Luke 9:16 kjv

Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

Luke 9:16 nkjv

Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

Luke 9:16 niv

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.

Luke 9:16 esv

And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

Luke 9:16 nlt

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people.

Luke 9 verses

Luke 9 16 Meaning

Luke 9:16 describes Jesus' actions immediately prior to the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. Faced with a large, hungry crowd and meager resources (five loaves and two fish), Jesus takes the lead. He lifts his gaze toward heaven, offering a blessing over the limited food, symbolizing an appeal to God the Father for divine power. Following the blessing, He breaks the bread—an ordinary action made extraordinary as the food supernaturally multiplies in His hands. He then entrusts this multiplied sustenance to His disciples, who are tasked with distributing it to the vast multitude. This verse encapsulates Jesus' compassionate response to human need, His complete dependence on the Father, and His divine authority over creation, providing a practical demonstration of His ability to meet material needs.

Luke 9 16 Context

Luke 9:16 is nestled within the account of Jesus' Galilean ministry, specifically following His instruction to the disciples to feed the hungry multitude, even though they possessed insufficient resources. This request came after a day of teaching and healing, with evening approaching and no provisions for the crowd. The disciples suggested sending the crowds away to buy food, highlighting human inadequacy. This verse marks the pivotal moment where Jesus shifts from the problem statement to divine intervention. Historically and culturally, communal meals were significant, and food scarcity was a real concern for many, especially large transient groups. The miracle echoes Old Testament prophetic provision (like Moses and Elisha) and positions Jesus as a greater prophet and the divine Provider, capable of overcoming fundamental human limitations.

Luke 9 16 Word analysis

• Then He (Gk. autos de): "He" refers directly to Jesus. The emphasis is on His decisive, authoritative action, not the disciples' or any other person's. It highlights His unique role as the instigator and executor of the miracle.
• took (Gk. labōn): This simple action denotes an intentional grasping or seizing. It is a deliberate act of taking ownership and preparing to use the available, meager resources as a conduit for a divine work. This "taking" parallels the action at the Last Supper, indicating Jesus' command and purpose over the elements.
• the five loaves and the two fish: These numbers are specific and intentionally small (the "loaves" - artous were likely small barley loaves). This highlights the utter inadequacy of human provisions for such a vast crowd (five thousand men, plus women and children). Their smallness serves to magnify the divine power unleashed.
• and looking up to heaven: (Gk. anablepsas eis ton ouranon): This is a distinct gesture of prayer and supplication in Jewish tradition, often associated with acknowledging the divine source of all blessings. It demonstrates Jesus' total dependence on His Father for the miracle, rather than exercising power independently. It indicates recognition that true provision comes from above.
• He blessed them (Gk. eulogēsen autous): The Greek word eulogēsen means "to speak well of" or "to invoke a blessing upon." In this context, it is much more than simply saying "grace" over food; it is an act of empowering the food with divine capability for multiplication. It connects to God's creative power, where blessing often resulted in fruitfulness and increase (Gen 1:22, 28).
• and broke them (Gk. katekalsen): This is the usual act of breaking a loaf of bread for distribution. However, in this miraculous context, the breaking became the means or accompaniment of the supernatural multiplication. It also prefigures the breaking of His body in the Lord's Supper and signifies the shared distribution to many.
• and gave them (Gk. edidou): The imperfect tense in Greek, edidou, suggests a continuous or repeated action. As Jesus broke, He continually "kept giving" or "began to give" to the disciples, implying the ongoing miraculous provision as they distributed it. This underscores the constant flow of provision from Christ.
• to the disciples to set before the multitude: The disciples served as intermediaries. Jesus involved them directly in the ministry of distribution, validating their role and teaching them about their future mission to spread His spiritual and physical provisions to the world. It teaches delegation and the partnership of divine power with human agency. "Set before" (Gk. parathetai) implies an orderly, communal arrangement, not a chaotic scramble.

Luke 9 16 Bonus section

The sequence of actions in Luke 9:16—taking, blessing, breaking, and giving—mirrors the actions Jesus performs later at the Last Supper (Lk 22:19), creating a profound typological connection. This miracle isn't merely about feeding physical hunger but points to Jesus as the "bread of life" (Jn 6:35) who satisfies spiritual hunger. The disciples' involvement is crucial; they do not create the food, but they are essential in its distribution. This emphasizes the principle that while Christ is the source, His followers are called to be channels of His blessing and provision to a needy world. The abundance that resulted—twelve baskets of fragments (Lk 9:17)—exceeded the initial scarcity, demonstrating God's overflowing generosity. This leftover abundance likely served as a reminder of the twelve tribes of Israel or the twelve disciples, symbolizing a superabundant provision for God's people.

Luke 9 16 Commentary

Luke 9:16 serves as a powerful demonstration of Jesus' compassion, authority, and divine methodology. It unveils His heart for humanity's practical needs, contrasting the disciples' pragmatic, human-centered solution (sending the crowds away) with His heaven-focused, faith-filled approach. By "looking up to heaven" and "blessing," Jesus models perfect dependence on the Father, signifying that all true provision comes from God. The act of "breaking" and "giving" through His disciples foreshadows both the sacrament of the Eucharist—where He Himself is the broken bread for the life of the world—and the church's role in distributing spiritual and physical nourishment to a hungry world. The verse underscores that God's sufficiency is manifested through a humble, obedient faith that uses meager resources as a catalyst for abundant miracles. This scene teaches that limitations in human resources are opportunities for divine intervention when surrendered to Christ and acted upon in faith.