Matthew 15:36 kjv
And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Matthew 15:36 nkjv
And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.
Matthew 15:36 niv
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.
Matthew 15:36 esv
he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
Matthew 15:36 nlt
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.
Matthew 15 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 14:19 | Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples... | First feeding, parallel actions of blessing and distribution. |
| Mk 6:41 | Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before them... | Parallel to Mt 14:19. |
| Lk 9:16 | Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. | Parallel to Mt 14:19. |
| Jn 6:11 | Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. | Parallel to Mt 14:19. Emphasizes thanksgiving. |
| Mk 8:6 | So He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, He broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before them... | Direct parallel to Mt 15:36 (second feeding). |
| Lk 22:19 | And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body..." | Foreshadows Last Supper/Communion, actions of taking, thanks, breaking. |
| Acts 2:42 | And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. | "Breaking of bread" as a central Christian practice. |
| Acts 20:7 | Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread... | "Breaking of bread" indicates communal meal/Eucharist. |
| 1 Cor 10:16 | The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? | Links breaking bread to the Lord's Supper and spiritual communion. |
| Deut 8:3 | He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone... | Divine provision after hunger, reliance on God. |
| Neh 9:21 | Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing... | God's sustained provision for His people. |
| Ps 78:19-20 | Yes, they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Indeed He struck the rock and water gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?" | Questioning God's ability to provide food. Jesus answers this here. |
| 2 Kgs 4:42-44 | A man came from Baal Shalisha, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread, and fresh heads of grain... "Give it to the people so they can eat." But his servant asked, "How can I set this before a hundred men?"... "For thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’"... | Elisha's miraculous feeding, an Old Testament precedent. |
| Jn 6:35 | And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." | Jesus is the ultimate source of spiritual sustenance. |
| Col 3:17 | And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. | Principle of thanksgiving in all things, acknowledging God's hand. |
| 1 Tim 4:4-5 | For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. | Emphasis on receiving God's gifts with gratitude and sanctification. |
| Mt 15:32-33 | Then Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude... I do not want to send them away hungry... From where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to satisfy so great a multitude?" | Immediate context, Jesus' compassion and the disciples' questioning. |
| Mt 15:37-38 | So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. | Consequence of the feeding, abundance and sufficiency. |
| Acts 14:27 | Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. | Relates to the Gentile context of the second feeding. |
| Rom 11:17 | If some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree... | Gentile inclusion into God's provision and blessings. |
Matthew 15 verses
Matthew 15 36 Meaning
This verse details Jesus' actions in the miraculous feeding of the four thousand. It describes His deliberate act of taking the available provisions—seven loaves of bread and some fish—and giving thanks to God the Father. Following this, He broke the food and distributed it to His disciples, who in turn distributed it to the assembled crowds. This action highlights Jesus' divine power to multiply, His dependence on and communion with God through thanksgiving, and the disciples' role as intermediaries in God's provision for humanity.
Matthew 15 36 Context
Matthew 15:36 is part of the account of Jesus feeding the four thousand (Mt 15:29-39). This event takes place in the Decapolis region, a predominantly Gentile area, shortly after Jesus' encounter with the Syrophoenician woman, another instance highlighting Jesus' ministry to non-Jews. The immediate context shows large crowds gathering around Jesus, bringing their sick to be healed. After three days, Jesus expresses compassion for the hungry multitude (Mt 15:32). His disciples, accustomed to the scarcity of the wilderness, again express doubt about how to feed so many (Mt 15:33). This sets the stage for Jesus' miracle. Historically, hospitality and the provision of food were crucial in ancient cultures, and the inability to provide for guests was a social disgrace. In this desolate location, the miracle underscores Jesus' divine authority, compassion, and His ability to supernaturally provide where human resources fail. It also serves as a strong implicit statement against any exclusionary mindset that might limit God's provision to one group, hinting at the broader reach of His Kingdom to Gentiles, contrasting with earlier discussions about ritual purity within Judaism.
Matthew 15 36 Word analysis
- and took (καὶ λαβὼν - kai labōn): Labōn is an aorist active participle of lambanō (to take, to receive). This indicates a decisive, singular action, emphasizing Jesus' initiative and control. It implies taking hold of something specific and preparing for an intentional act.
- the seven loaves (τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἄρτους - tous hepta artous): Hepta (seven) is a number often symbolizing completeness, perfection, or divine fullness in Scripture (e.g., seven days of creation, seven spirits of God, seven churches). Artous (loaves) refers to the staple food, simple bread. The specific number 7 is distinct from the 5 loaves in the earlier feeding of the five thousand.
- and the fish (καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας - kai tous ichthuas): Ichthuas (fish) indicates the common aquatic food source, especially prevalent in the Galilee region. The number of fish here is not explicitly stated in this verse but implied to be "a few small fish" from verse 34.
- and gave thanks (εὐχαριστήσας - eucharistēsas): Eucharistēsas is an aorist active participle from eucharisteō (to be thankful, to give thanks). This word is the root of "Eucharist" (communion/Lord's Supper). Jesus consistently offered thanks before meals and miraculous provision, demonstrating His reliance on and reverence for God the Father (e.g., Mt 14:19; Jn 6:11; Lk 22:17, 19). It turns the natural into a sacred act of divine blessing and acknowledges God as the true provider.
- and broke them (ἔκλασεν - eklasen): Eklasen is an aorist active indicative of klasmos (to break). Breaking bread was the customary way of dividing it for distribution, as loaves were often baked flat. This physical action, however, carries deep symbolic weight, recurring in biblical narratives, notably in the breaking of bread at the Last Supper and its remembrance in Christian communion (Lk 24:30; 1 Cor 11:24). The breaking precedes the multiplication and distribution.
- and gave them to the disciples (καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς - kai edidou tois mathētais): Edidou is an imperfect active indicative of didōmi (to give). The imperfect tense denotes a continuous or repeated action, emphasizing that Jesus kept giving as the supply multiplied, passing it consistently to the disciples. Mathētais (disciples) signifies their immediate recipients and, importantly, their role as channels or intermediaries in the distribution process, active participants in His ministry.
- and the disciples gave them to the crowds (οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις - hoi de mathētai tois ochlois): This phrase highlights the completion of the distribution chain. Ochlois (crowds) refers to the vast number of people present. The disciples’ act of giving directly to the crowds underscores their essential mediatorial role, not only learning from Jesus but also actively serving under His direction, bringing the blessing of provision to the multitude.
- and took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks, and broke them: This sequence of actions portrays Jesus' leadership and divine authority. He takes charge of the meager resources, offers them to God with gratitude, and then performs the central act of breaking, which, by implication, initiates the miracle of multiplication. This chain of events showcases His respectful dependence on God, even as He performs an act of supreme power.
- and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds: This two-part distribution flow emphasizes the disciples' critical role as mediators. They are not merely observers but direct participants in Jesus' ministry. Jesus chooses to work through them, training them in service, establishing a model for future apostolic ministry, where the blessings received from God are then shared with the world through His chosen servants.
Matthew 15 36 Bonus section
- The Symbolic Numbers (7 and 12): The contrast between the "seven loaves" (this miracle) and the "five loaves" (feeding of 5000), and especially the "seven large baskets" of leftovers (Mt 15:37) versus "twelve small baskets" (Mt 14:20) is significant. Seven often symbolizes completeness or universality in the Bible, perhaps hinting at God's provision for all peoples, particularly the Gentiles present in Decapolis. Twelve typically represents the tribes of Israel or the apostles, indicating the particular scope of the first miracle. This distinction suggests different, yet equally abundant, outpourings of divine grace for both Jew and Gentile.
- Divine Order in Ministry: The process described—Jesus to disciples, disciples to crowds—establishes a template for orderly ministry and administration within God's Kingdom. It is not chaos, but a structured flow of blessing, emphasizing accountability and delegation, essential for reaching vast numbers efficiently and effectively.
- Faith in Action: Jesus' act of giving thanks for the limited provisions models an unwavering faith that trusts in God's ability to provide abundantly from scarcity. This posture of gratitude, even before the full manifestation of the miracle, is an object lesson for believers facing overwhelming challenges.
Matthew 15 36 Commentary
Matthew 15:36 is a pivotal verse in the narrative of the feeding of the four thousand. It reveals Jesus' divine method of provision: an ordered process flowing from His compassionate initiative, through a solemn act of thanksgiving, to miraculous multiplication, and finally, methodical distribution via His disciples. His thanksgiving acknowledges God as the ultimate source, transforming ordinary food into supernatural provision. The breaking of the bread, a customary action, foreshadows the Last Supper and communion, establishing a link between physical sustenance and spiritual nourishment, and hinting at Jesus as the "Bread of Life." The intentional use of His disciples as distributors is crucial; it educates them in active ministry, demonstrating that God often channels His blessings through human agents. This miracle, performed primarily among Gentiles, further illustrates the universal scope of God's grace and provision, extending beyond perceived boundaries and reinforcing Jesus' identity as the compassionate and all-sufficient provider for all humanity.