Mark 6:37

Give ye them to eat. In Greek the pronoun “ye” is emphatic, as though Jesus said, “Give ye them to eat.” Every command of God implies the power needed to carry out the command. From a human point of view it was absurd to think of finding bread, within walking distance and before nightfall, to satisfy the needs of such a throng. The requirement Jesus here made of the disciples was apparently as foolish as His earlier command to go fishing in the clear waters of the lake by day (see on Luke 5:5). That earlier experience might well have come to their minds had they but reflected upon the lesson Jesus then intended them to learn. God ever works through men to meet the physical and spiritual needs of their fellow men. This principle is fundamental to the gospel commission.

Two hundred pennyworth. That is, 200 Roman denarii (see p. 49). Even in modern times 200 average days’ wages of a common laborer would be considered barely sufficient to purchase enough food to supply a rather meager meal for a crowd of that size.