They followed Him afoot - though He was gone by sea, and so, to try them, seemed to put a slight upon them, and to endeavor to shake them off; yet they stuck to Him. They ran afoot, and made such haste, that they out-went the disciples, and came together to Him with an appetite to the word of God.
6:34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
and was moved with compassion towards them - the reason follows, because they were as sheep, not having a shepherd. Christ observed, that they were hungering and thirsting after the word of righteousness, and had no faithful, spiritual pastors to feed them with knowledge and understanding; for the Scribes and Pharisees were blind guides, and shepherds that could not understand; so that the people were ready to perish for lack of knowledge.
6:35 And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
6:41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all.
6:44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
6:34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
and was moved with compassion towards them - the reason follows, because they were as sheep, not having a shepherd. Christ observed, that they were hungering and thirsting after the word of righteousness, and had no faithful, spiritual pastors to feed them with knowledge and understanding; for the Scribes and Pharisees were blind guides, and shepherds that could not understand; so that the people were ready to perish for lack of knowledge.
6:35 And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
When the day was not far spent - and night drew on, they said, This is a desert place, and much time is now past; This the disciples suggested to Christ; but we do not find that the multitude themselves did. They did not say, Send us away (though they could not but be hungry), for they esteemed the words of Christ's mouth more than their necessary food, and forgot themselves when they were hearing Him; but the disciples thought it would be a kindness to them to dismiss them.
6:36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
6:36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat - they brought no provisions with them, and there were none to be had in that desert place; and it was high time they had some refreshment; for the usual time of dining was past, the first evening was come, the day was on the decline, and was far spent.
6:37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto Him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
6:37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto Him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
The disciples objected against it as impracticable; Shall we go, and buy two hundred penny-worth of bread, and give them to eat? Thus, through the weakness of their faith, instead of waiting for directions from Christ, they perplex the cause with projects of their own.
6:38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
6:38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
And He saith unto them, how many loaves have ye? - This He said, not as ignorant, but as willing to try their faith yet more, and that the after miracle might be more manifest and illustrious: go and see; meaning, that they should examine their own store.
6:39 And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
6:39 And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
And He commanded them to make all sit down - Christ ordered His disciples, without any more ado, to cause the whole multitude, men, women, and children, to sit, or lie down, as they used to do at table when about to take a meal: and as they had no table before them, nor beds, or couches to sit, or lie down upon, he directed them to place them by companies upon the green grass.
6:40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
They sat down in ranks - The word properly signifies a parterre or bed in a garden; by a metaphor, a company of men ranged in order, by hundreds and by fifties - That is, fifty in rank, and a hundred in file. So a hundred multiplied by fifty, make just five thousand.
6:40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
They sat down in ranks - The word properly signifies a parterre or bed in a garden; by a metaphor, a company of men ranged in order, by hundreds and by fifties - That is, fifty in rank, and a hundred in file. So a hundred multiplied by fifty, make just five thousand.
6:41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all.
He looked up to heaven, and blessed - Christ did not call one of His disciples to crave a blessing, but did it Himself; and by virtue of this blessing the bread strangely multiplied, and so did the fishes, for they did all eat, and were filled, though they were to the number of five thousand.
6:42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
6:42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
The Jews used not to reckon it a meal, unless a man was filled.
6:43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
6:43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
This miracle was significant, and shows that Christ came into the world, to be the great feeder as well as the great healer; not only to restore, but to preserve and nourish, spiritual life;
--and in Him there is enough for all that come to Him,
--enough to fill the soul,
--to fill the treasures;
--none are sent empty away from Christ.
6:44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
This miracle is mentioned by all the four evangelists.
It is one of the most astonishing that Christ has wrought.
It is a miracle which could not be counterfeited,
and a full proof of the divinity of Christ.
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