8:19a
In this verse Jesus referred to the story in 6:30–44 about how he fed five thousand men.
I broke the five loaves for the five thousand: This phrase indicates that Jesus divided or tore five small loaves of bread into pieces to feed five thousand men (6:44). See how you translated broke in 6:41.
the five loaves: The phrase the five loaves refers to five units or pieces of bread. The loaves were probably in a round shape, like rolls or buns. See how you translated the five loaves in 6:38.
8:19b
how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect: This question emphasizes the fact that Jesus multiplied the bread to feed the crowd. The disciples picked up leftover pieces and filled baskets with them. See how you referred to “basketfuls” in 6:43.
General Comment on 8:19a–b
In some languages it may be more natural to reverse the order of these two verse parts. For example:
19bHow many baskets of leftovers did you pick up 19awhen I fed those five thousand people with only five small loaves of bread?
If you do reverse the order of the verse parts here in 8:19, you should follow the same type of reordering for 8:20.
8:19c
“Twelve,” they answered: The disciples answered Jesus’ question with the number Twelve. It refers to the number of baskets that the disciples filled with the bread and fish that remained after the people ate. In some languages it may be more natural to translate the disciples’ answer with a complete sentence:
They told him, “We filled twelve baskets.”
they answered: The Berean Standard Bible places the words they answered after the disciples’ reply. In Greek these words come before the reply. Place them where it is natural in your language.
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