Spoken to:
Jesus has a hungry crowd following him and he doesn't want them to leave without food.
KJV:
Mark 8:5 How many loaves have ye?
NIV :
Mark 8:5 “How many loaves do you have?”
LISTENERS HEARD:
How many small bread loaves do you have?
MY TAKE:
You have is what you need to get more.
GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page):
GREEK ORDER:
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
The word translated as "loaves" here is the same Greek word usually translated as "bread." It actually does mean "loaves," however, but a much smaller loaf that we used. There are multiple meanings of the Greek word used for "how many." Unlike English, in ancient Greek, the same word is used for questions of quantity and number.
# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES:
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is the common word usually translated as "bread."
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES:
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is the common word usually translated as "bread."
EACH WORD of KJV :
How many -- The adjective translated as "how many" also 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."
loaves -- (CW) The word translated as "loaves" means "small loaf or cake of bread". It is more like a slice of bread today. This word is usually translated as "bread" and doesn't equated with our loaves today.
have -- The word translated as "have ye" means to "have", "possess", "bear", "keep close", "have means to do", "to have due to one", or "keep" and many specific uses. This could be either a command or a statement.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
EACH WORD of NIV :
How many -- The adjective translated as "how many" also 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."
loaves -- (CW) The word translated as "loaves" means "small loaf or cake of bread". It is more like a slice of bread today. This word is usually translated as "bread" and doesn't equated with our loaves today.
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, singular form of the verb.
have -- The word translated as "have ye" means to "have", "possess", "bear", "keep close", "have means to do", "to have due to one", or "keep" and many specific uses. This could be either a command or a statement.
COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV :
Πόσους [19 verses](adj sg masc dat) "How many" is 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."
ἔχετε [181 verses]( verb 2nd pl pres ind act ) "Have ye" is echo, which means "to have", "to hold", "to possess", "to keep", "to have charge of", "to have due to one", "to maintain", "to hold fast", "to bear", "to carry", "to keep close", "to keep safe," and "to have means to do."
ἄρτους; [32 verses]( noun pl masc acc ) "Loaves" is artos, which means specifically a "cake of whole wheat bread," and generally "loaf," and "bread."
Related Verses:
Possible Symbolic Meaning:
Jesus offers the bread not only a physical nourishment, which has a temporary value, but as a proof of his teaching, which has a timeless value. Bread, wine, and house are the central to Christ's symbolism representing our temporal world: bread for the physical, wine for the mental, and the house for the emotional aspects of our lives. Unlike our mental or emotional life, aspect of our physical life can be counted and measured. Our physical possessions can be held, protected, and kept safe at least temporarily until it spoils, a topic Jesus deals with elsewhere.