Matthew 15:34

Simplified Cowboy Version

Jesus asked 'em what kind of food they had and they showed him seven small biscuits and some sardines.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“How many loaves do you have?”

King James Version (1611)
And Iesus saith vnto them, How many loaues haue yee? And they said, Seuen, and a few little fishes.

King James Version
And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

English Standard Version
And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

New American Standard Bible
And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

New Century Version
Jesus asked, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They answered, "Seven, and a few small fish."

Amplified Bible
And Jesus asked them, "How many loaves [of bread] do you have?" They replied, "Seven, and a few small fish."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iesus said vnto them, How many loaues haue ye? And they said, Seuen, & a few litle fishes.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jesus *said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

Berean Standard Bible
"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."

Contemporary English Version
Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, "Seven small loaves of bread and a few little fish."

Complete Jewish Bible
Yeshua asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few fish."

Darby Translation
And Jesus says to them, How many loaves have ye? But they said, Seven, and a few small fishes.

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus asked, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They answered, "We have seven loaves of bread and a few small fish."

George Lamsa Translation
Jesus said to them, How many loaves of bread have you? They said to him, Seven, and a few small fish.

Good News Translation
"How much bread do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven loaves," they answered, "and a few small fish."

Lexham English Bible
And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" So they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."

Literal Translation
And Jesus said to them, How many loaves do you have? And they said, Seven, and a few small fish.

American Standard Version
And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes.

Bible in Basic English
And Jesus says to them, How much bread have you? And they said, Seven cakes, and some small fishes.

Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

International Standard Version
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?"They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

Etheridge Translation
Jeshu saith to them, How many loaves have you ? They say to him, Seven, and a few small fishes.

Murdock Translation
Jesus said to them, How many loaves have ye? They said to him, Seven, and a few little fishes.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iesus sayeth vnto them: howe many loaues haue ye? And they say, seuen, and a fewe litle fisshes.

English Revised Version
And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes.

World English Bible
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And Jesus saith to them, How many loaves have you?

Weymouth's New Testament
"How many loaves have you?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they said, "and a few small fish."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Jhesus seide to hem, Hou many looues han ye? And thei seiden, Seuene, and a fewe smale fisshis.

Update Bible Version
And Jesus said to them, How many loaves do you have? And they said, Seven, and a few small fish.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jesus saith to them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

New English Translation
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They replied, "Seven—and a few small fish."

New King James Version
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."

New Living Translation
Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" They replied, "Seven loaves, and a few small fish."

New Life Bible
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They said, "Seven loaves and a few small fish."

New Revised Standard
Jesus asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jesus saith unto them - How many, loaves have ye? And, they, said, - Seven, and a few small fishes.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jesus said to them: How many loaves have you? But they said: Seven, and a few little fishes.

Revised Standard Version
And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And Iesus sayde vnto them: how many loves have ye? And they sayde: seven and a feawe litle fysshes.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jesus saith to them, `How many loaves have ye?' and they said, `Seven, and a few little fishes.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Iesus sayde vnto the: How many loaues haue ye? They sayde: seue, & a few litle fyshes.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus asked, how many loaves have ye? they reply'd, seven, and a few small fish.

THE MESSAGE
Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" "Seven loaves," they said, "plus a few fish." At that, Jesus directed the people to sit down. He took the seven loaves and the fish. After giving thanks, he divided it up and gave it to the people. Everyone ate. They had all they wanted. It took seven large baskets to collect the leftovers. Over four thousand people ate their fill at that meal. After Jesus sent them away, he climbed in the boat and crossed over to the Magadan hills.

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

How: Matthew 16:9, Matthew 16:10

few: Luke 24:41, Luke 24:42, John 21:9, John 21:10

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 17:12 - but an handful 2 Kings 4:2 - What shall I 2 Kings 4:43 - What Matthew 14:17 - General Mark 6:38 - General Mark 8:5 - How Mark 8:20 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jesus saith unto them,.... In a very mild and gentle manner, taking no notice of their stupidity, nor upbraiding them with their forgetfulness of the late miracle, and willing to exercise their patience, and try their faith, asks,

how many loaves have ye? meaning in the common stock, and which they brought along with them, for their own supply:

and they said seven, and a few little fishes; which they mention as so small a provision, that it was as nothing for such multitudes; their loaves of bread were but seven, and their fishes, which were ready dressed, dried, or boiled, &c. were few in number, and small, as to quantity and size.

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.