Text:

auta ‘them’ is omitted by Textus Receptus, but included by all modern editions of the Greek text.

Exegesis:

ichthudia (only here in Mark) ‘little fish’: as in the parallel incident in 6.38 these are to be thought of as prepared fish, not fresh.

eulogēsas auta ‘blessing them,’ i.e. ‘invoking God’s blessing upon them’; ‘thanking God for them’: here only in Mark with a direct object (cf. the discussion of the verb in 6.41). Probably (cf. Taylor) the phrase means ‘thanking God for them’: it is highly doubtful that the evangelist meant to draw any distinction between eulogeō in this verse, concerning the fish, and eucharisteō ‘give thanks’ in the previous verse, concerning the loaves.

eipen kai tauta paratithenai ‘he told (them) to place these also before (the crowd).’

paratithēmi (cf. previous verse) ‘place before.’

Translation:

Some languages carefully distinguish between fish when they are alive and swimming about, or just recently caught, and those which are being sold in the market place or prepared as food (cf. Spanish pez vs. pescado). The latter meaning is, of course, intended in this verse.

For bless see 6.41.

If the receptor language requires an object of the verb ‘commanded,’ one may insert ‘disciples.’ Often, however, this context does not require the customary verb for ‘command,’ as this may be too strong. Hence, one may render the passage as ‘told his disciples to…,’ ‘ordered his disciples to…,’ or ‘said to his disciples, Distribute also the fish to the people.’

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .