Matthew 14 · Verse 19

Matthew 14:19

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

Matthew 14:19, King James Version

Matthew 14:19 in other translations

BSB	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.
WEB	He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
ASV	And he commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
YLT	And having commanded the multitudes to recline upon the grass, and having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he did bless, and having broken, he gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes,
DARBY	And having commanded the crowds to recline upon the grass, having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed: and having broken the loaves, he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
BBE	And he gave orders for the people to be seated on the grass; and he took the five cakes of bread and the two fishes and, looking up to heaven, he said words of blessing, and made division of the food, and gave it to the disciples, and the disciples gave it to the people.
Webster	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 broke, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

What does Matthew 14:19 mean?

Barnes' Notes

Verse 19. And he commanded the multitude to sit down. In the original it is to recline on the grass, or to lie as they did at their meals. The Jews never sat, as we do at meals, but reclined, or lay at length. Mt 23:6. Mark and Luke add, that they reclined in companies, by hundreds, and by fifties.

And looking up to heaven, he blessed. Luke adds, he blessed them; that is, the loaves. The word to bless means, often, to give thanks; sometimes to pray for blessing; that is, to pray for the Divine favour and friendship; to pray that what we do may meet his approbation. In seeking a blessing on our food it means, to pray that it may be made nourishing to our bodies; that we may have proper gratitude to God, the Giver, for providing for our wants; and that we may remember the Creator, while we partake the bounties of his providence. Our Saviour always sought a blessing on his food. In this he was an example for us. What he did, we should do. It is right thus to seek the blessing of God. He provides for us; he daily opens his hand, and satisfieth our wants; and it is proper that we should render suitable acknowledgments for his goodness.

The custom, among the Jews, was universal. The form of prayer which they used in the time of Christ has been preserved by their writers, the Talmudists. It is 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 loaves of Bread, among the Jews, were made thin and brittle, and were therefore broken and not cut.

Mt 14:13

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 19 And took the five loaves, etc. - This was the act of the father of a family among the Jews - his business it was to take the bread into his hands, and render thanks to God, before any of the family was permitted to taste of it. Looking up to heaven - To teach us to acknowledge God as the Supreme Good, and fountain of all excellence. He blessed - The word God should, I think, be rather inserted here than the word them, because it does not appear that it was the loaves which Christ blessed, but that God who had provided them; and this indeed was the Jewish custom, not to bless the food, but the God who gave it. However, there are others who believe the loaves are meant, and that he blessed them in order to multiply them. The Jewish form of blessing, or what we term grace, before and after meat, was as follows: - Before Meat ברוך אתה אלהינו מלך העולם המוצא לחם מן הארץ Baruc attah Elohinoo melec haolam hamotse lechem min haarets Blessed art thou, our God, King of the universe, who bringest bread out of the earth! After Meat ברוך אלהינו מלך העולם בורא פרי הגפן Barnuc Elohinoo melec haolam bore peri hagephen Blessed art thou, our God, King of the universe, the Creator of the fruit of the vine! And brake - We read often in the Scriptures of breaking bread, never of cutting it: because the Jews made their bread broad and thin like cakes, and to divide such, being very brittle, there was no need of a knife.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 14:13-21

When Christ and his word withdraw, it is best for us to follow, seeking the means of grace for our souls before any worldly advantages. The presence of Christ and his gospel, makes a desert not only tolerable, but desirable. This little supply of bread was increased by Christ's creating power, till the whole multitude were satisfied. In seeking the welfare of men's souls, we should have compassion on their bodies…

Read the full comment on Matthew 14:13-21 →

Matthew 14:19 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532

κελεύσαςkeleusashaving commandedG2753

τοὺςtoustheG3588

ὄχλουςochlouscrowdsG3793

ἀνακλιθῆναιanaklithēnaito sit downG347

ἐπὶepionG1909

τοῦtoutheG3588

χόρτου,chortougrass,G5528

λαβὼνlabōnhaving takenG2983

τοὺςtoustheG3588

πέντεpentefiveG4002

ἄρτουςartousloavesG740

καὶkaiandG2532

τοὺςtoustheG3588

δύοduotwoG1417

ἰχθύας,ichthuasfish,G2486

ἀναβλέψαςanablepsashaving looked upG308

εἰςeistoG1519

τὸνton<the>G3588

οὐρανὸνouranonheavenG3772

εὐλόγησεν,eulogēsenHe spoke a blessing,G2127

καὶkaiandG2532

κλάσαςklasashaving brokenG2806

ἔδωκενedōkenHe gaveG1325

τοῖςtoisto theG3588

μαθηταῖςmathētaisdisciplesG3101

τοὺςtoustheG3588

ἄρτους,artousloaves,G740

οἱhoi<the>G3588

δὲdeandG1161

μαθηταὶmathētaithe disciplesG3101

τοῖςtoisto theG3588

ὄχλοις.ochloiscrowds.G3793

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 14:19

Mark 8:6-7
And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.
1 Samuel 9:13
As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.
Luke 24:30
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
1 Timothy 4:4-5
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Mark 6:41
And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
Acts 27:35
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
Matthew 26:26-27
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Matthew 15:35-36
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
1 Corinthians 11:24
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Romans 14:6
He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
1 Corinthians 10:16
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

he commanded.
15:35; Mr 6:39; 8:6; Lu 9:14; Joh 6:10
looking.
Mr 6:41; 7:34; Lu 9:16; Joh 11:41
he blessed.
15:36; 26:26,27; 1Sa 9:13; Mr 8:6; 14:22,23; Lu 22:19; 24:30
Joh 6:11,23; Ac 27:35; Ro 14:6; 1Co 10:16,31; 11:24; Col 3:17
1Ti 4:4,5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Matthew 14:18
He said, Bring them hither to me.
Matthew 14:19
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 gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Matthew 14:20
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

Read all of Matthew 14

Matthew 14:19 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y mandando á las gentes recostarse sobre la hierba, tomando los cinco panes y los dos peces, alzando los ojos al cielo, bendijo, y partió y dió los panes á los discípulos, y los discípulos á las gentes.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et ayant donné l’ordre aux foules de s’asseoir sur l’herbe, ayant pris les cinq pains et les deux poissons, il regarda vers le ciel et bénit; et ayant rompu les pains, il les donna aux disciples, et les disciples aux foules.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er befahl der Volksmenge, sich auf das Gras zu lagern, nahm die fünf Brote und die zwei Fische, blickte auf gen Himmel und segnete sie, und er brach die Brote und gab sie den Jüngern, die Jünger aber gaben sie der Volksmenge.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et cum jussisset turbam discumbere super fœnum, acceptis quinque panibus et duobus piscibus, aspiciens in cælum benedixit, et fregit, et dedit discipulis panes, discipuli autem turbis.