Mark 8:2 Meaning and Explanation
“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus tells the disciples he is moved with compassion for the crowd, which has stayed with him three days and now has nothing to eat.
What Does Mark 8:2 Mean?
Jesus is speaking, explaining to the Twelve why he has called them. The people have remained three days, long past whatever bread they carried, because being with him outweighed their hunger. Jesus has kept count of the days and knows exactly how empty their hands are.
The word for compassion here describes feeling in the depths of the body, an ache in the inward parts. The hunger of the crowd registers inside the Son of God. This is the heart of heaven toward human need: not distant awareness but felt concern, measured in days and loaves. Whoever stays near Jesus is never invisible to him; devotion that costs something is devotion he notices.
Mark 8:2 in the Original Language
splanchnizomai (σπλαγχνίζομαι), 'have compassion' -- to be moved in the inmost parts, stirred to the depths.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 8:2
What does Mark 8:2 mean?
Jesus tells the disciples he is moved with compassion for the crowd, which has stayed with him three days and now has nothing to eat.