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Given the similarities between the two accounts (feeding the 4000 vs the 5000), it seems that these are two variants of the same event.
What are the scholarly opinions about this?
Troy Day
The presence of two feeding narratives in the Synoptic tradition—Mark 6:30–44 and Mark 8:1–10, paralleled in Matthew 14:13–21 and 15:32–39—has long been debated in biblical scholarship. While some scholars argue these accounts reflect two distinct historical events, others suggest they represent theological redaction emphasizing different audiences. The first feeding, set among predominantly Jewish hearers, underscores Jesus’ messianic provision for Israel, whereas the second, in a Gentile context, anticipates the universal scope of the gospel. The numerical symbolism (5,000 vs. 4,000; twelve baskets vs. seven baskets) further reinforces this interpretive trajectory, aligning with the broader Matthean and Markan themes of inclusion and fulfillment. Thus, the dual narratives function not merely as repetitions but as deliberate theological constructions within the evangelists’ literary frameworks.