13 and Jesus having heard, withdrew thence in a boat to a desolate place by himself, and the multitudes having heard did follow him on land from the cities.
And the apostles having turned back, declared to him how great things they did, and having taken them, he withdrew by himself to a desert place of a city called Bethsaida, and the multitudes having known did follow him, and having received them, he was speaking to them concerning the reign of God, and those having need of service he cured. And the day began to decline, and the twelve having come near, said to him, `Let away the multitude, that having gone to the villages and the fields round about, they may lodge and may find provision, because here we are in a desert place.' And he said unto them, `Give ye them to eat;' and they said, `We have no more than five loaves, and two fishes: except, having gone, we may buy for all this people victuals;' for they were about five thousand men. And he said unto his disciples, `Cause them to recline in companies, in each fifty;' and they did so, and made all to recline; and having taken the five loaves, and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and was giving to the disciples to set before the multitude; and they did eat, and were all filled, and there was taken up what was over to them of broken pieces, twelve baskets.
`And whenever they may persecute you in this city, flee to the other, for verily I say to you, ye may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come.
And Jesus having called near his disciples, said, `I have compassion upon the multitude, because now three days they continue with me, and they have not what they may eat; and to let them away fasting I will not, lest they faint in the way.' And his disciples say to him, `Whence to us, in a wilderness, so many loaves, as to fill so great a multitude?' And Jesus saith to them, `How many loaves have ye?' and they said, `Seven, and a few little fishes.' And he commanded the multitudes to sit down upon the ground, and having taken the seven loaves and the fishes, having given thanks, he did break, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up what was over of the broken pieces seven baskets full, and those eating were four thousand men, apart from women and children.
And the apostles are gathered together unto Jesus, and they told him all, and how many things they did, and how many things they taught, and he said to them, `Come ye yourselves apart to a desert place, and rest a little,' for those coming and those going were many, and not even to eat had they opportunity, and they went away to a desert place, in the boat, by themselves. And the multitudes saw them going away, and many recognised him, and by land from all the cities they ran thither, and went before them, and came together to him, and having come forth, Jesus saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion on them, that they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach many things. And now the hour being advanced, his disciples having come near to him, say, -- `The place is desolate, and the hour is now advanced, let them away, that, having gone away to the surrounding fields and villages, they may buy to themselves loaves, for what they may eat they have not.' And he answering said to them, `Give ye them to eat,' and they say to him, `Having gone away, may we buy two hundred denaries' worth of loaves, and give to them to eat?' And he saith to them, `How many loaves have ye? go and see;' and having known, they say, `Five, and two fishes.' And he commanded them to make all recline in companies upon the green grass, and they sat down in squares, by hundreds, and by fifties. And having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves, and was giving to his disciples, that they may set before them, and the two fishes divided he to all, and they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up of broken pieces twelve hand-baskets full, and of the fishes, and those eating of the loaves were about five thousand men.
After these things Jesus went away beyond the sea of Galilee (of Tiberias), and there was following him a great multitude, because they were seeing his signs that he was doing on the ailing; and Jesus went up to the mount, and he was there sitting with his disciples, and the passover was nigh, the feast of the Jews. Jesus then having lifted up `his' eyes and having seen that a great multitude doth come to him, saith unto Philip, `Whence shall we buy loaves, that these may eat?' -- and this he said, trying him, for he himself had known what he was about to do. Philip answered him, `Two hundred denaries' worth of loaves are not sufficient to them, that each of them may receive some little;' one of his disciples -- Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter -- saith to him, `There is one little lad here who hath five barley loaves, and two fishes, but these -- what are they to so many?' And Jesus said, `Make the men to sit down;' and there was much grass in the place, the men then sat down, in number, as it were, five thousand, and Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those reclining, in like manner, also of the little fishes as much as they wished. And when they were filled, he saith to his disciples, `Gather together the broken pieces that are over, that nothing may be lost;' they gathered together, therefore, and filled twelve hand-baskets with broken pieces, from the five barley loaves that were over to those having eaten. The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, said -- `This is truly the Prophet, who is coming to the world;' Jesus, therefore, having known that they are about to come, and to take him by force that they may make him king, retired 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.)