13 And Jesus, having heard it, went away thence by ship to a desert place apart. And the crowds having heard [of it] followed him on foot from the cities.
And the apostles having returned related to him whatever they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart into [a desert place of] a city called Bethsaida. But the crowds knowing [it] followed him; and he received them and spake to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those that had need of healing. But the day began to decline, and the twelve came and said to him, Send away the crowd that they may go into the villages around, and [into] the fields, and lodge and find victuals, for here we are in a desert place. And he said to them, Give *ye them to eat. And they said, We have not more than five loaves and two fishes, unless *we* should go and buy food for all this people; for they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down in companies by fifties. And they did so, and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, looking up to heaven he blessed them, and broke and gave to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were filled; and there was taken up of what had remained over and above to them in fragments twelve hand-baskets.
But Jesus, having called his disciples to [him], said, I have compassion on the crowd, because they have stayed with me already three days and they have not anything they can eat, and I would not send them away fasting lest they should faint on the way. And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so many loaves in [the] wilderness as to satisfy so great a crowd? And Jesus says to them, How many loaves have ye? But they said, Seven, and a few small fishes. And he commanded the crowds to lie down on the ground; and having taken the seven loaves and the fishes, having given thanks, he broke [them] and gave [them] to his disciples, and the disciples to the crowd. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was over and above of the fragments seven baskets full; but they that ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
And the apostles are gathered together to Jesus. And they related to him all things, [both] what they had done and what they had taught. And he said to them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a little. For those coming and those going were many, and they had not leisure even to eat. And they went away apart into a desert place by ship. And many saw them going, and recognised them, and ran together there on foot, out of all the cities, and got [there] before them. And on leaving [the ship] [Jesus] saw a great crowd, and he was moved with compassion for them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it was already late in the day, his disciples coming to him say, The place is desert, and it is already late in the day; send them away that they may go into the country and villages around, and buy themselves bread, for they have not anything they can eat. And he answering said to them, Give *ye* them to eat. And they say to him, Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them to eat? And he says to them, How many loaves have ye? Go [and] see. And when they knew they say, Five, and two fishes. And he ordered them to make them all sit down by companies on the green grass. And they sat down in ranks by hundreds and by fifties. And having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, looking up to heaven, he blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave [them] to his disciples that they might set [them] before them. And the two fishes he divided among all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up of fragments the fillings of twelve hand-baskets, and of the fishes. And those that ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
After these things Jesus went away beyond the sea of Galilee, [or] of Tiberias, and a great crowd followed him, because they saw the signs which he wrought upon the sick. And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there sat with his disciples: but the passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. Jesus then, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a great crowd is coming to him, says to Philip, Whence shall we buy loaves that these may eat? But this he said trying him, for he knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, Loaves for two hundred denarii are not sufficient for them, that each may have some little [portion]. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, says to him, There is a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes; but this, what is it for so many? [And] Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place: the men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks, distributed [them] to those that were set down; and in like manner of the small fishes as much as they would. And when they had been filled, he says to his disciples, Gather together the fragments which are over and above, that nothing may be lost. They gathered [them] therefore together, and filled twelve hand-baskets full of fragments of the five barley loaves, which were over and above to those that had eaten. The men therefore, having seen the sign which Jesus had done, said, This is truly the prophet which is coming into the world. Jesus therefore knowing that they were going to come and seize him, that they might make [him] king, departed again to the mountain himself alone.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Matthew 14
Commentary on Matthew 14 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 14
Mt 14:1-12. Herod Thinks Jesus a Resurrection of the Murdered Baptist—Account of His Imprisonment and Death. ( = Mr 6:14-29; Lu 9:7-9).
The time of this alarm of Herod Antipas appears to have been during the mission of the Twelve, and shortly after the Baptist—who had been in prison for probably more than a year—had been cruelly put to death.
Herod's Theory of the Works of Christ (Mt 14:1, 2).
1. At that time Herod the tetrarch—Herod Antipas, one of the three sons of Herod the Great, and own brother of Archelaus (Mt 2:22), who ruled as ethnarch over Galilee and Perea.
heard of the fame of Jesus—"for His name was spread abroad" (Mr 6:14).
2. And said unto his servants—his counsellors or court-ministers.
This is John the Baptist: he is risen from the dead, &c.—The murdered prophet haunted his guilty breast like a specter and seemed to him alive again and clothed with unearthly powers in the person of Jesus.
Account of the Baptist's Imprisonment and Death (Mt 14:3-12). For the exposition of this portion, see on Mr 6:17-29.
Mt 14:12-21. Hearing of the Baptist's Death, Jesus Crosses the Lake with Twelve, and Miraculously Feeds Five Thousand. ( = Mr 6:30-44; Lu 9:10-17; Joh 6:1-14).
For the exposition of this section—one of the very few where all the four Evangelists run parallel—see on Mr 6:30-44.
Mt 14:22-26. Jesus Crosses to the Western Side of the Lake Walking on the Sea—Incidents on Landing. ( = Mr 6:45; Joh 6:15-24).
For the exposition, see on Joh 6:15-24.
28. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it is thou, bid me come to thee on the water—(Also see on Mr 6:50.)
29. And he said, Come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat. he walked on the water, to go to Jesus—(Also see on Mr 6:50.)
30. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me—(Also see on Mr 6:50.)
31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said to him, O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?—(Also see on Mr 6:50.)
32. And when they had come into the boat, the wind ceased—(Also see on Mr 6:50.)