14. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
15. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
17. And when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, Why reason you, because you have no bread? perceive you not yet, neither understand? have you your heart yet hardened?
18. Having eyes, see you not? and having ears, hear you not? and do you not remember?
19. When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? They say unto him, Twelve.
20. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? And they said, Seven.
21. And he said unto them, how is it that you do not understand?
BEDE; Some may ask, how they had no bread, when they had filled seven baskets just before they embarked in the ship. But Scripture relates that they had forgotten to take them with them, which is a proof how little care they had for the flesh in other things, since in their eagerness to follow the Lord, even the necessity for refreshing their bodies had escaped from their mind.
THEOPHYL. By a special providence also the disciples forgot to take bread, that they might be blamed by Christ, and thus become better, and arrive at a knowledge of Christ's power. For it goes on, And be charged them, saying, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod.
PSEUD-CHRYS. Matthew says, of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees; Luke, however, of the Pharisees only. All three, therefore, name the Pharisees, as being the most important of them, but Matthew and Mark have each mentioned one of the secondary sects; and fitly has Mark added of Herod, as a supplement to Matthew's narrative, in which they were left out. But in saying this, He by degrees brings the disciples to understanding and faith.
THEOPHYL. He means by leaven their hurtful and corrupt doctrine, full of the old malice, for the Herodians were the teachers, who said that Herod was the Christ.
BEDE; Or the leaven of the Pharisees is making the decrees of the divine law inferior to the traditions of men, preaching the law in word, attacking it in deed, tempting the Lord, and disbelieving His doctrine and His works; but the leaven of Herod is adultery, murder, rash swearing, a pretense of religion, hatred to Christ and His forerunner.
THEOPHYL. But the disciples themselves thought that the Lord spoke of the leaven of breath. Wherefore it goes on, And they reasoned amongst themselves, saying, it is because we have no bread; and this they said, as not understanding the power of Christ, who could make bread out of nothing;
wherefore the Lord reproves them; for there follows, And when Jesus knew it, he said to them, Why reason you because you have no bread?
BEDE; Taking occasion then from the precept, which He had commanded, saying, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod, our Savior teaches them what was the meaning of the five and the seven loaves, concerning which He adds,
And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves amongst five thousand, and how many baskets full of fragments ye look up? For if the leaven mentioned above means perverse traditions, of course the food, with which the people of God was nourished, means the true doctrine.
And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? And they said, Seven.
And he said unto them, how is it that you do not understand?
Catena Aurea Mark 8