Bible Strands

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.

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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