UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: group

Semantic entry: 11.6

Semantic domains: Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes

Subdomains: General

Definition: (a figurative extension of meaning of πρασιά ‘garden plot,’ not occurring in the NT) a group of persons arranged in an orderly fashion

Notes: A comparison of πρασιαὶ πρασιαί in RV MRK 6:40 · LV MRK 6:40 · Read together MRK 6:40 with συμπόσια συμπόσια (see 11.5: κλισία / 11.5: συμπόσιον) in RV MRK 6:39 · LV MRK 6:39 · Read together MRK 6:39 indicates clearly that the reference in both instances is essentially the same, but in RV MRK 6:39 · LV MRK 6:39 · Read together MRK 6:39 συμπόσια συμπόσια points to the grouping of people with the intent of eating, while in RV MRK 6:40 · LV MRK 6:40 · Read together MRK 6:40 πρασιαὶ πρασιαί marks the orderly arrangement of the persons. One may therefore translate RV MRK 6:40 · LV MRK 6:40 · Read together MRK 6:40 as ‘the people sat down in orderly groups of a hundred and of fifty’ or ‘the people sat down in rows by groups of a hundred and groups of fifty.’