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Luke9:10–17

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

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Luke 9:10–17 — The Feeding of the Five Thousand. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

10

Then the apostles returned and reported to Jesus all that they had done. Taking them away privately, He withdrew to a town called Bethsaida.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Kai hoi apostoloi hypostrepsantes diēgēsanto autō hosa epoiēsan Kai paralabōn autous kat’ idian hypechōrēsen eis polin kaloumenēn Bēthsaida

Word by word18 · parsed
ΚαὶKaiThenG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
οἱhoitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
ἀπόστολοιapostoloiapostlesG652
√ ἀπόστολος — a delegateNounNominative Masculine Plural
apostolos: a delegate, one sent Luke calls them “apostles” at the moment they return from being sent (9:1 to 6). The title is functional here: the sent ones come back to the Sender to give account. In v. 12 Luke reverts to “the Twelve.”
ὑποστρέψαντεςhypostrepsantesreturnedG5290
√ ὑποστρέφω — to turn under (behind), iVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
διηγήσαντοdiēgēsanto[and] reportedG1334
√ διηγέομαι — to relate fullyVerbAorist Indicative Middle3rd Person Plural
diēgeomai: to relate fully (aorist middle) The disciples’ ministry is answerable to Christ: they tell him everything. Poole draws exactly this out, the “account of their discharge of the trust” reposed in them, and Cambridge contrasts the bare record with the exultant return of the Seventy at 10:17.
αὐτῷautōto [Jesus]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ὅσαhosaall thatG3745
√ ὅσος — as (much, great, long, etcPersonal / Relative PronounAccusative Neuter Plural
ἐποίησανepoiēsanthey had doneG4160
√ ποιέω — to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
Aorist of poieō: “they had done,” all their deeds summed as one completed report.
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
παραλαβὼνparalabōnTakingG3880
√ παραλαμβάνω — to receive near, iVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
paralambanō: to receive near, take along The same verb Luke uses when Jesus “took” Peter, John and James up the mountain (9:28). He gathers his own to himself before he gathers the crowd.
αὐτοὺςautousthem {away}G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
κατ’kat’vvvG2596
√ κατά — (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined)Preposition
ἰδίανidianprivatelyG2398
√ ἴδιος — pertaining to self, iAdjectiveAccusative Feminine Singular
ὑπεχώρησενhypechōrēsenHe withdrewG5298
√ ὑποχωρέω — to vacate down, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
hypochōreō: to retire, withdraw Verifier frequency: 2 verses (here and Luke 5:16). In Luke this verb belongs to Jesus alone and both times opens onto the erēmos, the wilderness. The retreat is not escape but the setting from which provision will come.
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
πόλινpolina townG4172
√ πόλις — a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
καλουμένηνkaloumenēncalledG2564
√ καλέω — to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise)VerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveAccusative Feminine Singular
ΒηθσαϊδάBēthsaidaBethsaidaG966
√ Βηθσαϊδά — fishing-houseNounAccusative Feminine Singular
Bēthsaida: “fishing-house” The lexicon’s gloss is apt for a scene that will end with fish multiplied. Cambridge identifies this as Bethsaida Julias at the north of the lake and records a significant textual variant at this point (see apparatus).
11

But the crowds found out and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and He healed those who needed healing.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de hoi ochloi gnontes ēkolouthēsan autō kai apodexamenos autous elalei autois peri tēs basileias tou Theou kai iato tous echontas chreian therapeias

Word by word22 · parsed
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
οἱhoitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
ὄχλοιochloicrowdsG3793
√ ὄχλος — a throng (as borne along)NounNominative Masculine Plural
γνόντεςgnontesfound outG1097
√ γινώσκω — to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
Aorist participle of ginōskō: the crowds “came to know” where he had gone; Cambridge and Pulpit explain how (the boat was visible from the shore).
ἠκολούθησανēkolouthēsan[and] followedG190
√ ἀκολουθέω — properly, to be in the same way with, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
akoloutheō: to follow, be in the same way with The discipleship verb (5:11, 5:27, 9:23), here used of a crowd whose motives Maclaren judges mostly curious. Luke lets the word stand: Jesus treats their following as an opening, not an intrusion.
αὐτῷautōHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἀποδεξάμενοςapodexamenosHe welcomedG588
√ ἀποδέχομαι — to take fully, iVerbAorist Participle MiddleNominative Masculine Singular
apodechomai: to receive fully, welcome A distinctively Lukan verb (it recurs at Acts 2:41, 18:27, 28:30). The middle voice is personal: he took them to himself. This is the hinge of the paragraph: retreat interrupted becomes hospitality extended, and the hospitality will become a meal.
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
ἐλάλειelalei[and] spokeG2980
√ λαλέω — to talk, iVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
Imperfect of laleō: continuous teaching, the word before the bread.
αὐτοῖςautoisto themG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
περὶperiaboutG4012
√ περί — properly, through (all over), iPreposition
τῆςtēstheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Singular
βασιλείαςbasileiaskingdomG932
√ βασιλεία — properly, royalty, iNounGenitive Feminine Singular
basileia: royalty, reign The subject of the whole afternoon. Luke frames the miracle with the kingdom: the King first proclaims his reign, then spreads his table. The same pairing of kingdom and eating recurs at 13:29, 14:15 and 22:16 to 18.
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ΘεοῦTheouof GodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounGenitive Masculine Singular
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἰᾶτοiatoHe healedG2390
√ ἰάομαι — to cure (literally or figuratively)VerbImperfect Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
iaomai: to cure (imperfect middle/passive) Imperfect again: case after case. Luke’s ordinary verb for Jesus’ cures (5:17, 6:19), placed beside the different noun therapeia.
τοὺςtousthose whoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
ἔχονταςechontasvvvG2192
√ ἔχω — to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remoteVerbPresent Participle ActiveAccusative Masculine Plural
χρείανchreianneededG5532
√ χρεία — employment, iNounAccusative Feminine Singular
θεραπείαςtherapeiashealingG2322
√ θεραπεία — attendance (specially, medical, iNounGenitive Feminine Singular
therapeia: attendance, treatment Rare: the Verifier finds it in only 3 verses (Luke 9:11, Luke 12:42, Revelation 22:2). Ellicott observes the noun is not from the same verb as “healed.” Maclaren reads Luke’s periphrasis as saying that for Christ “to see need was to supply it.” In Revelation 22:2 the same noun names the leaves of the tree of life given “for the healing of the nations.”
12

As the day neared its end, the Twelve came to Jesus and said, “Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside for lodging and provisions. For we are in a desolate place here.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Hē hēmera ērxato klinein de hoi dōdeka proselthontes autō eipan Apolyson ton ochlon hina poreuthentes eis tas kyklō kōmas kai agrous katalysōsin kai heurōsin episitismon hoti esmen en erēmō topō hōde

Word by word32 · parsed
δὲdeAsG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἩHētheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Singular
ἡμέραhēmeradayG2250
√ ἡμέρα — day, iNounNominative Feminine Singular
ἤρξατοērxatovvvG756
√ ἄρχομαι — to commence (in order of time)VerbAorist Indicative Middle3rd Person Singular
κλίνεινklineinneared its endG2827
√ κλίνω — to slant or slope, iVerbPresent Infinitive Active
klinō: to slant, slope The declining day. Luke uses the same verb at 24:29 (the day has declined) when the Emmaus pair urge the stranger to stay: in both scenes evening falls and Jesus breaks bread.
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
οἱhoitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
δώδεκαdōdekaTwelveG1427
√ δώδεκα — two and ten, iAdjectiveNominative Masculine Plural
dōdeka: twelve “The Twelve” now, no longer “apostles”: the number that will reappear in the twelve baskets of v. 17.
προσελθόντεςproselthontescameG4334
√ προσέρχομαι — to approach, iVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
αὐτῷautōto [Jesus]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
εἶπανeipan[and] saidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ἈπόλυσονApolysonDismissG630
√ ἀπολύω — to free fully, iVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
apolyō: to free fully, release A sensible request, as Maclaren and Pulpit insist; but it proposes to solve the need by dispersing the people from Jesus. The verb is the opposite of what Jesus did in v. 11 (apodechomai, receive).
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
ὄχλονochloncrowdG3793
√ ὄχλος — a throng (as borne along)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
ἵναhinasoG2443
√ ἵνα — compare G3588 (ὁ))Conjunction
πορευθέντεςporeuthentesthey can goG4198
√ πορεύομαι — to traverse, iVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Masculine Plural
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τὰςtastheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Plural
κύκλῳkyklōsurroundingG2945
√ κύκλῳ — akin to G2947 (κυλιόω))Adverb
κώμαςkōmasvillagesG2968
√ κώμη — a hamlet (as if laid down)NounAccusative Feminine Plural
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἀγροὺςagrouscountrysideG68
√ ἀγρός — a field (as a drive for cattle)NounAccusative Masculine Plural
καταλύσωσινkatalysōsinfor lodgingG2647
√ καταλύω — to loosen down (disintegrate), iVerbAorist Subjunctive Active3rd Person Plural
Subjunctive of katalyō: find lodging for the night.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
εὕρωσινheurōsinG2147
√ εὑρίσκω — to find (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Subjunctive Active3rd Person Plural
ἐπισιτισμόνepisitismonprovisionsG1979
√ ἐπισιτισμός — a provisioning, iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
episitismos: a provisioning, victuals A rare word, by standard concordances found only here in the NT (a ⚙ observation, not a Verifier count). It is the soldier’s or traveler’s ration: the disciples are thinking in terms of supply logistics.
ὅτιhotiForG3754
√ ὅτι — demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant)Conjunction
ἐσμένesmenwe areG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active1st Person Plural
ἐνeninG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
ἐρήμῳerēmōa desolateG2048
√ ἔρημος — desert, desolate, solitary, wildernessAdjectiveDative Masculine Singular
erēmos: desert, desolate, wilderness Verifier frequency: 48 verses. The disciples cite the wilderness as the reason the crowd must leave; Scripture’s memory of the wilderness is the place where God fed his people (Exodus 16; Deuteronomy 8:3, 16). The objection unwittingly names the stage for the miracle.
τόπῳtopōplaceG5117
√ τόπος — a spot (general in space, but limited by occupancyNounDative Masculine Singular
ὧδεhōdehereG5602
√ ὧδε — in this same spot, iAdverb
13

But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Eipen pros autous hymeis Dote autois phagein eisin hēmin Ouk pleion ē pente artoi kai dyo ichthyes de Hoi eipan ei mēti hēmeis poreuthentes agorasōmen brōmata eis panta touton ton laon

Word by word32 · parsed
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΕἶπενEipen[Jesus] toldG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
πρὸςprosG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
αὐτούςautousthemG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
ὑμεῖςhymeisYouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounNominative 2nd Person Plural
sy: thou (emphatic plural) The pronoun sets the disciples against their own proposal: not the villages, you. Jesus does not supply the bread apart from them; he will supply it through them (v. 16, “gave to the disciples to set before”).
ΔότεDotegiveG1325
√ δίδωμι — to give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figurativelyVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Plural
didōmi: to give (aorist imperative) The command precedes the means. The same verb returns in v. 16 as the imperfect edidou: what Jesus commands them to give, he keeps giving them to give.
αὐτοῖςautoisthemG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
φαγεῖνphageinsomething to eatG5315
√ φάγω — to eat (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Infinitive Active
εἰσὶνeisinvvvG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ἡμῖνhēminWe have onlyG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounDative 1st Person Plural
ΟὐκOukvvvG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
πλεῖονpleionvvvG4119
√ πλείων — more in quantity, number, or qualityAdjectiveNominative Neuter SingularComparative
Comparative of pleiōn: “not more than,” the arithmetic of scarcity.
ἢēvvvG2228
√ ἤ — disjunctive, orConjunction
πέντεpentefiveG4002
√ πέντε — "five"AdjectiveNominative Masculine Plural
pente: five Verifier frequency 33 verses; it recurs when Jesus himself recalls the five loaves (Matthew 16:9, Mark 8:19).
ἄρτοιartoiloaves of breadG740
√ ἄρτος — bread (as raised) or a loafNounNominative Masculine Plural
artos: bread, loaf Cambridge notes from John 6:9 that these were barley loaves, “the food of the poor” (2 Kings 4:42), which is the Elisha precedent the narrative will echo in v. 17.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
δύοdyotwoG1417
√ δύο — "two"AdjectiveNominative Masculine Plural
ἰχθύεςichthyesfishG2486
√ ἰχθύς — a fishNounNominative Masculine Plural
ichthys: fish Verifier frequency 18 verses. Pulpit: dried fish, eaten with bread, a poor man’s meal.
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΟἱHoiG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
εἶπανeipanthey answeredG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
εἰeiunlessG1487
√ εἰ — if, whether, that, etcConjunction
μήτιmēti. . .G3385
√ μήτι — whether at allIntPrtcl
Particle mēti: hesitant, expecting a negative.
ἡμεῖςhēmeisweG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounNominative 1st Person Plural
πορευθέντεςporeuthentesgoG4198
√ πορεύομαι — to traverse, iVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Masculine Plural
ἀγοράσωμενagorasōmen[and] buyG59
√ ἀγοράζω — properly, to go to market, iVerbAorist Subjunctive Active1st Person Plural
agorazō: to go to market, buy The disciples’ only alternative is commerce, and Gill notes it would cost “two hundred pence” (from Mark 6:37 and John 6:7). The kingdom’s answer will not be purchase but gift.
βρώματαbrōmatafoodG1033
√ βρῶμα — food (literally or figuratively), especially (ceremonially) articles allowed or forbidden by the Jewish lawNounAccusative Neuter Plural
εἰςeisforG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
πάνταpantaallG3956
√ πᾶς — all, any, every, the wholeAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Singular
τοῦτονtoutontheseG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounAccusative Masculine Singular
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
λαὸνlaonpeopleG2992
√ λαός — a people (in generalNounAccusative Masculine Singular
laos: a people The disciples call the crowd “all this people,” the covenant word. Read with v. 12’s wilderness, Israel in the desert waiting for bread is in view, though Luke does not draw the line explicitly.
14

(There were about five thousand men.) He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

gar ēsan hōsei pentakischilioi andres de Eipen pros autou tous mathētas Kataklinate autous ana klisias hōsei pentēkonta

Word by word17 · parsed
γὰρgar( -G1063
√ γάρ — properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensificationConjunction
The gar introduces a parenthesis explaining why the disciples’ arithmetic failed.
ἦσανēsanThere wereG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ὡσεὶhōseiaboutG5616
√ ὡσεί — as ifAdverb
πεντακισχίλιοιpentakischilioifive thousandG4000
√ πεντακισχίλιοι — five times a thousandAdjectiveNominative Masculine Plural
pentakischilioi: five thousand Rare: the Verifier finds it in 6 verses. Jesus himself later recalls “the five loaves for the five thousand” (Matthew 16:9), making this number part of his own teaching on faith.
ἄνδρεςandresmenG435
√ ἀνήρ — a man (properly as an individual male)NounNominative Masculine Plural
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΕἶπενEipenHe toldG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
πρὸςpros. . .G4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
αὐτοῦautouHisG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
τοὺςtousG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
μαθητὰςmathētasdisciplesG3101
√ μαθητής — a learner, iNounAccusative Masculine Plural
ΚατακλίνατεKataklinateHave them sit downG2625
√ κατακλίνω — to recline down, iVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Plural
kataklinō: to recline down (aorist imperative) Verifier frequency: 5 verses. With 9:14, 9:15 and the three candidates the Verifier lists (7:36, 14:8, 24:30), that accounts for all five: in the NT this is Luke’s word alone, and every other use is a meal (the Pharisee’s table, the wedding feast parable, Emmaus). Jesus orders the wilderness crowd into the posture of a banquet.
αὐτοὺςautous. . .G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
ἀνὰanainG303
√ ἀνά — properly, upAdverb
κλισίαςklisiasgroupsG2828
√ κλισία — properly, reclination, iNounAccusative Feminine Plural
klisia: reclination, a dining company By standard concordances found only here in the NT (a ⚙ observation, not a Verifier count). Cambridge: “dining-parties.” Pulpit (quoting Godet): “a kind of Passover meal.”
ὡσεὶhōseiof aboutG5616
√ ὡσεί — as ifAdverb
πεντήκονταpentēkontafifty {each}G4004
√ πεντήκοντα — fiftyAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
pentēkonta: fifty Verifier frequency 7 verses. Gill gives the practical reason (easy numbering and distribution). Israel in the wilderness was ordered under “leaders of fifties” (Exodus 18:21, 25); the echo is ⚙ and structural, not claimed by Luke.
15

They did so, and everyone was seated.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

kai epoiēsan houtōs kai hapantas kateklinan

Word by word6 · parsed
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐποίησανepoiēsanThey didG4160
√ ποιέω — to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
poieō: to do (aorist) The same verb as v. 10 (“all that they had done”): their mission deeds are now matched by a simpler deed of obedience, seating a hungry crowd before any food is visible.
οὕτωςhoutōssoG3779
√ οὕτω — in this way (referring to what precedes or follows)Adverb
Adverb houtōs: exactly as commanded.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἅπανταςhapantaseveryoneG537
√ ἅπας — absolutely all or (singular) every oneAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
hapas: absolutely all Intensive “all”; it anticipates the “all” (pantes) who eat and are filled in v. 17. Everyone seated becomes everyone fed.
κατέκλινανkateklinanwas seatedG2625
√ κατακλίνω — to recline down, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
kataklinō: recline (aorist active) Second use in two verses of Luke’s exclusive meal-verb. Maclaren calls the command one that “must have seemed to many of them ludicrous”; Luke records simply that it was done.
16

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to set before the people.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Labōn tous pente artous kai tous dyo ichthyas anablepsas eis ton ouranon eulogēsen kai kateklasen autous kai edidou tois mathētais paratheinai tō ochlō

Word by word24 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΛαβὼνLabōnTakingG2983
√ λαμβάνω — while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent, to seize or remove))VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
lambanō: to take (aorist participle) The first of four actions (take, bless, break, give) that Luke repeats at the Last Supper (22:19: took, gave thanks, broke, gave) and at Emmaus (24:30). The Verifier confirms shared artos and lambanō in both pairs, with eulogeō also shared at 24:30.
τοὺςtoustheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
πέντεpentefiveG4002
√ πέντε — "five"AdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
ἄρτουςartousloavesG740
√ ἄρτος — bread (as raised) or a loafNounAccusative Masculine Plural
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
τοὺςtoustheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
δύοdyotwoG1417
√ δύο — "two"AdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
ἰχθύαςichthyasfishG2486
√ ἰχθύς — a fishNounAccusative Masculine Plural
ἀναβλέψαςanablepsas[and] looking upG308
√ ἀναβλέπω — to look upVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
anablepō: to look up The Son receives from heaven what he gives on earth. Gill: “to his Father there, from whom all the mercies and blessings of life come.”
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
οὐρανὸνouranonheavenG3772
√ οὐρανός — the skyNounAccusative Masculine Singular
ouranos: heaven The source named before the bread multiplies; John 6:32 will draw the line to “the true bread from heaven.”
εὐλόγησενeulogēsen[Jesus] spoke a blessingG2127
√ εὐλογέω — to speak well of, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
eulogeō: to speak well of, bless Verifier frequency 39 verses. Pulpit identifies the act as the blessing pronounced by “the head of the household” at a Jewish meal. Jesus takes the place of host and head of the house over the whole gathered people; Geneva reads it as thanksgiving joined to prayer that God would feed so many from so little.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
κατέκλασενkateklasenbrokeG2622
√ κατακλάω — to break down, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
kataklaō: to break down, break in pieces (aorist) A single, completed act. Cambridge (citing Hilary and Augustine): “The marvel lay in the Doer, not in the deed.”
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
καὶkaiThenG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐδίδουedidouHe gave [them]G1325
√ δίδωμι — to give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figurativelyVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
didōmi: to give (imperfect) The grammatical heart of the miracle: “he kept giving.” Pulpit: “Each disciple kept coming to him for a fresh supply of bread.” The command “you give” (v. 13, aorist) is fulfilled as the disciples keep receiving from his hands what they pass on.
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Plural
μαθηταῖςmathētaisdisciplesG3101
√ μαθητής — a learner, iNounDative Masculine Plural
παραθεῖναιparatheinaito set beforeG3908
√ παρατίθημι — to place alongside, iVerbAorist Infinitive Active
paratithēmi: to place alongside, set before A serving verb (used of setting food before guests at 10:8 and 11:6). The disciples are made table servants; compare Jesus’ words at 22:27, that he is among them as the one who serves.
τῷtōtheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Singular
ὄχλῳochlōpeopleG3793
√ ὄχλος — a throng (as borne along)NounDative Masculine Singular
17

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Kai pantes ephagon kai echortasthēsan kai to autois ērthē dōdeka kophinoi klasmatōn perisseusan

Word by word13 · parsed
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
πάντεςpantesvvvG3956
√ πᾶς — all, any, every, the wholeAdjectiveNominative Masculine Plural
pas: all No one in the crowd is excepted; it answers hapantas in v. 15.
ἔφαγονephagonThey all ateG5315
√ φάγω — to eat (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
Aorist of phagō: they ate, the same verb as Jesus’ command in v. 13 (dote autois phagein).
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐχορτάσθησανechortasthēsanwere satisfiedG5526
√ χορτάζω — to fodder, iVerbAorist Indicative Passive3rd Person Plural
chortazō: to fodder, fill (aorist passive) Verifier frequency 15 verses. The divine passive: they were filled. Luke’s readers have heard the promise at 6:21 (“you will be filled”) and Mary’s song at 1:53 (“He has filled the hungry with good things,” a different verb); here the promise becomes a meal.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
τὸtoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Neuter Singular
αὐτοῖςautois[the disciples]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
ἤρθηērthēpicked upG142
√ αἴρω — to lift upVerbAorist Indicative Passive3rd Person Singular
Aorist passive of airō: what was left was lifted up and carried away.
δώδεκαdōdekatwelveG1427
√ δώδεκα — two and ten, iAdjectiveNominative Masculine Plural
dōdeka: twelve Verifier frequency 61 verses. One basket for each of the Twelve who had said “we have no more than five loaves.” The number also recalls the tribes of Israel; Luke ties the Twelve to Israel’s tribes explicitly at 22:30. The tribal echo here is ⚙ and widely proposed, not stated by Luke.
κόφινοιkophinoibasketfulsG2894
√ κόφινος — a (small) basketNounNominative Masculine Plural
kophinos: a small basket Cambridge: carried by Jews “to avoid the chance of his food contracting any Levitical pollution in heathen places.”
κλασμάτωνklasmatōnof broken piecesG2801
√ κλάσμα — a piece (bit)NounGenitive Neuter Plural
klasma: a piece, a fragment The broken pieces from the single act of breaking (kateklasen, v. 16). Cambridge compares 2 Kings 4:43 to 44, where Elisha’s bread for a hundred men also leaves some over “according to the word of the LORD.”
περισσεῦσανperisseusanthat were left overG4052
√ περισσεύω — to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluousVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Neuter Singular
perisseuō: to superabound The remainder exceeds the beginning. Henry: “in our Father’s house there is bread enough, and to spare,” an echo of the prodigal at 15:17, where the same verb appears.

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The sent ones return and are taken apart — Luke 9:10

The apostles (apostoloi, the sent ones) come back and “narrate in full” (διηγήσαντο) all they had done. Poole reads this as the “account of their discharge of the trust” Christ had reposed in them; Cambridge finds the record “brief and meagre” beside the joy of the Seventy (10:17). Jesus then “takes them along” (paralabōn) and “withdraws” (ὑπεχώρησεν), a verb the Verifier finds only here and at 5:16, where his withdrawal is to the wilderness to pray. Gill names the purpose: rest, refreshment, private instruction. Geneva has already seen the end from the start: “They that follow Christ will lack nothing, not even in the wilderness.”

ii. The interrupted retreat becomes a welcome — Luke 9:11

The crowds find out and follow. Luke’s key verb is ἀποδεξάμενος, “having welcomed” them, received them to himself. Maclaren dwells on “the self-oblivious cordiality” of this reception; Henry: “though they came unseasonably, yet he gave them what they came for.” Two imperfects (elalei, iato) stretch the afternoon: he kept speaking of the kingdom of God, kept healing. Ellicott notes that the noun for the crowd’s need, therapeia, is not from the healing verb at all but is “a more technical word,” and Maclaren reads Luke’s periphrasis as saying that for Christ “to see need was to supply it.” Word and healing come before bread: the King proclaims his reign, then spreads his table.

iii. Two imperatives at dusk — Luke 9:12 to 13

“The day began to decline” (klinein). The Twelve give their Master an imperative, Ἀπόλυσον, “release the crowd,” because “we are in a desert place.” Pulpit credits them with simple consideration; Cambridge suggests fear of a nightfall calamity that would give “a fresh handle against Jesus.” Jesus answers with his own imperative and an emphatic pronoun: ὑμεῖς δότε, “you give them to eat.” Gill: it was “not his will to dismiss people.” The disciples’ reply is hesitant and, as Geneva says, “said imperfectly”: not more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy. Cambridge sets the scene beside Moses’ question at Numbers 11:22 and the barley loaves of the poor. Notice that the disciples, without meaning to, call the crowd laos, “this people,” the covenant word, while standing in the erēmos where Israel once waited for bread.

iv. The wilderness laid as a banquet — Luke 9:14 to 15

About five thousand men. Jesus orders, Κατακλίνατε, “make them recline,” in κλισίας, “dining-companies” (Cambridge) of about fifty. Ellicott: “Literally, recline, or lie down.” The verb is, by the Verifier’s count, exclusively Lukan and always a meal word: as the day “reclines” (v. 12) the guests are made to recline. Pulpit, quoting Godet, sees a banquet “conducted with an order worthy of the God who gives it.” The disciples obey houtōs, exactly, and made hapantas, absolutely all, recline. Gill: “The disciples did not dispute the case any longer with Christ.” The table is set before there is anything visible to put on it.

v. Taken, blessed, broken, given — Luke 9:16

Four verbs: labōn (taking), eulogēsen (he blessed them), kateklasen (he broke), edidou (he kept giving). Pulpit explains the blessing as that pronounced by the head of a Jewish household; Gill reports Beza’s ancient reading “he blessed upon them”; Geneva calls it thanksgiving joined to prayer that God would feed so many from so little. Cambridge and Pulpit both fasten on the tenses: one aorist breaking, then an imperfect of continuous giving, “he gave, and kept on giving.” Cambridge refuses to explain the mechanism: “The marvel lay in the Doer, not in the deed.” The command of v. 13 (“you give”) is fulfilled exactly here: the disciples give only what they keep receiving from his hands, and set it before (paratheinai) the crowd as table servants.

vi. Filled, with twelve baskets over — Luke 9:17

“All ate and were filled” (ἐχορτάσθησαν), the full-stomach word of Luke’s beatitude (6:21). Then what “superabounded” (perisseusan) was taken up: twelve kophinoi. Henry: “in our Father’s house there is bread enough, and to spare.” Cambridge compares Elisha’s loaves at 2 Kings 4:43 to 44 and sees the gathering of the remainder as teaching that “wastefulness even of miraculous plenty is entirely alien to the divine administration.” Pulpit dismisses the rationalizing account (Paulus, Renan) as “ludicrously inadequate.” The Twelve who had five loaves now carry twelve baskets: the surplus belongs to the very men who had pleaded scarcity.

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

⚙ Offered to be tested against Scripture, not to stand beside it. Luke builds this scene on a reversal of imperatives. The disciples say “release them” (apolyson); Jesus says “you give them” (hymeis dote). Their solution sends the people away from Christ to the market; his solution seats the people before Christ at a table. What reconciles the impossible command with the empty hands is v. 16’s imperfect, edidou: he kept giving to the disciples, and they gave only what they received. The text therefore does not teach that disciples feed the world from their resources, nor that Christ feeds it without them, but that he feeds it through servants whose whole supply is his continuous giving. The setting matters: the erēmos, “this people” (laos), the reclining posture of a banquet, the declining day, the four actions of take, bless, break, give that Luke repeats at the Supper (22:19) and at Emmaus (24:30). Within Luke’s own book, the wilderness meal reads as a sign of who is host at the kingdom’s table. This tool’s reading goes no further than those Lukan links; the connections to the Lord’s Supper are typological and should be weighed, not assumed.

He did not answer their scarcity with more for them to carry; he answered it by giving, and kept on giving, into their empty hands.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

The withdrawal into the wilderness: a verb Luke keeps for Jesus verbal / quotation: confirmed

ὑπεχώρησεν (hypochōreō, G5298) appears in only two verses by the Verifier’s count: here and Luke 5:16, where Jesus frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray. Both pair it with the erēmos (G2048). In 5:16 the withdrawal issues in prayer; in 9:10 to 17 it issues in a meal for thousands, and in 9:18 Luke immediately notes that Jesus “was praying in private.” Luke’s Jesus withdraws to the wilderness and returns with provision.

Luke 5:16

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexemes G5298 ὑποχωρέω (in 2 vv, rare) and G2048 ἔρημος (in 48 vv); a real intra-Lukan verbal link, not a quotation

Luke’s reclining verb: from the desert to Emmaus verbal / quotation: confirmed

κατακλίνω (kataklinō, G2625) occurs in only 5 verses by the Verifier’s count; with 9:14, 9:15 and the three listed candidates (Luke 7:36, 14:8, 24:30) that is every one, and all are in Luke. Each is a meal: Jesus reclines at the Pharisee’s table (7:36); the parable warns guests not to recline in the place of honor (14:8); at Emmaus Jesus reclines with the two and, taking the bread, blesses, breaks and gives it, and is known (24:30 to 31). The Verifier also confirms shared artos with 24:30, and a direct pair check of 9:16 with 24:30 gives shared eulogeō (in 39 vv), artos and lambanō. The desert feeding is one of Luke’s table scenes, and the one that most closely anticipates Emmaus.

Luke 24:30 · Luke 7:36 · Luke 14:8

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G2625 κατακλίνω (in 5 vv, rare; Luke only) plus G740 ἄρτος (in 89 vv) with Luke 24:30; pair check 9:16 / 24:30 adds G2127 εὐλογέω (in 39 vv) and G2983 λαμβάνω. A verbal link, no quotation claimed

Take, bless, break, give: the feeding and the Supper structural / thematic: confirmed

At Luke 22:19 Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it and gives it to them. The sequence of actions matches 9:16 closely, but the shared vocabulary the Verifier finds is common: artos (89 vv), lambanō (243 vv), didōmi (378 vv). The Supper has eucharisteō where 9:16 has eulogeō, and klaō where 9:16 has kataklaō. The link is therefore a shared action pattern, not a rare-word verbal tie. Pulpit notes the blessing was the ordinary office of the head of a Jewish household, which cautions against treating every such sequence as eucharistic; but Luke’s own repetition of the pattern at 22:19 and 24:30 makes the resemblance deliberate.

Luke 22:19

basis: Verifier pair check 9:16 / 22:19: shared G740 ἄρτος (in 89 vv), G2983 λαμβάνω (in 243 vv), G1325 δίδωμι (in 378 vv), all common; shared fourfold action pattern, no rare lexeme and no quotation

Therapeia: from the crowd’s need to the healing of the nations verbal / quotation: confirmed

The noun θεραπεία (G2322) appears in only 3 verses: Luke 9:11, Luke 12:42, and Revelation 22:2. Ellicott points to Revelation 22:2 himself, noting the word is used, with that one exception, by Luke only. In Revelation the leaves of the tree of life are “for the healing of the nations,” beside the river and the twelve kinds of fruit (the Verifier also records shared dōdeka). Luke 9:11 shows in one afternoon what Revelation shows at the end: those who have need of healing are healed by what flows from God’s presence. The verbal tie is real; its thematic reach is ⚙.

Revelation 22:2

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G2322 θεραπεία (in 3 vv, rare) plus G1427 δώδεκα (in 61 vv); same sense (healing); Ellicott independently notes the link. Verbal, not a quotation

The steward who gives the household its portion structural / thematic: confirmed

Luke 12:42 shares the rare θεραπεία (3 vv) and didōmi: the faithful and wise manager whom the master puts over his therapeia (his household of servants) to give them their portion at the proper time. The sense of the noun differs (there “household servants,” here “treatment”), so the lexical tie does not carry the same meaning. The thematic match is nonetheless striking: in 9:16 the master gives bread to his disciples for them to set before the crowd. The pairing of 9:16 with 12:42 is a ⚙ reading; the shared word is confirmed, the shared idea is offered for testing.

Luke 12:42

basis: Verifier: shared G2322 θεραπεία (in 3 vv) and G1325 δίδωμι (in 378 vv); rare lexeme but different sense (household vs healing), so tiered thematic, not verbal

Jesus remembers the five loaves verbal / quotation: confirmed

When the disciples later worry about bread, Jesus asks, “Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?” (Matthew 16:9; Mark 8:19). The rare πεντακισχίλιοι (G4000, 6 vv) ties Matthew 16:9 to Luke 9:14. Jesus treats this miracle as evidence his disciples should have learned from: the surplus baskets were meant as instruction against anxious reckoning.

Matthew 16:9 · Mark 8:19

basis: Verifier: Matthew 16:9 shares G4000 πεντακισχίλιοι (in 6 vv, rare), G4002 πέντε (in 33 vv), G740 ἄρτος (in 89 vv). Mark 8:19 is listed with common lexemes only (G1427, G4002, G740); its tier rests on Matthew 16:9

The miracle told four times structural / thematic: confirmed

Cambridge calls this “one of the few narrated by all four Evangelists”; Pulpit calls it the only miracle “in the entire Galilaean ministry” told by all four. The parallels share the Verifier’s lexemes: Matthew 14:20 has chortazō (15 vv) with phagō and dōdeka; Mark 6:41 and 6:43 share ichthys (18 vv), didōmi, dyo, dōdeka; John 6:13 shares five, twelve and bread. Pulpit: “It is clear that there was no original written tradition from which they all copied,” a judgment on synoptic relations that is his, not the text’s. These are parallel accounts of one event, not citations.

Matthew 14:20 · Mark 6:41 · Mark 6:43 · John 6:13

basis: Verifier: Matthew 14:20 G5526 χορτάζω (in 15 vv), G5315, G1427; Mark 6:41 G2486 ἰχθύς (in 18 vv), G1325, G1417; Mark 6:43 G1427, G2486; John 6:13 G1427, G4002, G740. Parallel narratives of the same event, not quotation

Elisha’s barley loaves typological

Cambridge sends the reader twice to 2 Kings 4: barley loaves are the food of the poor (4:42), and the fragments recall Elisha’s feeding of a hundred men with twenty loaves, where “they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD” (4:43 to 44). The pattern is the same (a servant protests the shortfall; the prophet commands distribution; all eat; there is surplus), but the scale is incomparably greater. As a cross-Testament link (Greek and Hebrew) it cannot rest on shared Strong’s numbers; it is a figural reading, ancient and widely held, recorded here by Cambridge.

2 Kings 4:42 · 2 Kings 4:43 · 2 Kings 4:44

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek / Hebrew), so no shared Strong’s; shared narrative pattern (scarcity, command, eating, remainder). Ancient/widely-held; cited by Cambridge on vv. 13 and 17

Bread in the wilderness typological

The disciples’ objection names the place: erēmos. Cambridge sets their question beside Moses’ at Numbers 11:22 (“Would they have enough if all the fish of the sea were caught for them?”), and Israel’s first wilderness bread was the manna God promised to “rain down from heaven” (Exodus 16:4). John 6:31 to 32 makes this exact link in the discourse that follows the feeding, contrasting the manna with “the true bread from heaven.” Luke himself does not mention the manna; the reading is supplied by John and by the shared setting. Cross-Testament, so tiered typological, not verbal.

Exodus 16:4 · Numbers 11:22 · John 6:31 · John 6:32

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek / Hebrew), no shared Strong’s possible; shared motif of God feeding his people in the wilderness, made explicit in John 6:31 to 32. Ancient/widely-held

A Passover in the desert? flagged: verify source

Pulpit, quoting Godet, reads the meal as a feast Jesus celebrated in the desert “as a compensation for the Passover Feast,” and on v. 14 calls it “a kind of Passover meal.” The only textual basis is John 6:4 (the Passover was near); Luke gives no time marker. Cambridge and Maclaren likewise import the Passover season from John. The chronology may well be right; the claim that Jesus intended a substitute Passover is an inference that Luke’s text does not support on its own.

John 6:4

basis: Godet (via Pulpit) and Cambridge harmonize with John 6:4; no Lukan textual basis and no shared Verifier lexeme. Intention-of-Jesus claim is interpretive

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

The Bread from heaven ancient/widely-held

⚙ Cambridge names the doctrine this miracle symbolizes: “Christ the bread of life,” and notes that John 6 follows it with the discourse “intended to teach what was the true bread from heaven.” There Jesus says, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). In Luke the same truth is enacted rather than stated: the loaves pass through his hands and multiply, he looks up to heaven before he gives, and the wilderness crowd that Israel once was is fed by him. Henry: “He fills every hungry soul, abundantly satisfies it with the goodness of his house.” This is the apostolic and church-wide reading, recorded by Cambridge, Pulpit and Henry.

John 6:35 · John 6:32 · Exodus 16:4

The Host who takes, blesses, breaks and gives ancient/widely-held

⚙ Luke uses the same four-step action three times: in the desert (9:16), at the Supper (22:19), at Emmaus (24:30). At the Supper the bread is “my body, given for you”; at Emmaus he is made known to them in the breaking of the bread (24:35). Reading forward from 9:16, the one who breaks the loaves for the crowd will be broken for his people, and the one who keeps giving (edidou) bread to his disciples will give himself. Pulpit’s note that the blessing belonged to “the head of the household” sharpens this: in the wilderness Jesus takes the place of the father of Israel’s house. The Supper connection is widely held; the specific weight laid on the imperfect edidou is this tool’s.

Luke 22:19 · Luke 24:30 · Luke 24:35

The Shepherd-King who makes his flock lie down novel

⚙ Luke frames the meal with the kingdom of God (v. 11) and has Jesus make the people recline (kataklinate) in orderly companies. Mark’s parallel says he had compassion because they were “like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34) and seats them “on the green grass” (6:39); Maclaren carries that image into Luke as “a huddled mass of unshepherded sheep.” The promise of Ezekiel 34:23, “one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them,” and the Psalm 23 picture of a shepherd who makes his sheep lie down and spreads a table, are the background many readers hear. Luke himself omits the shepherd language, so for Luke’s text this connection is a canonical reading brought in from Mark, not a Lukan claim.

Ezekiel 34:23 · Psalm 23:1 · Psalm 23:2 · Mark 6:34

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
  • Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (c. 1905)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Text. At v. 10 Cambridge reports “great variations in the MSS.”: the older reading is “to a city called Bethsaida” (followed by BSB), against the longer “into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida” (KJV, and the base text quoted by Geneva and Pulpit). Cambridge explains the variation by copyists’ unfamiliarity with Bethsaida Julias. At v. 15 Gill notes versions reading “they all sat down,” which the BSB passive also follows in sense.

Sources. The brief’s Barnes entries for vv. 13 to 17 repeat his note on v. 12 (“Day began to wear away”) and are evidently misfiled, so Barnes is quoted only at v. 12. JFB and Benson give only cross-references to Matthew and Mark and are not quoted. Henry’s single note on vv. 10 to 17 is repeated under each verse; different sentences of it are used where they fit. Maclaren’s entries are capped in the brief; only the visible text is quoted. Several commentators (Cambridge, Pulpit, Gill, Maclaren) harmonize freely with Mark and John; details such as the boat, Andrew, the boy, barley loaves, the Passover season and the order to gather fragments are from those Gospels, not Luke.

Uncertain. The Verifier’s list for Mark 8:19 does not show G4000; the verbal tier for the “five loaves remembered” thread rests on Matthew 16:9. The statements that episitismos (v. 12) and klisia (v. 14) occur only here in the NT are from standard concordance knowledge, not Verifier counts. The Exodus 18:21 echo of “fifties” and the tribal reading of the twelve baskets are ⚙ suggestions. The translation of Hilary’s Latin in the Cambridge note is ⚙.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)