Mark 6:37
He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
A denarius was standard daily wage for agricultural laborers. Two hundred denarii represented substantial sum—roughly eight months' wages at one denarius per day (accounting for Sabbath rest). This calculation shows the disciples did quick mental math about the crowd's size and bread costs. Ancient bread was staple food, but feeding thousands required enormous quantities. The disciples' focus on financial impossibility prevented them from considering miraculous possibility. Philip made similar calculation in John's account (John 6:7), showing how multiple disciples independently assessed the situation financially. Archaeological evidence from first-century Palestine indicates bread prices varied, but feeding thousands would indeed cost many denarii. The disciples' treasury (kept by Judas, John 12:6) certainly didn't contain two hundred denarii—their question may have been sarcastic or desperate. This financial calculation, while practical, ignored Jesus' prior miracles of multiplication and provision. Early church application: when God commands impossibility, He intends to demonstrate divine power, not human resourcefulness. The obstacle is the opportunity.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jesus' command to 'give them to eat' when we have nothing illustrate how God's commands often exceed our resources to demonstrate His sufficiency?
- What does the disciples' immediate calculation of costs rather than considering miraculous provision teach about faith's relationship to financial planning?
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Analysis & Commentary
He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? Jesus' command confronts the disciples with their inadequacy, driving them to recognize impossibility and thus necessity of divine intervention. 'Give ye them to eat' (Δότε αὐτοῖς ὑμεῖς φαγεῖν, Dote autois hymeis phagein)—the emphatic 'ye' (hymeis) stresses their responsibility. Jesus didn't merely suggest they help; He commanded they feed the multitude. Their response reveals shocked incredulity: 'Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread?' (Ἀπελθόντες ἀγοράσωμεν διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτους, Apelthontes agorasōmen diakosiōn dēnariōn artous). Two hundred denarii represented over six months' wages for a laborer (one denarius = one day's wage). Their rhetorical question essentially said: 'Do you expect us to spend half a year's salary on bread?' They calculated cost and concluded it was impossible. Yet Jesus' command wasn't about what they could do but what He would do through them. The pattern continues: God commands what humans cannot accomplish, forcing dependence on divine power. This develops faith—recognizing that God's commands always include His enabling. Reformed theology emphasizes that divine commands accompanied by divine grace make possible what human effort alone cannot achieve.