And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

MARK 8:20KJV
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Mark 8:20 (KJV)

What does Mark 8:20 mean?

Mark 8:20 records Jesus reminding His disciples about the time when He fed four thousand people with seven loaves of bread, asking them how many baskets of leftovers they collected afterward, and the disciples reply, "Seven." This verse highlights the abundance that remained after Jesus performed the miracle, emphasizing that there was more than enough food left over.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking directly to His disciples, questioning them to help them remember what they had witnessed. The context is a conversation where Jesus is challenging the disciples’ understanding and memory of His previous miracles, especially the feeding of large crowds with very little food. The verse draws attention to the specific detail of the "seven baskets" of leftovers, which underlines the scale of the miracle and the sufficiency of what Jesus provided.

The Greek behind Mark 8:20

  • "baskets" (σπυρίδας, spyridas): This word refers to large baskets, often used for carrying significant amounts of food. The size of these baskets suggests that the leftovers were substantial, not just scraps.
  • "fragments" (κλάσματα, klasmata): This word means pieces or broken bits, indicating that even after everyone was fed, there were enough pieces left to fill several baskets. This detail stresses the abundance and not just the sufficiency of the miracle.

Why Mark 8:20 matters

  • Mark 8:20 helps clarify that the miracles of Jesus were not just about meeting immediate needs but resulted in overwhelming abundance, challenging any doubts about His ability to provide.
  • The verse emphasizes the disciples’ firsthand experience of these miracles, highlighting their struggle to fully grasp what they had seen and what it meant about Jesus’ identity and power.
  • By recalling the specific number of baskets, Mark 8:20 connects this event to the earlier feeding of the five thousand (where a different number of baskets was collected), showing that Jesus’ provision was consistent and intentional in both cases.

Where else these words appear

“thousand” Greek G5070 · used in 5 verses

  • Matthew 15:38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
  • Matthew 16:10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
  • Mark 8:9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

“baskets” Greek G4711 · used in 5 verses

  • Matthew 15:37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
  • Matthew 16:10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
  • Mark 8:8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

“fragments” Greek G2801 · used in 9 verses

  • Matthew 14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
  • Mark 6:43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
  • Luke 9:17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

“full” Greek G4138 · used in 17 verses

  • Matthew 9:16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
  • Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
  • Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: