14 And Jesus went forth, and

saw

a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

16 But Jesus said unto them, that a great multitude from the neighboring cities followed him, on foot, into this desert place, or region little cultivated and sparsely inhabited. ¶ Moved with compassion. Jesus always manifested a spirit of compassion and love; and no one ever sincerely appealed to him in vain for assistance and consolation. At this time, he was moved with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd." Mark vi. 34. See note on Matt. ix. 36. They were destitute of spiritual food. Their religious teachers either neglected them, or they were blind leaders of the blind. They came to Jesus for instruction, and he taught them. And he healed their sick. He was always ready to do good both to the souls and bodies of men.

15. The time is now past. That is, the usual hour of refreshment is past; or, the day is nearly ended, and the night is at hand. Send the multitude away, &c. The multitude had hitherto fasted, and the disciples desired that they might now go to the villages not far distant, and procure needful refresh

ment.

16. They need not depart; give ye them to eat. John relates a conversation between Jesus and Philip on this subject. Jesus desired to prove the faith of his disciples, and inquired how they might procure food for this multitude. Philip replied, that "two hundred pennyworth of bread " would scarcely furnish a morsel to each. And this sum, about twenty-eight dollars, (the Roman penny or denarius being equal to about fourteen cents,) was entirely beyond the means of the poor disciples, who had left all to follow Christ. Our Lord, in this transaction, not only relieved the temporal wants of the famishing multitude, but impressed

They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18 He said, Bring them hither to me.

19 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 on the minds of his disciples the important truth, that they might safely trust in him; and that whatever duty he required of them, he would enable them to perform.

17. We have here but five loaves and two fishes. And the fishes were small. John vi. 9. Well might Peter inquire, when he suggested that they had so much food and no more, "What are they among so many?" The disciples would gladly have fed the multitude; but they judged it impossible; they had but a small quantity of food, and no means to procure more. They seem not to have remembered the widow's barrel and cruse. 1 Kings xvii. 12-16. Nor did they fully comprehend their Master's power. At the same time, they manifested a spirit of confidence in him; for they readily obeyed his commands preparatory to the distribution of food.

18. Bring them hither to me. Whatever might have been the doubts or fears of the disciples, our Lord had full confidence in the divine power. He well knew that "there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few," 1 Sam. xiv. 6; and that this vast multitude might as easily be fed by five loaves as by five thousand, if it so pleased God.

19. He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass. That is, to lie down or recline, as was their usual custom at their meals. Luke says they were arranged "by fifties in a company," Luke ix. 14; and Mark, that

they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties." Mark vi. 40. By this arrangement, a double advantage was secured. The disciples could more conveniently distribute the food, and be more certain that no one of the number was overlooked; and the reality of the miracle was more apparent to the mul

gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

21 And they that had eaten

titude, inasmuch as all had an opportunity to see that there was no deception in the matter, and that no additional quantity of food was procured surreptitously. Moreover, the multitude could thus be easily counted, and the exact number ascertained. Looking up to heaven, he blessed. "The form among the Jews of giving thanks to God, on such occasions, was by using words which began thus, Blessed be God, &c. Hence the whole form of thanksgiving was called the blessing, from the first word of it. Our form of faith is called a Creed, for the same reason, Credo being the first word of it in Latin; and so, when we give thanks to God for our meal, it is called grace, from the first word of it in Latin, gratias tibi agimus," &c.-Pearce. The form of blessing among the Jews, as preserved by their writers, was this: "Blessed be thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, who hast produced this food and this drink from the earth and the vine." And brake. The barley loaves, in use among the Jews, were thin, hard, and brittle; they were not cut by a knife, but broken, when used.

20. They did all eat, and were filled. This was a manifest miracle. If the quantity of food was increased, so as to furnish a full meal to this vast multitude, such increase was miraculous; and it would require a miracle to convince them that they had eaten abundantly, when they had actually eaten nothing, or, at most, but a morsel. In either case, a miracle was wrought, and it had its effect on the people. See John vi. 14. Twelve baskets full. The disciples were required to gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." John vi. 12. They were thus taught that the extraordinary as well as the ordinary gifts of divine providence are to be used with economy; and that nothing should be thrown away which is useful to sustain life. The size of the baskets is unknown. Probably they were such as the Jews were accustomed to carry, when on a

were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

journey. Houses of refreshment were not then and there so frequent as at present in this country. Travellers generally carried their own food. It is very likely that the apostles carried such baskets for this purpose, and that each filled his own with the fragments. Not only, therefore, were the multitude fed, but a larger quantity of food was left than there was at the beginning.

21. About five thousand men, beside women and children. Probably there were eight or ten thousand, in all. It was easy to ascertain the number, as they sat in companies of hundreds and fifties. All the evangelists agree in the computation.

22-36. Parallel with Mark vi. 4556; John vi. 14-21.

22. Straightway. Immediately; as soon as they had gathered the fragments. ¶ Constrained his disciples, &c. They were not very willing to depart, as it would seem, and Jesus had occasion to use authority. The record of John explains the reason of this unwillingness to depart. John vi. 14, 15. The people were deeply impressed by the miracle, and "said, this is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world." They were therefore disposed to "take him by force, to make him a king;" for such a station, they supposed, rightfully belonged to the Messiah. This was very gratifying to the ambitious disciples, who were looking for a temporal kingdom, anticipating its glories, and seeking to secure its chief honors. Matt. xx. 20, 21; Mark ix. 34; Luke xxii. 24. Very probably, they encouraged the excitement of the multitude, and were unwilling to forego this opportunity for the accomplishment of their wishes. But Jesus had a higher mission than to assume earthly dignities. He required his disciples to depart into another place, dismissed the multitude, and retired to hold solitary communion with God.

His

23. Sent the multitude away. power over the minds of others was very great. Even when thus highly

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and be

from the region of the dead; though it is difficult to assign any good reason for such fear.

27. It is I; be not afraid. Jesus did not correct the opinion of his disciples concerning the supernatural appearance of spirits. He left this, as he did their opinion concerning possessions, or the dwelling of deceased wicked men's spirits in the bodies of the living, to be corrected by the general spirit and character of the truths he inculcated. But he dispelled their fears immediately, by exhorting them to be of good cheer, and announcing himself. 28. If it be thou, bid me come unto thee, &c. The peculiar character of Peter is very manifest in this transaction. Ardent and enthusiastic, he was always ready to lead in any perilous adventure. At the same time, like others of sanguine temperament, he was much discouraged by disappointment. He once professed to be willing to follow Jesus, even at the sacrifice of his life; and he was doubtless honest; for in the hour of trial, he boldly drew his sword and smote one of the opposite party. But when his Master surrendered, he was discouraged, and denied his Lord vehemently. So on this occasion, as soon as the disciples ascertained that it was their Master who was approaching, Peter, with an ever-forward zeal, requested that he might encounter the peril of walking on the water. But he became terrified, during the experiment. Macknight translates this passage, "Seeing it is thou, command me to come unto thee on the water;" and refers to Acts iv. 9; xi. 17, for a similar use of the particle here translated if. He adds: "It would have been perfectly ridiculous in the apostle, to have asked such a proof of the person's being Jesus who spake

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him,

to him, as, had it failed, would have become fatal to himself."

29. And he said, come. Jesus was willing both to exhibit his power to preserve his disciples, and also to afford Peter an opportunity to learn his own weakness, that he might be less impetuous in future. Hence he granted the permission requested.

30. When he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, &c. For a time, he walked on the water, as on a solid surface. But, at length, his mind turned from his Master to the fury of the winds and waves; his faith and courage forsook him, and he began to sink. He still had so much faith in Jesus, however, that he appealed to him for assistance. But he learned, though he seems afterwards to have forgotten the lesson, that his self-confidence and self-reliance were misplaced.

31. Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, &c. He instantly answered the appeal, and afforded the assistance desired. Thus ready is he always to preserve the sinking, who confidingly and fervently call on his name.

Wherefore didst thou doubt? His doubt was unreasonable, since he had witnessed so many displays of his Master's power.

32. The wind ceased. The tempests on the sea of Galilee cease as suddenly as they commence. Yet, in this case, the sudden calm may be regarded as miraculous; for it is added that “immediately the ship was at the land whither they went." John vi. 21.

33. Worshipped him. Prostrated themselves, or rendered such manifestations of homage, as were customary in the East. Thou art the Son of God. The repeated and astonishing miracles they had witnessed satisfied them beyond doubt, for the time at least,