Luke 9:13 kjv

But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

Luke 9:13 nkjv

But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."

Luke 9:13 niv

He replied, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish?unless we go and buy food for all this crowd."

Luke 9:13 esv

But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish ? unless we are to go and buy food for all these people."

Luke 9:13 nlt

But Jesus said, "You feed them." "But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?"

Luke 9 verses

Luke 9 13 Meaning

Luke 9:13 presents a critical moment where Jesus, knowing the needs of a vast crowd, commands His disciples to provide sustenance for them. This directive immediately exposes the stark contrast between human limitations and divine possibility, as the disciples assess their meager resources of five loaves and two fish against the overwhelming demand of thousands of people, revealing their human-centric outlook and logistical impossibility.

Luke 9 13 Context

Luke 9:13 immediately follows the disciples' return from their first mission trip, where they were empowered by Jesus to cast out demons and heal diseases (Luke 9:1-6). They gather around Jesus and report all they have done. Jesus then seeks a secluded place near Bethsaida for rest and further instruction, but large crowds follow Him. Instead of finding respite, Jesus welcomes them, teaches them about the kingdom of God, and heals the sick (Luke 9:10-11). As evening approaches, with the disciples sensing the impending logistical nightmare of feeding thousands in a desolate place, they suggest dismissing the crowds. Jesus' response in verse 13 challenges their human understanding of resource management and faith, pushing them beyond their comfortable parameters and setting the stage for one of His most iconic miracles, the feeding of the five thousand. The broader narrative of Luke 9 continues to highlight Jesus' identity and the cost of discipleship, culminating in Peter's confession and the Transfiguration. Historically and culturally, in that era, large gatherings required self-provision or generous hosts, making the sheer number of people (implied as 5,000 men, plus women and children, per parallel accounts) a staggering logistical problem without obvious solutions.

Luke 9 13 Word analysis

• But he said to them:

  • "But": Connects Jesus' instruction to the disciples' previous suggestion (to send the crowds away, Lk 9:12), highlighting a contrary or surprising command.
  • "he said": The Greek verb is ἔλεγεν (elegenn), an imperfect tense, suggesting Jesus' firm, perhaps repeated, instruction. It's a direct command, not a question or suggestion.
  • "to them": Refers specifically to the twelve disciples, to whom Jesus entrusts this seemingly impossible task. This command is directed at those who are called to follow and serve.

• "You give them something to eat.":

  • "You (ὑμεῖς - humeis)": The Greek pronoun is emphatic, specifically placing the responsibility and burden upon the disciples. This emphasizes their agency and responsibility in the divine plan, even if they initially perceive it as beyond their capacity. It's a test of their faith and their understanding of Jesus' power working through them.
  • "give them": A command to act and to minister to the immediate physical need of the multitude. This is not about Jesus performing a magic trick for them, but commissioning them to be agents of His compassion.
  • "something to eat" (φαγεῖν - phagein): Refers to food or sustenance. The simple phrase indicates a basic human need, yet the scale of the need makes it profound.

• They said, 'We have no more than five loaves and two fish—':

  • "They said": The disciples' immediate and practical response, revealing their human-limited perspective.
  • "We have no more than" (οὐκ εἰσὶν ἡμῖν πλείονες ἢ - ouk eisin hēmin pleiones ē): This phrase signifies a definitive scarcity and an expression of their perceived inability. They state their limited resources directly, framing the problem in terms of human capacity and possession.
  • "five loaves and two fish": A common, humble meal. These precise numbers underscore the disciples' detailed assessment of their meager inventory. The simplicity of these items highlights the contrast with the impending miraculous abundance. It represents the utter insufficiency of human resources for a divine task.

• "—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.":

  • "unless we are to go and buy food": This presents their only logical, human solution, which is impractical due to the large crowd, remote location, and likely financial constraints. It underscores their continued reliance on conventional methods and highlights their failure to grasp the potential for divine intervention.
  • "for all these people": Emphasizes the overwhelming magnitude of the crowd (an implied 5,000 men plus women and children from parallel accounts). It expresses the sheer scale of the challenge that human means could not possibly address. This rhetorical question highlights the absurdity of such an undertaking from a purely worldly viewpoint.

Luke 9 13 Bonus section

• The timing of this instruction is significant: it follows the disciples' return from their mission trip. They had just experienced the power of God working through them (Luke 9:6), yet faced with a new, large-scale challenge, their first thought was still limited to human capacity. This shows that spiritual victories don't automatically eradicate areas of wavering faith.
• Jesus' question served not merely to obtain information, but to prompt the disciples towards understanding God's ultimate plan of provision. He intentionally creates a moment of crisis to stretch their faith beyond their immediate senses and reliance on financial or physical assets.
• The fact that it was "five loaves and two fish," common, humble items, emphasizes that God can take even the most ordinary or meager things, bless them, and multiply them for His extraordinary purposes, showing His sovereignty over all creation.

Luke 9 13 Commentary

Luke 9:13 encapsulates a foundational lesson for discipleship: the tension between human limitations and divine commands. Jesus, despite possessing infinite power, delegates a seemingly impossible task to His followers. His direct instruction, "You give them something to eat," is a test of their faith and a revelation of His intention to work through them. The disciples' response is logical and realistic from a human perspective—they count their few provisions and consider the astronomical cost of feeding such a multitude. Their words highlight their focus on what they do not have rather than on who Jesus is and what He can do.

This moment underscores that God often places His people in situations where their human resources are clearly insufficient, precisely so that His power may be revealed. The disciples, fresh from a mission where they performed miracles by Christ's power, still instinctively defaulted to earthly logistics. Yet, this very inadequacy is what sets the stage for one of Christ's most profound displays of miraculous provision. It is a lesson that our "five loaves and two fish" – our small resources, talents, or means – are not the measure of what can be accomplished when surrendered to Christ's divine power. God asks us to offer what little we have, so He can transform it into something abundantly more, fulfilling His purposes and revealing His glory through our willing participation in the impossible.