Observe,
1. That our Lord Jesus was greatly followed; The multitude was very great.
2. Those that followed Him, underwent a great deal of difficulty in following Him;
3. As Christ has a compassion for all that are in wants and straits, so He has a special concern for those that are reduced to straits by their zeal and diligence in attending on Him.
4. The doubts of Christians are sometimes made to work for the magnifying of the power of Christ. The disciples could not imagine whence so many men should be satisfied with bread here in the wilderness.
5. The bounty of Christ is inexhaustible, and, to evidence that, Christ repeated this miracle, to show that He is still the same for the succor and supply of His people that attend upon Him.
6. In our Father's house, in our Master's house, there is bread enough, and to spare; there is a fulness in Christ.
1. That our Lord Jesus was greatly followed; The multitude was very great.
2. Those that followed Him, underwent a great deal of difficulty in following Him;
3. As Christ has a compassion for all that are in wants and straits, so He has a special concern for those that are reduced to straits by their zeal and diligence in attending on Him.
4. The doubts of Christians are sometimes made to work for the magnifying of the power of Christ. The disciples could not imagine whence so many men should be satisfied with bread here in the wilderness.
5. The bounty of Christ is inexhaustible, and, to evidence that, Christ repeated this miracle, to show that He is still the same for the succor and supply of His people that attend upon Him.
6. In our Father's house, in our Master's house, there is bread enough, and to spare; there is a fulness in Christ.
8:2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with Me three days, and have nothing to eat:
Christ said, I have compassion on the multitude. Whom the proud Pharisees looked upon with disdain, the humble Jesus looked upon with pity and tenderness; and thus must we honor all men.
8:3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
8:3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
For divers of them came from far - And they could not possibly reach their respective homes without perishing, unless they got food.
8:4 And His disciples answered Him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?
8:4 And His disciples answered Him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?
from whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? from what place, and by what ways and means can it be thought, that such a quantity of bread can be got at any rate in a desert, as to satisfy so large a number of hungry men?
8:5 And He asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.
8:5 And He asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.
Christ is the great Master of the art of multiplication. However small is the stock with which we begin, we have only to dedicate it all to Him, and He will multiply and increase it until it will go far beyond our utmost expectations, and there will be more left after the feast is over than there was before it began.
8:6 And He commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and He took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to His disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
8:6 And He commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and He took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to His disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
and they did set them before the people - in which they were obedient to their Lord's commands.
8:7 And they had a few small fishes: and He blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.
8:7 And they had a few small fishes: and He blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.
And they had a few small fishes - Which they also acquainted Christ with, and brought out unto him:
8:8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.
8:8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.
So they did eat, and were filled - Christ and His disciples, and the whole multitude: they not only had some, but they had all enough, a full meal.
8:9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and He sent them away.
8:9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and He sent them away.
And they that had eaten were about four thousand - That is, men, besides women and children, as Matthew observes;
8:10 And straightway He entered into a ship with His disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
8:10 And straightway He entered into a ship with His disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
and came into the parts of Dalmanutha; which Matthew calls, "the coasts of Magdala".
8:11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with Him, seeking of Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him.
8:11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with Him, seeking of Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him.
Tempting Him - That is, trying to ensnare Him
8:12 And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
8:12 And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
And He sighed deeply in His spirit - Or having deeply groaned - so the word αναστεναξας properly means. He was exceedingly affected at their hardness of heart.
8:13 And He left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.
8:13 And He left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.
And He left them - As a perverse and hardened generation of men, and as such with whom it was not worth while to discourse:
8:14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
8:14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
Now the disciples had, forgotten to take bread - Neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf; for thirteen passengers of them.
8:15 And He charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
8:15 And He charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod - or of the Sadducees; two opposite extremes.
8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
saying, it is because we have no bread - that he says these words; tacitly chiding and reproving us, for our want of thought and care.
8:17 And when Jesus knew it, He saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
8:17 And when Jesus knew it, He saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
perceive ye not yet, neither understand? - the meaning of the parabolical expressions.
8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
Having eyes, see ye not? - Meaning perhaps both the eyes of their bodies, and of their understandings: they had bodily eyes, and with them saw the miracles He wrought, and yet took little notice of them; and the eyes of their understandings were enlightened by Christ, and yet saw things but very darkly:8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
and having ears, hear ye not? - They had their natural hearing, and yet made but little use of it; and did not so diligently attend to the sound of Christ's words: and though they had spiritual ears given them to hear, yet were very dull of, understanding, and taking in things:
and do ye not remember? - the interpretation of parables formerly given, and the miracles of the loaves lately wrought.
8:19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto Him, Twelve.
how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? - do not you remember? have you forgot what was so lately done? surely you cannot:
they say unto Him, twelve - Their memories were hereby refreshed, and they call to mind the exact number of the baskets of fragments that were taken up.
they say unto Him, twelve - Their memories were hereby refreshed, and they call to mind the exact number of the baskets of fragments that were taken up.
8:20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
and they said, seven - for this, as yet, could not have slipped their memories;
8:21 And He said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
O ye unbelieving children of God, what infinite patience your gracious God has with you, though you so often and so shamefully doubt Him!8:21 And He said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
Oh, shame upon us that we are such
dull scholars in the school of Christ!
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