Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
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Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
“Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
Jesus said, Make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
Jesus said, Let the people be seated. Now there was much grass in that place. And those seated on the grass were about five thousand.
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He made the men sit down before the loaves appeared, to teach us that with Him, things that are not are as things that are; as Paul says, Who calleth those things that be not, as though they were. (Rom. 4:17.) The passage proceeds then: And Jesus said, Make the men sit down.
When both the disciples had owned themselves at a loss, then He wrought the miracle; for thus they profited the more, having first confessed the difficulty of the matter, that when it should come to pass, they might understand the power of God. And because a miracle was about to be wrought, which had also been performed by the Prophets, although not in an equal degree, and because He would do it after first giving thanks, lest they should fall into any suspicion of weakness on His part, observe how by the very manner of His working He entirely raiseth their thoughts of it and showeth them the difference between Himself and others.
(Tr. xxiv. s. 5) Our Lord's question proved the ignorance of His disciples, i. e. the people's ignorance of the Law. They lay on the grass, i. e. were carnally minded, rested in carnal things, for all flesh is grass. (Isa. 40:6) Men are filled with the loaves, when what they hear with the ear, they fulfil in practice.
Sit down, i. e. lie down, as the ancient custom was, which they could do, as there was much grass in the place.
i. e. green grass. It was the time of the Passover, which was kept the first month of the spring. So the men sat down in number about five thousand. The Evangelist only counts the men, following the direction in the law. Moses numbered the people from twenty years old and upwards, making no mention of the women; to signify that the manly and juvenile character is especially honourable in God's eyes. And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to them that were sat down: and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. We learn too from this miracle, not to be pusillanimous in the greatest straits of poverty.
Matthew Henry · Verses 1–14
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the people. Even the common Jews expected the Messiah to come into the world, and to be a great Prophet. The Pharisees despised them as not knowing the law; but they knew most of Him who is the end of the law. Yet men may acknowledge Christ as that Prophet, and still turn a deaf ear to him.
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Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.
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