Bible Strands
Matthew 14:21
About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator records the immediate aftermath of the feeding miracle as Jesus prepares to dismiss the crowds. The account specifies the total number of male participants present at the meal.
The words — The Greek ἄνδρες (andres) denotes adult males, and χωρὶς (chōris) means "apart from" or "besides." These terms specify that the five thousand count excludes women and children.
The thread — The text parallels the demographic count in Acts 4:4, which records about five thousand men believing the apostles' message. It also aligns with the broader biblical theme of God's provision detailed in Philippians 4:19 and 2 Corinthians 9:8.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to acknowledge the precise scale of the event before drawing theological conclusions. It establishes a factual baseline for understanding the scope of the miracle and the subsequent dismissal of the crowd.
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 they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Cross-references
- Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
- 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
- Acts 4:4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
- John 6:10 “Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
- Acts 4:34 There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales,