In a boat, Jesus asked them why they are arguing about bread.
Mark 8:21 How is it that ye do not understand?
Mark 8:21 Do you still not understand?”
Not yet do you put it together?
This is a case where the Greek source used by the KJV translators differs from the source we use today (see this article).
There are several different Greek words translated into English as "to understand," and there are various words in Greek that mean different types of understanding. The word translated here as "understand" here is means "putting things together." Jesus uses the same term in Mark 8:17 to introduce this discussion.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "how is it that" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "not" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
How is it that -- -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "how is it that" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
ye -This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
do-- This English helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in translation from Greek
not -- -- (OS) This is not the negative in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used. This is an adverb that means "not yet" and a strong form of "not" and "not at all." This is not one of the simple Greek negatives, but a more specialized word.
understand? -- The word translated as "understand" means "to bring together." It means "understand" in the same sense that we say "put it together" to mean "understand." This word is always translated as "understand" in the KJV translation.
Do -- This English helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in translation from Greek
you -This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb. understand?”
still not -- his is an adverb that means "not yet" and a strong form of "not" and "not at all." This is not one of the simple Greek negatives, but a more specialized word.
understand? -- The word translated as "understand" means "to bring together." It means "understand" in the same sense that we say "put it together" to mean "understand." This word is always translated as "understand" in the KJV translation.
Οὔπω [9 verses](adv) "Not" is from oupo, which means "not yet" and a strong form of "not" and "not at all."
συνίετε; [14 verses]( verb 2nd pl pres ind act) "Understand" is from syniemi which means "to bring together" or "to set together." It is also a metaphor for "perceive", "hear," and "understand" as we would say that we "put it all together" when figuring something out.
This word for understand perfectly captures what Jesus's requires us to do in order to understand his words. We must put together concepts in a different way than we normally do. It is interesting that after two thousand years of Christian teaching, we still have to work to put together Christ's meaning. Christ says elsewhere (here) that understanding his words requires work. It is like a puzzle.
Why do we find it hard to put this puzzle together? This is Jesus's question for us here. Part of the answer is that we are not taught to do the work of putting it together. Starting before Christ and continuing through to today, religious instruction teaches us a particular view of faith but it doesn't teach us to do the work of putting together concepts for ourselves. Indeed, too often in history, religious leaders have been discouraged people from doing the work.
Why do we need to work? Because without doing the work, we don't understand the material. Why do teachers have students work out problems themselves instead of just giving them the answers? We need to work through the process in order to learn how to put what we see in real life with the concepts that we have learned.
Jesus wants the apostles to connect his words with what they are seeing in the real world. He has said all along that he speaks in symbols using parables for a reason. Their real world experiences with Christ multiplying bread should have taught them that having enough bread to eat is never the problem. So this could not have been the meaning behind Christ's words.