Bible Strands
Mark 8:5
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus asks the disciples how many loaves they possess in a desolate location where a large crowd has gathered. They respond that they have seven loaves before He instructs the people to sit on the ground.
The words — ἠρώτα (ērōta) means "He was asking," and πόσους ἄρτους (posous artous) translates literally as "how many loaves." The verb's imperfect tense indicates a continuous inquiry directed at the disciples.
The thread — This dialogue repeats in Matthew 15:34 with the addition of "and a few small fish," and echoes the earlier five-loaves account in Mark 6:38. Matthew 14:15 also records the disciples' concern about the desolate place and late hour.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to observe that Jesus initiates the provision by asking for an inventory rather than creating bread from nothing. It places the responsibility of reporting available resources on the disciples before the distribution begins.
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 he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.
Cross-references
- Matthew 14:15 When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowds so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
- Matthew 15:34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
- Mark 6:38 “Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
- Luke 9:13 But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”