1 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn The redundancy in this verse is characteristic of the author’s rougher style.
3 sn The parallel in Matt 15:32-39 notes that the four thousand were only men, a point not made explicit in Mark.
4 tn The words “who ate” are not in the Greek text but have been supplied for clarity.
5 sn Mark 8:1-10. Many commentators, on the basis of similarities between this account of the feeding of the multitude (8:1-10) and that in 6:30-44, have argued that there is only one event referred to in both passages. While there are similarities in language and in the response of the disciples, there are also noticeable differences, including the different number present on each occasion (i.e., 5,000 in chap. 6 and 4,000 here). In the final analysis, the fact that Jesus refers to two distinct feedings in 8:18-20 settles the issue; this passage represents another very similar incident to that recorded in 6:30-44.