Matthew 14 14

Matthew 14:14 kjv

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14 nkjv

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14 niv

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14 esv

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14 nlt

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14 verses

Matthew 14 14 Meaning

Matthew 14:14 profoundly illustrates Jesus' divine empathy and His immediate, powerful response to human suffering. Upon encountering the vast multitude, He was moved with a deep, visceral compassion (σπλαγχνίζομαι, splagchnizomai), a feeling arising from His innermost being. This profound compassion instantly compelled Him to heal all those who were sick among them. The verse encapsulates Jesus' identity as the merciful Messiah, demonstrating that His power to heal and save stems directly from His boundless love and care for humanity, setting the compassionate tone for His subsequent miracles and teachings.

Matthew 14 14 Context

This verse is positioned in Matthew's Gospel following the traumatic account of John the Baptist's execution (Mt 14:1-12), a deeply personal loss for Jesus. Seeking a desolate place for solitude and rest, Jesus retreats by boat. However, His retreat is interrupted as immense crowds, recognizing Him, follow Him on foot from nearby towns. When Jesus disembarks, His attention immediately shifts from His own grief and need for solitude to the pressing needs of the people before Him. Matthew 14:14 directly precedes the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand (Mt 14:15-21), highlighting Jesus' comprehensive care that addresses both spiritual and physical hunger. This compassionate act also subtly contrasts Jesus' selfless, loving leadership with the callous, self-indulgent reign of Herod Antipas (Mt 14:1-12).

Matthew 14 14 Word analysis

• And (Καὶ, kai): A simple Greek conjunction that links Jesus' disembarking and seeing the multitude with the preceding narrative, maintaining the flow of events after His brief retreat.

• Jesus (Ἰησοῦς, Iēsous): The proper name of the Messiah, central to the Gospels. It is the Greek form of "Joshua," meaning "The Lord saves," a name highly significant in light of His actions that follow.

• went forth (ἐξελθὼν, exelthōn): From the verb exerchomai, meaning "to go out" or "to come forth." It indicates His action of disembarking from the boat and directly stepping into the presence of the multitude, demonstrating His readiness to engage despite seeking rest.

• and saw (εἶδεν, eiden): From horao, "to see" or "to perceive." This is not a superficial glance but a deliberate act of perceiving and acknowledging the large crowd before Him, signaling His attention is fully directed towards them.

• a great multitude (πολὺν ὄχλον, polun ochlon): Polun signifies a large number or extent, emphasizing the sheer size of the crowd. Ochlon refers to a mass of people, often the common populace, suggesting they were eager, perhaps lost, and certainly needy, presenting a collective challenge.

• and was moved with compassion (ἐσπλαγχνίσθη, esplanchnisthē): This is a pivotal term, derived from splagchna (intestines or bowels), which ancient cultures considered the seat of the deepest human emotions. Splagchnizomai denotes a powerful, visceral, gut-wrenching pity or deep sympathy that propels action. It describes an innermost stirring, far beyond intellectual understanding, often unique to Jesus in the Gospels when encountering profound suffering.

• toward them (περὶ αὐτῶν, peri autōn): This prepositional phrase ("concerning them" or "about them") precisely directs Jesus' deep compassion toward the multitude as a whole, highlighting their collective state of need.

• and he healed (ἐθεράπευσεν, etherapeusen): From therapeuō, meaning "to heal" or "to cure." This word denotes an active, effective intervention. It showcases Jesus' power to directly alleviate physical suffering and his commitment to immediate action born of His compassion.

• their sick (τοὺς ἀρρωστοῦντας αὐτῶν, tous arrōstountas autōn): Arrōstountas describes "those who are weak," "infirm," or "sick." This specifies the particular group within the multitude who received Jesus' healing attention, demonstrating His care for the vulnerable.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude,": This sequence vividly portrays Jesus' active and attentive engagement with humanity. Despite seeking solitude, He deliberately leaves His boat, indicating a transition from personal space to public ministry, directly observing the vast collective need before Him. His "seeing" implies not just visual recognition, but a deep perception of their condition.
  • "and was moved with compassion toward them,": This phrase encapsulates the very essence of divine empathy. It goes beyond simple pity, describing a profound, gut-level feeling that links Jesus intrinsically to the suffering of humanity. This splagchnizomai is the wellspring of His miraculous power, showing that His actions are always rooted in profound, personal love.
  • "and he healed their sick.": This segment demonstrates the direct, practical, and potent outcome of Jesus' compassion. It transitions from internal feeling to external, powerful action, directly alleviating suffering. This immediate healing serves as tangible proof of His divine authority and underscores that His Kingdom involves the restoration of health and wholeness.

Matthew 14 14 Bonus section

The specific use of esplanchnisthē for Jesus' compassion in the Gospels is noteworthy. It marks a particular intensity and depth of feeling, indicating that Jesus does not merely pity from afar but personally identifies with suffering, embodying God's profound yearning over His people (cf. Hos 11:8). This divine attribute directly challenges any notion of a distant or unfeeling God. Moreover, Jesus' actions here embody the Kingdom of God not merely as a future hope but as a present reality marked by relief from affliction and demonstration of divine power. His willingness to sacrifice personal rest for the needs of others highlights a self-sacrificial love, a precursor to His ultimate act of compassion on the cross. This verse beautifully portrays Jesus as the merciful King whose reign is defined by active benevolence.

Matthew 14 14 Commentary

Matthew 14:14 captures a quintessential moment in Jesus' ministry, illustrating the seamless link between His divine nature and His compassionate action. Despite seeking solitude after the grim news of John the Baptist's execution, Jesus is immediately moved upon encountering the needy crowds. His "compassion" (ἐσπλαγχνίσθη) is a powerful, deep-seated empathy that comes from His innermost being, a consistent characteristic of Jesus throughout the Gospels whenever confronted with suffering. This is not merely an emotion, but an impetus for immediate, active intervention. He responds by "healing their sick," manifesting His power as the divine Physician and demonstrating His care for both the physical and spiritual well-being of the people. This act sets the stage for the miraculous feeding that follows, emphasizing Jesus' comprehensive concern for humanity's needs and His role as the benevolent shepherd who tends to His flock, seeing them as "sheep without a shepherd" (Mk 6:34). It exemplifies that true divine love translates into practical, life-changing assistance.