Tag Archives: Mark 8:3

Compassion on the Road: Feeding the Fainthearted (Mark 8:3)

Καὶ ἐὰν ἀπολύσω αὐτοὺς νήστεις εἰς οἶκον αὐτῶν, ἐκλυθήσονται ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ· τινὲς γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἥκασι. (Mark 8:3)

And if I send them away hungry to their home, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from far away.

This verse reveals Yeshuʿ’s deep compassion for the crowd following Him. It’s not just a logistical concern—it’s a pastoral heart recognizing human limitation and hunger.

Koine Greek Breakdown

This sentence showcases conditional syntax, passive voice, and a blend of future consequence with narrative reflection.

Third-Class Conditional: ἐὰν ἀπολύσω (“if I send away”) — subjunctive protasis Future Passive: ἐκλυθήσονται — “they will be faint/exhausted” Perfect Indicative: ἥκασι — “they have come” (present result of a past action) Participles and Adverbs: νήστεις (“fasting/hungry”), ἀπὸ μακρόθεν (“from afar”) Try parsing “ἀπολύσω”

Aorist Active Subjunctive, 1st Person Singular — “I might send away.”… Learn Koine Greek

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