Today we analyze a single interrogative sentence from Jesus that is both grammatically intricate and theologically evocative: ὅτε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους ἔκλασα εἰς τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους, καὶ πόσους κοφίνους κλασμάτων πλήρεις ἤρατε; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· δώδεκα from Mark 8:19. It is a question designed not for information, but for confrontation — and grammar plays a crucial role in shaping that rhetorical impact.
The Greek Text in Focus
ὅτε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους ἔκλασα εἰς τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους, καὶ πόσους κοφίνους κλασμάτων πλήρεις ἤρατε; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· δώδεκα (Mark 8:19)
“When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They say to him, “Twelve.”
Grammatical Highlights
This question unfolds as a mini-narrative packed with grammatical insight:
- ὅτε — temporal conjunction introducing the background event (“when…”).
- ἔκλασα — aorist indicative active (“I broke”), simple past completed action.
- πόσους — interrogative adjective modifying κοφίνους (“how many baskets?”).
- πλήρεις — predicate adjective agreeing with κοφίνους (“full [of something]”).
- ἤρατε — aorist indicative active, second person plural (“you took up”).
- λέγουσιν — present indicative active, third person plural (“they say”).
The Aorist Tense and Collective Memory
Two key verbs are in the aorist tense: ἔκλασα (“I broke”) and ἤρατε (“you took up”). The aorist is used here to present complete, punctiliar events — not focusing on duration or repetition. The moment is past, fixed, and done. But by choosing the aorist, Jesus calls attention to the definiteness and undeniability of the event. These were not vague occurrences, but concrete, countable actions embedded in the disciples’ memory.
The Function of Interrogative Syntax
The phrase πόσους κοφίνους κλασμάτων πλήρεις is a carefully constructed accusative object, with πόσους as the interrogative adjective (“how many”), κοφίνους as the head noun (“baskets”), κλασμάτων in the genitive (“of fragments”), and πλήρεις as a predicate adjective (“full”). This structure intensifies the question: not just “how many baskets,” but “how many baskets full of fragments.” Greek allows this dense layering of modifiers, giving precision to the question’s emotional and factual force.
Word Order and Emphasis
The question follows this order: καὶ πόσους κοφίνους κλασμάτων πλήρεις ἤρατε — “and how many baskets of fragments full [did you] take up?” The placement of πλήρεις at the end of the noun phrase adds weight. The disciples did not merely gather baskets — they were full, brimming with leftovers. This ordering is rhetorical, drawing attention to the abundance after scarcity.
| Word | Form | Function | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἔκλασα | Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Singular | Main verb of the clause | I broke |
| πόσους | Accusative Plural Masculine (Interrogative) | Modifies baskets (κοφίνους) | How many |
| κοφίνους | Accusative Plural Masculine | Direct object | Baskets |
| πλήρεις | Predicate Adjective, Accusative Plural | Describes baskets | Full |
| ἤρατε | Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Plural | Main verb of the question | You took up |
| δώδεκα | Numeral (Answer) | Response to question | Twelve |
When Memory Fails and Grammar Reminds
In Mark 8:19, the grammar does more than structure a question — it becomes a theological tool. The aorists point to forgotten certainties. The interrogative structure exposes spiritual forgetfulness. The disciples reply with facts (δώδεκα) but miss the force of the question. The grammar presses them — and us — to recall not just what happened, but what it meant. Greek does not allow for casual remembering. Its forms carry weight. The leftovers were full — and so was the lesson.
