Matthew 15:33

Simplified Cowboy Version

His cowboys said, "Man, this place is like a barren desert. We could butcher one hundred cows and not have enough food for all these people."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The disciples said to him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed such a crowd?”

King James Version (1611)
And his disciples say vnto him, Whence should we haue so much bread in the wildernesse, as to fill so great a multitude?

King James Version
And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

English Standard Version
And the disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?"

New American Standard Bible
The disciples said to Him, "Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?"

New Century Version
His followers asked him, "How can we get enough bread to feed all these people? We are far away from any town."

Amplified Bible
The disciples said to Him, "Where are we to get enough bread in this isolated place to feed so large a crowd?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And his disciples saide vnto him, Whence should we get so much bread in the wildernes, as should suffice so great a multitude!

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The disciples said to Him, "Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?"

Legacy Standard Bible
And the disciples *said to Him, "Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?"

Berean Standard Bible
The disciples replied, "Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?"

Contemporary English Version
His disciples said, "This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?"

Complete Jewish Bible
The talmidim said to him, "Where will we find enough loaves of bread in this remote place to satisfy so big a crowd?"

Darby Translation
And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so many loaves in [the] wilderness as to satisfy so great a crowd?

Easy-to-Read Version
The followers asked Jesus, "Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people? We are a long way from any town."

George Lamsa Translation
His disciples said to him, Where can we get bread in this desolate place to feed all this people?

Good News Translation
The disciples asked him, "Where will we find enough food in this desert to feed this crowd?"

Lexham English Bible
And the disciples said to him, "Where in this desolate place can we get so much bread that such a great crowd could be satisfied?"

Literal Translation
And His disciples said to Him, From where in a deserted place will come to us so many loaves as to satisfy so great a crowd?

American Standard Version
And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?

Bible in Basic English
And the disciples say to him, How may we get enough bread in a waste place, to give food to such a number of people?

Hebrew Names Version
The talmidim said to him, "Where should we get so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?"

International Standard Version
The disciples asked him, "Where in the wilderness are we to get enough bread to feed such a crowd?"2 Kings 4:43;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
The disciples say to him, Whence can we have bread in the wilderness, that we may satisfy this whole multitude ?

Murdock Translation
His disciples say to him: Whence can we get bread in the wilderness, to satisfy all this multitude?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And his disciples say vnto hym: whence [shoulde we get] so much bread in the wyldernesse, as to suffise so great a multitude?

English Revised Version
And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place, as to fill so great a multitude?

World English Bible
The disciples said to him, "Where should we get so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so much bread in a wilderness, as to satisfy so great a multitude?

Weymouth's New Testament
"Where can we," asked the disciples, "get bread enough in this remote place to satisfy so vast a multitude?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the disciplis seien to him, Wherof thanne so many looues among vs in desert, to fulfille so greet a puple?

Update Bible Version
And the disciples say to him, From where should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?

Webster's Bible Translation
And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to satisfy so great a multitude?

New English Translation
The disciples said to him, "Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?"

New King James Version
Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"

New Living Translation
The disciples replied, "Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?"

New Life Bible
The followers said to Jesus, "Where can we get enough bread to feed them all in this desert?"

New Revised Standard
The disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And his disciples say unto him - Whence, to us, in a wilderness, loaves in such numbers as to fill a multitude, so great?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the disciples say unto him: Whence then should we have so many loaves in the desert, as to fill so great a multitude?

Revised Standard Version
And the disciples said to him, "Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And his disciples sayd vnto him: whece shuld we get so moche breed in ye wildernes as shuld suffise so greate a multitude?

Young's Literal Translation
And his disciples say to him, `Whence to us, in a wilderness, so many loaves, as to fill so great a multitude?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And his disciples sayde vnto him: Whence shulde we get so moch bred in the wyldernes, that we might satissfie so moch people?

Mace New Testament (1729)
how can we get bread enough in the desert to satisfy such a multitude?

THE MESSAGE
His disciples said, "But where in this deserted place are you going to dig up enough food for a meal?"

Contextual Overview

²⁹When he left there, Jesus rode along the shore of Lake Galilee. He rode his horse up on top of a hill and sat there. ³⁰A whole mess of folks came up there where he was and brought with them people who were in bad shape. Some were blind. Some were deaf. Some were paralyzed and others couldn't talk. They brought 'em before Jesus and he fixed 'em all. ³¹Everyone was shocked by what Jesus was able to do. The paralyzed were walkin' and the mutes were talkin'. Everyone was shoutin' and shootin' up in the air in honor of the Boss. ³²Jesus called his cowboys over to him and said, "I feel sorry for all these people. They have been here with us for three days and some of 'em haven't had anything to eat. If some of 'em leave, they might pass out before they get home." ³³His cowboys said, "Man, this place is like a barren desert. We could butcher one hundred cows and not have enough food for all these people." ³⁴Jesus asked 'em what kind of food they had and they showed him seven small biscuits and some sardines. ³⁵Jesus hollered for everyone to sit down and then ³⁶he took the seven biscuits and the can of sardines and gave thanks for them. He then broke them and handed 'em to his cowboys so they could pass 'em out to everybody. ³⁷Everyone ate as much as they wanted and there was enough leftovers to fill seven large Dutch ovens. ³⁸There were four thousand cowboys who ate, not counting the womenfolk and little ones.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Whence: Numbers 11:21, Numbers 11:22, 2 Kings 4:42-44, Mark 6:37, Mark 8:4, Mark 8:5, John 6:5-7

to fill: Matthew 14:15, Luke 9:13, John 6:8, John 6:9

Reciprocal: Numbers 11:13 - General 1 Kings 17:12 - but an handful 2 Kings 4:43 - What Matthew 6:31 - What shall we eat Matthew 14:17 - General Matthew 14:20 - were Matthew 15:37 - all

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And his disciples said unto him,.... The former miracle of feeding five thousand men, besides women and children, with five loaves and two fishes, being quite out of their thoughts, they reply,

whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? The question is big with objections, and is put with some vehemency and astonishment: the people to be led were a multitude, a great multitude, a very great multitude, and these too had had but little, or no food, for a great while; and therefore would require the more to fill and satisfy them; and besides, it was a wilderness where they were, and where no provisions were to be had; and if they could have been got for money, they had not stock enough to purchase such a large number of loaves, as were necessary to feed so great a company with.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The miracle recorded here - the feeding of the four thousand - took place on a mountain near the Sea of Galilee. The same account is recorded in Mark 8:1-10. The circumstances of the miracle are so similar to the one recorded in Matthew 14:14-21, as to need little additional explanation.

Matthew 15:32

Three days, and have nothing to eat - This is not, perhaps, to be taken literally, but only that during that time they had been deprived of their ordinary or regular food.

They had had only a very scanty supply, and on the third day even that began to fail.

Matthew 15:39

Coasts of Magdala - Mark says, “The parts of Dalmanutha.” Magdala was probably the same place which was formerly called Migdol, Joshua 19:38. It is now called Mejdel, and is situated a few miles north of the city of Tiberias, in the land of Gennesaret, on the western side of the Sea of Tiberias, and directly east of Cana of Galilee. “It is a wretched hamlet of a dozen low huts huddled into one, and the whole ready to tumble into a dismal heap of black basaltic rubbish.” - The Land and the Book (Thomson), vol. ii. p. 108. This was the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Saviour cast seven devils, Mark 16:9. Dalmanutha was probably a small village near to Magdala, of which no remains have been discovered. There is no contradiction in the statements of the two evangelists here, for they do not say that Jesus went to either of these towns, but only to the coasts or parts where they were situated.

Remarks On Matthew 15:0

We learn from this chapter:

1. That people are often far more attached to traditions and the commandments of human beings than to the Law of God, Matthew 15:1-6.
2. That people are strongly disposed to explain away the law of God, if possible. It is too strict for them, and too spiritual. They dare not often attack it directly, but they will explain it and dilute it so as to make it mean nothing. Wicked people do not love God’s law, Matthew 15:4-6.
3. People are prone to introduce foolish rites into religion. They do not love what God has commanded, and they attempt to compensate for not loving his doctrines by being great sticklers for their own, Matthew 15:2; Mark 7:3-4.
4. All addition to the law of God is evil, Matthew 15:3. All ceremonies in religion which are not authorized by the New Testament are wrong. Man has no right to ordain rites to bind the conscience where God has commanded none, Colossians 2:23. People come the nearest to that which is right when they live nearest to just what God has commanded in the Bible.
5. Hypocrites should be unmasked and detected, Matthew 15:7. He does a great service to people who detects their hypocrisy. That close and faithful preaching which lays open the heart, and shows people what they are, is that which comes nearest to the example of Christ. It may pain them, but the wounds of a friend are faithful Proverbs 27:6; and we should honor and love the man that, by the grace of God, can show us our own hearts. We always honor most the physician of the body that is most skilled in detecting and curing disease, and so should we the physician of the soul.
6. We should be exceedingly cautious in avoiding formality in worship, Matthew 15:8-9. It is hypocrisy. God requires the heart. To render to him only the service of the lips is to mock him. Nothing can be acceptable but true piety, genuine love, and hearty obedience; nothing more hateful than an appearance of worshipping God, while the heart is in sin and the world.
7. The duty of honoring parents, Matthew 15:4-6. Nothing can explain away this duty. It is binding on all. Parents should be obeyed, loved, respected. God requires it and we cannot be free from the duty. Under age, a child is bound always to obey a parent where the parent does not command anything contrary to the Bible; but when the parent commands anything contrary to the Bible, the child is not bound to obey, Acts 5:29. After the child is of age, he is to respect, love, and honor the parent; and, if poor and needy, to provide for his wants until he dies. It is certainly proper that we should do all that we can to comfort those in old age who did so much for us in childhood. A child can never repay a parent for his kindness to him.
8. We are not at liberty to give to anything else not even to religious uses - what is necessary to render our parents comfortable, Matthew 15:4-6. They have the first claim on us. And though it is our duty to do much in the cause of benevolence, yet our first duty should be to see that our parents do not suffer.
9. People easily take offence when they are faithfully reproved, and especially when their hypocrisy is exposed; and especially if this exposure is about some small matter on which they have greatly set their hearts some ceremony in worship or some foolish rite, Matthew 15:12.
10. Every false doctrine is to be opposed and should be rooted up, Matthew 15:13. It is to be opposed by arguments and candid investigation, and not by abuse and misrepresentation. Christ never misrepresented any man’s doctrine. He always stated it just as it was - just as they held it; and then, by argument and the word of God, he showed it was wrong. This is the proper way to manage all controversies.
11. It is of great importance to search the heart, Matthew 15:19-20. It is a fountain of evil. It is the source of all crime. External conduct is comparatively of little importance. In the sight of God, the heart is of more importance; and if that were pure, all would be well.
12. The doctrine of man’s depravity is true, Matthew 15:19. If the heart produces those things which are specified by the Saviour it cannot be pure. And yet who is there from whose heart, at some time, these things have not proceeded? Alas, the world is full of instances that prove that the human heart may produce all these things.
13. In our distress, and the distress of our children and friends, we should go to Jesus. We should, indeed, use all proper means to restore our friends when they are sick; but we should feel that God only can grant returning health and life, Matthew 15:22.
14. We should not be discouraged that our prayers are not immediately answered. God knows the proper time to answer them, and it may be of great importance to us that the answer should be deferred, Matthew 15:23.
15. We should still persevere, Matthew 15:24-27. We should not be discouraged. We should not be disheartened even by the appearance of neglect or unkind treatment.
16. Our prayers will be answered if we persevere, Matthew 15:28. They that seek shall find. In due time - in the best and most proper time - a gracious God will lend an ear to our request, and grant the thing we need.
17. We should come with humility and faith, Matthew 15:27. We can never think too little of ourselves, or too much of the mercy and faithfulness of Christ. Prayers of humility and faith only are answered.
18. Christ will take care of his poor and needy followers. We may be assured that he has power to give us all we need, and that in times of necessity he will supply our wants, Matthew 15:32-38.
19. The great number of poor in the world is no reason why he should not supply them, Matthew 15:38. He daily supplies the wants of nine hundred millions of human beings, besides countless numbers of the beasts of the field, of the fowls of heaven, and the fishes of the sea. It is a small thing to supply the needs of the few poor people on the earth, and He who feeds the world will take care of us in the time of need.
20. We should be grateful to God for our daily food. We should render to him proper thanksgiving, Matthew 15:36.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 33. Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, &c.] Human foresight, even in the followers of Christ, is very short. In a thousand instances, if we supply not its deficiency by faith, we shall be always embarrassed, and often miserable. This world is a desert, where nothing can be found to satisfy the soul of man, but the salvation which Christ has procured.