Church Fathers Commentary Mark 8:10-21

"And straightway he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, trying him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and again entering into [the boat] departed to the other side. And they forgot to take bread; and they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned one with another, saying, We have no bread. And Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces took ye up? And they say unto him, Seven. And he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand?" — Mark 8:10-21 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: After our Lord had worked the miracle of the loaves, He immediately withdrew to another place so that the crowds would not try to make Him king on account of the miracle.

Therefore, it is said, And immediately He entered a boat with His disciples and came into the region of Dalmanutha.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Now, in Matthew we read that He entered the region of Magdalaⁱ. But we cannot doubt that it is the same place under another name, for several manuscripts of Mark's Gospel also have only Magdala.¹

The text continues, And the Pharisees came out and began to question Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.

The Venerable Bede: The Pharisees, then, were seeking a sign from heaven. They wanted Him, who had just fed many thousands for the second time with a few loaves, to follow the example of Moses and now feed the whole nation in the last days with manna sent down from heaven for all.²

Theophylact of Ohrid: Alternatively, they were seeking a sign from heaven, meaning they wanted Him to make the sun and moon stand still, bring down hail, or change the weather, for they thought He could not perform miracles from heaven, but could only perform signs on earth by the power of Beelzebub.

The Venerable Bede: Just as He gave thanks when He was about to feed the believing multitude, as related above, so now He groans because of the foolish request of the Pharisees. This is because, possessing human feelings, He rejoices over the salvation of people just as He grieves over their errors.

Therefore, the text continues, And He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." The phrase "if a sign will be given" is a Hebraism meaning that no sign will be given, as it is written in the Psalms: I have sworn once by my holiness, if I lie to David (Psalm 89:35), which means, "I will not lie to David."

St. Augustine of Hippo: However, no one should be perplexed that the answer Mark reports is not the same as the one Matthew relates concerning Jonah. Mark says the Lord's answer was that no sign would be given to that generation, by which we must understand a sign of the kind they asked for—that is, one from heaven. He has simply omitted what Matthew related.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Now, the reason the Lord did not listen to them was that the time for signs from heaven had not yet arrived. That time is the second coming, when the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and the moon will not give its light. But during the first coming, all things are full of mercy, and so such events do not happen.

The Venerable Bede: For a sign from heaven was not to be given to a generation of people who tested the Lord. But to a generation of people seeking the Lord, He shows a sign from heaven when He ascends into heaven in the sight of the Apostles.

The text continues, And He left them, and entering into the boat again, He departed to the other side.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The Lord indeed leaves the Pharisees, seeing them as uncorrectable. For it is right to remain where there is hope of correction, but where the evil is incorrigible, we should depart.

The text continues: Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.

The Venerable Bede: Some may ask how they could have had no bread, since they had just filled seven baskets before getting into the boat. Scripture relates, however, that they had forgotten to take them. This proves how little they cared for physical matters, for in their eagerness to follow the Lord, even the need to refresh their bodies had escaped their minds.

Theophylact of Ohrid: By a special providence, the disciples also forgot to take bread so that they might be rebuked by Christ. Through this, they would become better and come to a knowledge of Christ's power.

For the text continues, And He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Matthew says, of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees; Luke, however, says only of the Pharisees. All three, therefore, name the Pharisees, as they were the most prominent. But Matthew and Mark each mention one of the secondary sects. Mark has fittingly added "of Herod" as a supplement to Matthew's narrative, where it was omitted.³

But in saying this, He gradually brings the disciples to understanding and faith.

Theophylact of Ohrid: By "leaven," He means their hurtful and corrupt doctrine, which is full of the old malice. For the Herodians were teachers who claimed that Herod was the Christ.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, the leaven of the Pharisees is placing human traditions above the decrees of divine law, preaching the law in word but attacking it in deed, testing the Lord, and disbelieving His doctrine and works. The leaven of Herod, however, is adultery, murder, rash swearing, a pretense of religion, and hatred toward Christ and His forerunner.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But the disciples thought that the Lord was speaking of the leaven of bread.

Therefore, the text continues, And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." They said this because they did not understand the power of Christ, who could make bread out of nothing. Therefore, the Lord rebukes them.

For the text continues: And when Jesus knew it, He said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?"

The Venerable Bede: Taking the opportunity, then, from the command He had given—"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod"—our Savior teaches them the meaning of the five and the seven loaves. Concerning this, He adds, "Do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"

For if the leaven mentioned above signifies perverse traditions, then it follows that the food with which the people of God were nourished signifies true doctrine.

1. de Con. Evan., 2, 51
2. in Marc., 2, 33
3. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.