks his apostles to remember that miraculous bread. As nutrition, bread can miraculously appear out of nothing (or fall from the sky like mana) if that is God's will. Jesus 's concern is about what we control. He worries about what goes into the bread and comes out of us, the "leaven" of the religious leaders. It was their contaminating spirit that Jesus wants his followers to understand and see. The apostles think that Christ is worried about leaven and bread as nutrition, but Jesus is concerned not about what goes into a person, but what comes out of them.
This ability to understand how to create food for ourselves is only given to human beings. What goes into the bread, our work, skill, and especially our spirit, is what Jesus sees as important. The fact that the bread goes into us to sustain our lives is less important. What comes out of us defines our character. What comes out of us, not what goes into us, defines what we are.