Matthew 14:19
And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus responds to His disciples' report about the hungry crowd by ordering them to organize the multitudes for a meal. The words — κελεύσας (keleuas) means "having commanded," and ἀνακλιθῆναι (anaklithēnai) translates to "to recline" or "sit down," describing the physical arrangement Jesus directed for the people. The thread — This distribution pattern appears in Mark 8:6 when Jesus feeds the four thousand and in Luke 24:30 at the Emmaus road, where He similarly breaks bread after giving thanks. Why it lands — The text records Jesus blessing, breaking, and delegating the loaves to the disciples, who then distribute them to the people.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 9:13 As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.”
- Mark 8:6 And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd.
- Luke 24:30 While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.
- 1 Timothy 4:4 For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
- Mark 6:41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all.
- Acts 27:35 After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
- Matthew 15:35 And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground.
- Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”
- Romans 14:6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
- 1 Corinthians 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”