Mark 8:17
New International Version
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?

New Living Translation
Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?

English Standard Version
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?

Berean Standard Bible
Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?

Berean Literal Bible
And having known, He says to them, "Why do you reason because you have no loaves? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Do you have your heart hardened?

King James Bible
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?

New King James Version
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?

New American Standard Bible
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet comprehend or understand? Do you still have your heart hardened?

NASB 1995
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?

NASB 1977
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?

Amplified Bible
Jesus, aware of this [discussion], said to them, “Why are you discussing [the fact] that you have no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?

Christian Standard Bible
Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Aware of this, He said to them, “Why are you discussing that you do not have any bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Is your heart hardened?

American Standard Version
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?

Contemporary English Version
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you talking about not having any bread? Don't you understand? Are your minds still closed?

English Revised Version
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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus knew what they were saying and asked them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you don't have any bread? Don't you understand yet? Don't you catch on? Are your minds closed?

Good News Translation
Jesus knew what they were saying, so he asked them, "Why are you discussing about not having any bread? Don't you know or understand yet? Are your minds so dull?

International Standard Version
Knowing this, Jesus asked them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you don't have any bread? Don't you understand or perceive yet? Are your hearts hardened?

Majority Standard Bible
Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, ?Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you still have such hard hearts?

NET Bible
When he learned of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened?

New Heart English Bible
He, perceiving it, said to them, "Why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Do you not perceive yet, neither understand? Are your hearts hardened?

Webster's Bible Translation
And when Jesus knew it, he saith to them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

Weymouth New Testament
He perceived what they were saying, and He said to them, "What is this discussion of yours about having no bread? Do you not yet see and understand? Are your minds so dull of comprehension?

World English Bible
Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Jesus having known, says to them, “Why do you reason, because you have no loaves? Do you not yet perceive, nor understand, yet have you hardened your heart?

Berean Literal Bible
And having known, He says to them, "Why do you reason because you have no loaves? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Do you have your heart hardened?

Young's Literal Translation
And Jesus having known, saith to them, 'Why do ye reason, because ye have no loaves? do ye not yet perceive, nor understand, yet have ye your heart hardened?

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jesus having known, says to them, Why reason ye with yourselves, because ye have no loaves? observe ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Which Jesus knowing, saith to them: Why do you reason, because you have no bread? do you not yet know nor understand? have you still your heart blinded?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Jesus, knowing this, said to them: “Why do you consider that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet know or understand? Do you still have blindness in your heart?

New American Bible
When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened?

New Revised Standard Version
And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But Jesus knew it and said to them, What are you thinking, because you have no bread? Do you not even yet know, and do you not understand? Is your heart still hard?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But Yeshua knew and he said to them, “Why are you considering that you have no bread? Do you not yet know? Do you not yet understand? Your heart is still hard.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And Jesus perceived it, and said to them: Why do you reason, because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive, nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?

Godbey New Testament
And Jesus knowing says to them, Why do you reason because you have not bread? do you not yet know, nor understand? have you your heart still hardened?

Haweis New Testament
And Jesus knowing it said unto them, Why reason ye together, because ye have no loaves? Do ye not yet consider, nor understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened?

Mace New Testament
said, why do you trouble your heads about your having no bread? are you yet so void of sense, and understanding? are your minds so blinded?

Weymouth New Testament
He perceived what they were saying, and He said to them, "What is this discussion of yours about having no bread? Do you not yet see and understand? Are your minds so dull of comprehension?

Worrell New Testament
And perceiving it, He saith to them, "Why are ye reasoning because ye have no bread? Do ye not yet perceive, nor understand? Have ye your heart hardened?

Worsley New Testament
And Jesus knowing it saith unto them, What are ye reasoning about? because ye have no bread? Do ye not yet discern nor understand? have ye your heart still hardened?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Leaven to Beware
16So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts? 18‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember?…

Cross References
Matthew 16:8
Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?

Matthew 14:31
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

Luke 24:25
Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Hebrews 3:7-10
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works. ...

Isaiah 6:9-10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Ezekiel 12:2
“Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Psalm 95:8-11
do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen My work. / For forty years I was angry with that generation, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.” ...

Deuteronomy 29:4
Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

Romans 11:8
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

2 Corinthians 3:14-15
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed. / And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

Matthew 13:15
For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

John 8:43
Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.

Acts 28:26-27
‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’


Treasury of Scripture

And when Jesus knew it, he said to them, Why reason you, because you have no bread? perceive you not yet, neither understand? have you your heart yet hardened?

knew.

Mark 2:8
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

John 2:24,25
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, …

John 16:30
Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

perceive.

Mark 3:5
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Mark 6:52
For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

Mark 16:14
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

Jump to Previous
Aware Bread Clear Comprehension Discuss Discussion Dull Fact Hard Hardened Hearing Heart Hearts Jesus Minds Perceive Perceived Perceiving Reason Reasoning Talking Understand Yourselves
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Aware Bread Clear Comprehension Discuss Discussion Dull Fact Hard Hardened Hearing Heart Hearts Jesus Minds Perceive Perceived Perceiving Reason Reasoning Talking Understand Yourselves
Mark 8
1. Jesus feeds the people miraculously;
10. refuses to give a sign to the Pharisees;
14. admonishes his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod;
22. gives a blind man his sight;
27. acknowledges that he is the Jesus who should suffer and rise again;
34. and exhorts to patience in persecution for the profession of the gospel.














Aware of their conversation
Jesus demonstrates His divine omniscience by knowing the thoughts and discussions of His disciples without being directly told. This awareness is consistent with His ability to perceive the hearts and minds of people, as seen in other passages like John 2:24-25. It underscores His role as the all-knowing Son of God.

Jesus asked them
Jesus often used questions as a teaching method, prompting His disciples to reflect on their understanding and faith. This Socratic method encourages deeper contemplation and self-examination, a common rabbinic technique of the time.

Why are you debating about having no bread?
The disciples' concern about physical bread reveals their misunderstanding of Jesus' recent miracles, such as the feeding of the 4,000 (Mark 8:1-9). This question highlights their focus on material needs rather than spiritual truths. It also reflects a common human tendency to worry about immediate physical needs, as addressed in Matthew 6:25-34.

Do you still not see or understand?
This question points to the disciples' spiritual blindness and lack of comprehension despite witnessing Jesus' miracles. It echoes the prophetic words of Isaiah 6:9-10 about people who see but do not perceive. The disciples' struggle to grasp Jesus' identity and mission is a recurring theme in the Gospels.

Do you have such hard hearts?
A hard heart in biblical terms refers to spiritual insensitivity and resistance to God's truth. This phrase connects to the Old Testament, where Pharaoh's heart was hardened (Exodus 7:3). It serves as a warning against unbelief and a call to openness to divine revelation. Jesus' question challenges the disciples to move beyond their limited understanding and embrace the fullness of His teaching.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is addressing His disciples, challenging their understanding and faith.

2. Disciples
The followers of Jesus who are concerned about their lack of bread, demonstrating a lack of understanding of Jesus' teachings and miracles.

3. Discussion about Bread
The event where the disciples are worried about not having enough physical bread, missing the spiritual lesson Jesus is teaching.
Teaching Points
Spiritual Perception Over Physical Concerns
Jesus emphasizes the importance of understanding spiritual truths over being preoccupied with physical needs. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's provision and focus on spiritual growth.

The Danger of Hard Hearts
A hardened heart can prevent us from understanding and accepting God's truth. Regular self-examination and prayer can help maintain a receptive heart.

Faith in God's Provision
Just as Jesus provided for the multitudes, He will provide for our needs. Trusting in God's provision allows us to focus on His kingdom and righteousness.

Learning from Past Miracles
Reflecting on God's past faithfulness can strengthen our faith and understanding. Remembering how God has worked in our lives helps us trust Him in current situations.

The Role of Discussion in Spiritual Growth
Healthy discussions can lead to deeper understanding, but they should be guided by faith and openness to God's teaching rather than doubt and fear.(17) Have ye your heart yet hardened?--The question is peculiar to St. Mark, as are also the two first questions in Mark 8:18. The expression of indignant astonishment is characteristically more vivid and emphatic in St. Mark's report.

Verse 17. - And when Jesus knew it (καὶ γνοὺς ὁ Ἰησοὺς) - literally and far more correctly, and Jesus perceiving it - he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Jesus perceived the direction in which their thoughts were moving, by the power of his divinity. It is as though he said, "Why reason ye because ye have no bread, as though I was referring to natural things, and speaking concerning bread for the body, and wishing you to be anxious about that; as though I could not provide that for you, if nccessary, just as easily here on the sea as I did just now in the desert?" Dr. John Lightfoot ('Hebrew Excrcitations on St. Matthew,' vol. 2:p. 201) says, "The rule of the Jews was very strict as to the kind of leaven that was to be used; and the disciples supposed that our Lord was alluding to this when he cautioned them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees." Perhaps they also thought that our Lord was conveying a silent reproof to them for not having brought a sufficient supply of bread with them. The whole incident, while it shows their transparent simplicity of character, exhibits also their dulness of apprehension.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Aware of [their conversation],
γνοὺς (gnous)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

[Jesus] asked
λέγει (legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

them,
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“Why
Τί (Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

are you debating
διαλογίζεσθε (dialogizesthe)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1260: To reason (with), debate (with), consider. From dia and logizomai; to reckon thoroughly, i.e. to deliberate.

about
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

having
ἔχετε (echete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

no
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

bread?
ἄρτους (artous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 740: Bread, a loaf, food. From airo; bread or a loaf.

Do you still not see
νοεῖτε (noeite)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3539: From nous; to exercise the mind, i.e. to comprehend, heed.

or
οὐδὲ (oude)
Conjunction
Strong's 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

understand?
συνίετε (syniete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4920: To consider, understand, perceive. From sun and hiemi; to put together, i.e. to comprehend; by implication, to act piously.

Do you have
ἔχετε (echete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

such hard
πεπωρωμένην (pepōrōmenēn)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4456: To harden, render callous, petrify. Apparently from poros; to petrify, i.e. to indurate.

hearts?
καρδίαν (kardian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2588: Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.


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NT Gospels: Mark 8:17 Jesus perceiving it said to them Why (Mar Mk Mr)
Mark 8:16
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