Mark 8:4

4 And his disciples answered him, Whence shall one be able to satisfy these with bread here in a desert place?

Mark 8:4 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 8:4

And his disciples answered him
The Syriac version renders it, "say unto him"; and the Persic and Ethiopic, "said unto him"; forgetting the late miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, when they had now a less number, and more provisions:

from whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the
wilderness?
from what place, and by what ways and means can it be thought, that such a quantity of bread can be got at any rate in a desert, as to satisfy so large a number of hungry men? (See Gill on Matthew 15:33).

Mark 8:4 In-Context

2 I have compassion on the crowd, because they have stayed with me already three days and they have not anything they can eat,

3 and if I should dismiss them to their home fasting, they will faint on the way; for some of them are come from far.

4 And his disciples answered him, Whence shall one be able to satisfy these with bread here in a desert place?

5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

6 And he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. And having taken the seven loaves, he gave thanks, and broke [them] and gave [them] to his disciples, that they might set [them] before [them]; and they set [them] before the crowd.