มาระโก 8:3 วิจารณ์

In this chapter, we have, I. Christ's miraculous feeding of four thousand with seven loaves and a few small fishes (Mar 8:1-9). II. His refusing to give the Pharisees a sign from heaven (Mar 8:10-13). III. His cautioning his disciples to take heed of the leaven of Pharisaism and Herodianism (Mar 8:14-21). IV. His giving of sight to a blind man at Bethsaida (Mar 8:22-26). V. Peter's confession of him (Mar 8:27-30). VI. The notice he gave his disciples of his own approaching sufferings (Mar 8:31-33), and the warning he gave them to prepare for sufferings likewise (Mar 8:34-38).

In those days,.... The Ethiopic version reads, on that day; as if it was on the same day that the deaf man was healed; and so it might be; and on the third day from Christ's coming into those parts; and so is very properly expressed, "in those days"; see Mar 7:31, compared with the following verse: the multitude being very great: for the number of men that ate, when the following miracle was wrought, were about four thousand; see Mar 8:9. The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions add, "again"; referring to the former miracle of the five thousand, who were fed with five loaves, and two fishes, Mar 6:44. And having nothing to eat; what they might have brought with them being expended, and they in a desert, where nothing was to be had, nor bought for money: Jesus called his disciples to him, and saith unto them; See Gill on Mat 15:32.

And if I send them away fasting to their own houses,.... Greek, "to their own house", or home; but all the Oriental versions render it as we do, in the plural, "their own houses", or habitations; and it seems from hence that they were now tasting, and at least had had no food all that day, whatever they might have the day before, which it not certain. They will faint by the way; for want of food their strength will be exhausted, their animal spirits will fail, their nerves will be loosened, they will not be able to perform their journey, or get to the end of it: for divers of them came from far; perhaps some had followed him from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, from whence he came last; and others from Decapolis, through the midst of the borders of which he passed hither; and others from different parts, who had heard of his coming; See Gill on Mat 15:32.

(in Luc. 6:73) The good Lord indeed whilst He requires diligence, gives strength; nor will He dismiss them fasting, lest they faint by the way, that is, either in the course of this life, or before they have reached the fountainhead head of life, that is, the Father, and have learnt that Christ is of the Father, lest haply, after receiving that He is born of a virgin, they begin to esteem His virtue not that of God, but of a man. Therefore the Lord Jesus divides the food, and His will indeed is to give to all, to deny none; He is the Dispenser of all things, but if thou refusest to stretch forth thy hand to receive the food, thou wilt faint by the way, nor canst thou find fault with Him, who pities and divides.

(Mor. 1, 19) He does not however wish to dismiss them fasting, lest they should faint by the way; for it is necessary that men should find in what is preached the word of consolation, lest hungering through want of the food of truth, they sink under the toil of this life.

Some of them have come from afar. For there is one who, having experienced no deceit and no corruptions of the flesh, hastened to the service of the Almighty God. He did not come from afar, because through incorruption and innocence he was near. Another, tainted by no impurity, no disgrace, but having experienced only marriage, turned to spiritual ministry. Neither did he come from afar, because though he used the granted union, he did not err through illicit means. However, others return to repentance and turn to the service of the Almighty God after deeds of the flesh, others after false testimonies, others after thefts committed, others after inflicted injuries and violence, others after perpetrated murders. These, indeed, come to the Lord from afar. For the more someone has erred in wicked deeds, the further he has retreated from the Almighty Lord. Therefore, let nourishment be given also to those who come from afar, because repentant sinners must be given the foods of holy teachings, so that they restore their strength in God, which they lost in their vices. Similarly, Jews who believed in Christ came to Him from nearby, because they were instructed about Him by the writings of the Law and the Prophets. Believers from the Gentiles, indeed, came from afar to Christ, because they were not forewarned of His faith by any monuments of the holy pages.

(ubi sup.) But they who return to repentance after the crimes of the flesh, after thefts, violence, and murders, come to the Lord from afar; for in proportion as a man has wandered farther in evil working, so he has wandered farther from Almighty God. The believers amongst the Gentiles came from afar to Christ, but the Jews from near, for they had been taught concerning Him by the letter of the law and the prophets. In the former case, however, of the feeding with five loaves, the multitude lay upon the green grass; here, however, upon the ground, because by the writing of the law, we are ordered to keep under the desires of the flesh, but in the New Testament we are ordered to leave even the earth itself and our temporal goods.

After the Lord had performed the former miracle concerning the multiplication of the loaves, now again, a fitting occasion presents itself, and He takes the opportunity of working a similar miracle; wherefore it is said, In those days, the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and, saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. For He did not always work miracles concerning the feeding of the multitude, lest they should follow Him for the sake of food; now therefore He would not have performed this miracle, if He had not seen that the multitude was in danger. Wherefore it goes on: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. The disciples did not yet understand, nor did they believe in His virtue, notwithstanding former miracles; wherefore it continues, And his disciples said unto him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? But the Lord Himself does not blame them, teaching us that we should not be grievously angry with ignorant men and those who do not understand, but bear with their ignorance. After this it continues, And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? and they answered, Seven. The multitudes who ate and were filled did not take with them the remains of the loaves, but the disciples took them up, as they did before the baskets. In which we learn according to the narration, that we should be content with what is sufficient, and not look for any thing beyond. The number of those who ate is put down, when it is said, And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away; where we may see that Christ sends no one away fasting, for He wishes all to be nourished by His grace. Or by those who wait for three days, He means the baptized; for baptism is called illumination, and is performed by trine immersion. Further, the seven loaves are spiritual discourses, for seven is the number, which points out the Holy Ghost, who perfects all things; for our life is perfected in the number of seven days'd. Or there are four thousand, that is, men perfect in the four virtues; and for this reason, as being more advanced, they ate more, and left fewer fragments. For in this miracle, seven baskets full remain, but in the miracle of the five loaves, twelve, for there were five thousand men, which means men enslaved to the five senses, and for this reason they could not eat, but were satisfied with little, and many remains of the fragments were over and above.

The Lord had already performed a similar miracle before. He works wonders now as well, having a fitting occasion for it. And the occasion was this: the people had been with Him for three days, and the food supply they had taken for the journey had run out entirely. For the Lord did not always perform miracles over food, lest people think the crowd followed Him for the sake of food. He would not have worked miracles now either, had the people not apparently faced danger from lack of food. But look also at the disciples, how they are still without understanding and do not yet have faith in His power, even though they had already seen miracles! However, the Lord does not reproach them, teaching us as well not to attack the inexperienced too harshly, but to forgive them as those who do not yet understand. Consider also that Christ does not wish to send anyone away hungry, but desires to satisfy all with His gifts, and especially those who have stayed with Him three days, that is, those who have been baptized. Since baptism is called illumination and is performed with three immersions, those illuminated by baptism prove to be of three days. The Lord takes "seven loaves," by which I mean seven most spiritual words, for the number seven is an image of the Spirit. The Spirit brings all things to completion, and our life and this present age are completed in the number seven. The illuminated eat and are satisfied and leave a surplus, since they cannot contain all the thoughts of God. Earlier, in the miracle of the five loaves, twelve baskets of surplus remained, for there were five thousand, who signify those enslaved to the five senses; therefore they could not eat much but were satisfied with little, which is why much remained in surplus. But here, from seven loaves, seven baskets remained with only a small surplus, since the crowd was four thousand, who signify those established in the four virtues; and therefore they, being stronger, ate much and left little, for they could not consume only what is more spiritual and profound, and this is what the seven baskets signify. From the account under consideration, learn also this: that we must be content with only what is necessary and ask for nothing more. For behold, these people, having eaten and been satisfied, did not take the leftover bread with them, but the disciples took it, just as it was with the aforementioned baskets. So too must we be content with what is given, according to our need.

Four thousand persons fed with seven loaves and a few small fishes, Mar 8:1-8. Christ refuses to give any farther sign to the impertinent Pharisees, Mar 8:10-12. Warns his disciples against the corrupt doctrine of the Pharisees and of Herod, Mar 8:13-21. He restores sight to a blind man, Mar 8:22-26. Asks his disciples what the public thought of him, Mar 8:27-30. Acknowledges himself to be the Christ, and that he must suffer, Mar 8:31-33. And shows that all his genuine disciples must take up their cross, suffer in his cause, and confess him before men, Mar 8:34-38.

For divers of them came from far - And they could not possibly reach their respective homes without perishing, unless they got food.

HEALING OF A DEMONIAC BOY--SECOND EXPLICIT ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS APPROACHING DEATH AND RESURRECTION. ( = Mat 17:14-23; Luk 9:37-45). (Mark 9:14-32) And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them--This was "on the next day, when they were come down from the hill" (Luk 9:37). The Transfiguration appears to have taken place at night. In the morning, as He came down from the hill on which it took place--with Peter, and James, and John--on approaching the other nine, He found them surrounded by a great multitude, and the scribes disputing or discussing with them. No doubt these cavillers were twitting the apostles of Jesus with their inability to cure the demoniac boy of whom we are presently to hear, and insinuating doubts even of their Master's ability to do it; while they, zealous for their Master's honor, would no doubt refer to His past miracles in proof of the contrary.

And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way--In their eagerness they seem not to have thought of the need of provisions for such a length of time; but the Lord thought of it. In Matthew (Mat 15:32) it is, "I will not send them away fasting"--or rather, "To send them away fasting I am unwilling."