Mark - 6:44



44 Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Mark 6:44.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
and those eating of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Those who ate the bread were 5,000 adult men.
And those who took of the bread were five thousand men.
The people who ate the bread were five thousand in number.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Were about five thousand - ὡσει, about, is omitted by a great majority of the best MSS. and by the principal versions. It is wanting in several editions: Bengel, Wetstein, and Griesbach, leave it out of the text. It is omitted by some in the parallel place, Matthew 14:21, but it stands without any variation in Luke 9:14, and John 6:10. This miracle is mentioned by all the four evangelists. It is one of the most astonishing that Christ has wrought. It is a miracle which could not be counterfeited, and a full proof of the divinity of Christ.

And they that did eat of the loaves,.... And also of the fishes; for they all ate of both;
were about five thousand men; the word "about", is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Persic and Ethiopic versions, reading five thousand men certain. The Evangelist Matthew adds, "beside children and women", Matthew 14:21.

And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men--"besides women and children" (Matthew 14:21). Of these, however, there would probably not be many; as only the males were obliged to go to the approaching festival.
Jesus Recrosses to the Western side of the Lake Walking on the Sea (Mark 6:45-56).
One very important particular given by John alone (John 6:15) introduces this portion: "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone."

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