Mark 8:17 Meaning and Explanation
“And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus knows their reasoning and presses them: do they still not perceive or understand — is their heart hardened?
What Does Mark 8:17 Mean?
Jesus interrupts the whispered arithmetic. His questions tumble out in a series: why reason ye, perceive ye not, understand ye not, is your heart hardened? That last phrase is the language Scripture uses for Pharaoh and for unbelieving Israel, and Mark has already applied it to these same disciples after the first feeding.
Hardness here is not hatred of Jesus; it is dullness toward him — a heart grown calloused to wonder, able to watch two miracles of bread and still fret about lunch. The questions are a chisel, not a hammer: they are meant to crack the crust, not crush the men. Christ disciples his followers by interrogating their forgetfulness until memory turns back into faith.
Mark 8:17 in the Original Language
poroo (πωρόω), 'hardened' -- made calloused, dull, insensible.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 8:17
What does Mark 8:17 mean?
Jesus knows their reasoning and presses them: do they still not perceive or understand — is their heart hardened?