In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, ‘ISA1 called his disciples to himself, and said to them, 2“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way.”
4His disciples answered him, “From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?”
5He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They said, “Seven.”
6He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude. 7They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also. 8They ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. 9Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.
10Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha. 11The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him. 12He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation2 seek a sign? Most assuredly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
13He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side. 14They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15He charged them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
16They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”
17‘ISA, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18Having eyes, do you not see? Having ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
They told him, “Twelve.”
20“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
They told him, “Seven.”
21He asked them, “Do you not understand, yet?”
22He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. 23He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.
24He looked up, and said, “I see men; for I see them like trees walking.”
25Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. 26He sent him away to his house, saying, “Do not enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”
27‘ISA went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?”
28They told him, “Prophet Yahya3, and others say Ilyas4, but others: one of the other prophets.”
29He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “You are AL-MASIH5.”
30He charged them that they should tell no one about him. 31He began to teach them that the SON OF MAN6 must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Shaitan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.”
34He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the Injil’s will save it. 36For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? 37For what will a man give in exchange for his life? 38For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the SON OF MAN also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
- 8:1 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 8:12 generation, comes from the Greek word genea, which could also be translated “people,” “race,” or “family.” ↩︎
- 8:28 Yahya, this Arabic name and the English name John (for John the Baptist or Baptizer) are both derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, which means “YAHWEH is gracious”. (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 8:28 Ilyas, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Elijah, which means “YAHWEH is My God”. (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 8:29 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them were pointing ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 8:31 SON OF MAN, a title for the Messiah, ‘ISA AL-MASIH, derived from the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like a SON OF MAN coming with the clouds of the sky, and he came to the ANCIENT OF DAYS, and they brought him near before him. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” The title SON OF MAN was Prophet ‘ISA Ibn Maryam’s most common way of referring to himself. ↩︎