Bible Strands
Mark 6:43
and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative reports the disciples gathering the remaining food immediately after the five thousand men finished eating. This action occurs in a desolate location following the distribution of multiplied loaves and fish.
The words — The Greek ἦραν (ēran) translates literally to "they took up," while κοφίνων (kophinōn) denotes "hand-baskets" or small woven containers. These terms specify the physical act of collection and the exact type of vessel used for the surplus.
The thread — This twelve-basket collection is explicitly recalled in Mark 8:19 when Jesus questions his disciples about the five-thousand feeding. The reference ties the surplus here directly to the earlier miracle account.
Why it lands — The text records a precise quantity of leftovers to show that the provision exceeded the immediate need. It asks the reader to note how the disciples actively gathered the surplus rather than leaving it behind.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
Cross-references
- Mark 8:19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.