The Second Feeding of the Multitude. This narrative is now generally regarded as a second version of the incident recorded in ch. 6. Indeed Wendland, Wellhausen, and HNT treat Mark 8:1-26 as a doublet of Mark 6:34-52; Mark 7:1-23; Mark 7:31-37. That both accounts of the feeding of the multitude are closely followed by disputes with the Pharisees and miracles of gradual healing may not be as significant as they suppose. Certainly, the demand for a sign is not a doublet of the discussion about defilement, nor is the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida an alternative version of the Ephphatha story. The case of the feeding of the 4000 is more suspicious. For details as to parallels and differences between Mark 6:34-44 and Mark 8:1-10, see Menzies-' note on the latter passage. The repetition of this miracle is improbable. In spite of Swete, the question of the disciples in Mark 8:4 is psychologically strange, if a previous miracle had taken place. Lk.'s omission of the second narrative may be due to his recognition that we have here two versions of the same incident. Moreover, the story does not suit its present context in Mk. It is placed on Gentile soil where Jesus did not preach, and in a period when He was no longer engaged in preaching. Mk., knowing a second version of this story, seems to have regarded it as a distinct event, and inserted it at this point, perhaps to show that Jesus did for the Gentiles what He had previously done for the Jews. If so, this is symbolically suggestive, and historically inaccurate.
Mark 8:8. The word for baskets is different from that used in Mark 6:43. It is the kind of basket in which Paul was let down from a wall in Damascus (Acts 9:25). The numbers of the baskets in each case are supposed by many scholars to be symbolical, twelve representing the apostles who serve the Jews, seven the deacons who serve the Gentiles. The evangelist's knowledge of this symbolism is doubtful.
Mark 8:10. The text of this verse and the locality of Dalmanutha remain obscure (Matthew 15:39 *). Perhaps the verse should go with the next paragraph.