Matthew 14:18 kjv
He said, Bring them hither to me.
Matthew 14:18 nkjv
He said, "Bring them here to Me."
Matthew 14:18 niv
"Bring them here to me," he said.
Matthew 14:18 esv
And he said, "Bring them here to me."
Matthew 14:18 nlt
"Bring them here," he said.
Matthew 14 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 6:9-11 | "There is a lad here...Jesus then took the loaves..." | Parallel account of feeding, taking the provision. |
| Luke 9:13-16 | "But He said to them, 'You give them something...Then He took the five..." | Parallel account, disciples commanded to give. |
| Mark 6:38-41 | "How many loaves do you have? Go and see...He took the five loaves..." | Parallel account, finding and taking the provision. |
| Matt 15:34 | "And Jesus said to them, 'How many loaves do you have?' They said, 'Seven..'" | Jesus' command to assess resources again. |
| John 6:5 | "Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?'" | Jesus tests disciples before the miracle. |
| John 2:7 | "Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water.'" | Jesus commands before His first miracle (water to wine). |
| 1 Kings 17:15 | "So she went and did according to the word of Elijah. And she and he..." | Obedience to prophetic word brings provision. |
| 2 Kings 4:2-3 | "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?...go outside..." | Elisha asks about meager possessions before multiplication. |
| John 6:27 | "Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures..." | Jesus is the ultimate spiritual food. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding..." | Dependence on God over human logic/resources. |
| Phil 4:19 | "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." | God's provision in Christ for all needs. |
| 2 Cor 9:8 | "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency..." | God's grace for abounding sufficiency. |
| Isa 55:1-2 | "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters..." | God's abundant, free provision for the needy. |
| Rom 12:1 | "Present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice..." | Presenting all of oneself to God. |
| Gen 22:9-14 | "Abraham built the altar...took the fire...And Abraham lifted his eyes..." | Bringing an offering to God results in His provision. |
| Heb 4:16 | "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace..." | Approach God with needs for mercy and grace. |
| 2 Cor 12:9 | "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." | God's power made perfect in human weakness. |
| Zech 4:6 | "'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." | Miraculous works are by divine Spirit, not human strength. |
| Luke 11:9 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." | Bringing needs to God through prayer. |
| Eph 3:20 | "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think..." | God's power far exceeds human expectations. |
| 1 Cor 1:27 | "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise..." | God uses weak things to show His strength. |
| Matt 6:33 | "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added..." | Prioritizing God brings provision. |
Matthew 14 verses
Matthew 14 18 Meaning
Matthew 14:18 records a direct command from Jesus to His disciples concerning the meager provisions they had found. It signifies a pivotal moment where human insufficiency is explicitly brought before divine power. The disciples, after confessing their lack, are instructed to bring their limited resources—the five loaves and two fish—to Jesus, demonstrating His authoritative initiation of the miracle and establishing the principle that all sufficiency for divine works must originate from Him.
Matthew 14 18 Context
This verse occurs during a critical period in Jesus' ministry, immediately following the news of John the Baptist's execution (Matt 14:1-12). Jesus sought solitude in a desolate place (Matt 14:13), but vast crowds followed Him. Filled with compassion, Jesus healed their sick (Matt 14:14). As evening approached (Matt 14:15), the disciples, recognizing the remoteness and the hunger of the five thousand men (besides women and children), suggested sending the crowds away to buy food. Jesus, however, challenged their limited perspective, saying, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat" (Matt 14:16). When the disciples admitted their extreme lack – only five loaves and two fish – Jesus gave this pivotal instruction to "Bring them here to me" (Matt 14:18). This sets the stage for one of Jesus' most significant public miracles: the feeding of the five thousand.
Matthew 14 18 Word analysis
- He said: Refers to Jesus Christ, establishing His divine authority and initiatory role in the miracle. His words are always performative and purposeful.
- 'Bring': From the Greek word "Φέρετε" (Pherete), an imperative plural verb meaning "carry," "bear," or "bring forth." It is a command directed to all the disciples, indicating a necessary action on their part. This signifies the requirement of human participation, albeit limited, in the divine process. It's not a suggestion but a clear instruction.
- 'them': Refers specifically to the meager five loaves of bread and two fish, which represent the entirety of the human resources available at that moment. This highlights the disciples' expressed lack and inadequacy for the task at hand.
- 'here': From the Greek word "ὧδε" (hōde), indicating a specific location, emphasizing bringing the items to the immediate proximity of Jesus Himself. It specifies the destination of the offering.
- 'to me': From the Greek phrase "πρός με" (pros me). "Pros" means "towards" or "to," and "me" refers to Jesus. This emphasizes the personal nature of the command; the disciples were to present their limited resources directly to Him, placing them entirely under His authority and miraculous power. It underscores that it is Jesus who will transform inadequacy into abundance.
- Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "He said, 'Bring them': Jesus issues a direct, authoritative command, requiring the disciples' action. This is a moment of testing their obedience and trust.
- "them here to me": This phrase specifically identifies the limited resource (the loaves and fish) and directs them immediately and personally to Jesus. It is an act of transferring what little they have from their possession to His, recognizing His sovereign claim and ability over their lack. This act of "bringing to Me" is a foundational principle of surrender and reliance in the face of insurmountable challenges.
Matthew 14 18 Bonus section
This verse demonstrates Jesus' consistent methodology of involving human agents in His divine acts. While He could have materialized food directly, He chose to use the disciples' existing, though insufficient, provisions and to involve them in distributing the food (Matt 14:19). This highlights that God often works through His people, not always for them without their participation. The act of "bringing to me" foreshadows the principle of bringing all aspects of our lives, our inadequacies, and our seemingly small resources to Christ, trusting Him for their transformation and abundant use in His kingdom. It also serves as a potent illustration of God's sufficiency over all forms of human inadequacy or perceived impossibility.
Matthew 14 18 Commentary
Matthew 14:18 encapsulates a vital theological principle: God’s ability to use and multiply the little we bring to Him. The disciples’ natural response to a overwhelming need was human limitation, expressing what they lacked. Jesus’ command redirects them from focusing on what is missing to actively engaging with what little they possess and bringing it directly to Him. This brief directive turns the seemingly impossible task into a divine opportunity. It is a lesson in faith and radical surrender: before Jesus can multiply, we must first bring what we have, however insignificant, to Him. This is not about the magnitude of the human contribution but the posture of reliance upon the limitless power of Christ to meet any need. The miraculous multiplication then flowed from this initial act of obedience and presentation to Jesus.