Feeding the Five Thousand
Luke 9:10-17
Luke.9.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- υποστρεψαντες: VERB,aor,act,ptc,nom,pl,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- αποστολοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- διηγησαντο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- οσα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- εποιησαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- και: CONJ
- παραλαβων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m
- αυτους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- υπεχωρησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- κατ᾽ιδιαν: ADV
- εις: PREP
- πολιν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- καλουμενην: PART,pres,mid/pass,acc,sg,f
- Βηθσαιδα: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Mark 6:30-32 (verbal): The apostles return and report to Jesus, and he withdraws with them to a solitary place (Mark explicitly uses similar language about retiring to a quiet place/Bethsaida region).
- Matthew 14:13 (structural): After learning of the apostles' activity (and in Matthew's case John's death), Jesus withdraws to a lonely place—parallel movement to seclusion immediately before the feeding narrative.
- John 6:1-5 (thematic): Sets the same wider scene for the feeding of the five thousand: Jesus departs by boat, a large crowd follows, and the movement around the Sea of Galilee/Bethsaida region is emphasized.
- Luke 9:1-6 (structural): Immediate Luke context: the sending out of the twelve apostles (their mission) explains why they 'returned and reported' to Jesus in 9:10, linking commissioning and debriefing within Luke's narrative.
Alternative generated candidates
- When the apostles returned, they told him all that they had done. He took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.
- When the apostles returned they reported to him all that they had done. He took them and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida.
Luke.9.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- οχλοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- γνοντες: PART,aor,act,nom,pl,m
- ηκολουθησαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- αποδεξαμενος: VERB,aor,mid,ptc,nom,sg,m
- αυτους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- ελαλει: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- περι: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- βασιλειας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- χρειαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- εχοντας: VERB,pres,act,ptc,acc,pl,m
- θεραπειας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ιατο: VERB,impf,mid,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Matthew 9:35 (thematic): Summarizes Jesus' pattern of going through towns teaching about the kingdom and healing every disease—parallel emphasis on teaching and healing the crowds.
- Mark 6:34 (structural): Narrative parallel: Jesus sees a large crowd, has compassion, welcomes them and begins to teach them many things—similar scene to Luke 9:11 where he receives the crowds and speaks to them.
- Luke 8:1 (verbal): Lukan parallel describing Jesus' itinerant ministry 'preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God' accompanied by those healed—reinforces Luke's theme linking proclamation of the kingdom with healing.
- Luke 4:43 (quotation): Jesus' stated mission 'to proclaim the kingdom of God'—Luke 9:11 echoes this mission as he speaks to the crowds about the kingdom.
- Acts 10:38 (thematic): Peter's summary of Jesus' ministry: 'went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed'—thematically connects proclamation of God's reign with acts of healing in Luke 9:11.
Alternative generated candidates
- But the crowds, when they learned it, followed him; and he received them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who were in need of healing.
- But when the crowds learned it they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who were in need of healing.
Luke.9.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Η: ART,nom,sg,fem
- δε: CONJ
- ημερα: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- ηρξατο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- κλινειν·προσελθοντες: VERB,pres,act,inf+VERB,aor,act,part,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- δωδεκα: NUM,acc,pl,m
- ειπαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω·Απολυσον: PRON,dat,sg,m+VERB,aor,act,imp,2,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- οχλον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- ινα: CONJ
- πορευθεντες: VERB,aor,pass,part,nom,pl,m
- εις: PREP
- τας: ART,acc,pl,f
- κυκλω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- κωμας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- αγρους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- καταλυσωσιν: VERB,aor,act,sub,3,pl
- και: CONJ
- ευρωσιν: VERB,aor,act,sub,3,pl
- επισιτισμον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- οτι: CONJ
- ωδε: ADV
- εν: PREP
- ερημω: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- τοπω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- εσμεν: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,pl
Parallels
- Matthew 14:15 (verbal): Same feeding context: when evening came the disciples urge Jesus to send the crowd away to nearby villages to buy food—near-verbatim parallel to Luke 9:12.
- Mark 6:35 (verbal): Parallel account of the feeding of the 5,000—disciples tell Jesus to send the crowd into surrounding countryside and villages to buy something to eat because it is late.
- Matthew 15:32 (thematic): In the feeding of the 4,000 Jesus and the disciples face a large hungry crowd and the disciples express concern about dismissing them for food—a closely related theme of evening, need for provisions, and dismissal.
- Mark 8:1-3 (thematic): Parallel to Matthew 15:32 (feeding of the 4,000): Mark records the disciples' concern about the hungry crowd and the lack of food in a remote place, echoing Luke 9:12's situation and suggestion to send people away.
Alternative generated candidates
- As the day began to decline, the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms and lodge and find provisions, for we are in a deserted place.”
- As the day was drawing to a close the twelve came and said to him, "Send the multitude away so they may go into the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are here in a desolate place."
Luke.9.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- προς: PREP
- αυτους·Δοτε: PRON,acc,pl,m|VERB,pres,act,imp,2,pl
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- υμεις: PRON,nom,pl,2
- φαγειν: VERB,aor,act,inf
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- ειπαν·Ουκ: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl|NEG
- εισιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- ημιν: PRON,dat,pl,1
- πλειον: ADV,comp
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- αρτοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- πεντε: NUM,acc,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ιχθυες: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- δυο: NUM,acc,pl,m
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- μητι: PART
- πορευθεντες: VERB,aor,pass,part,nom,pl,m
- ημεις: PRON,nom,pl,1
- αγορασωμεν: VERB,aor,act,sub,1,pl
- εις: PREP
- παντα: ADJ,nom,pl,n
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- λαον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- τουτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- βρωματα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
Parallels
- Matthew 14:16 (verbal): Direct synoptic parallel: Jesus tells the disciples to feed the crowd; the disciples reply they have only five loaves and two fish (same core dialogue and numbers).
- Mark 6:37 (verbal): Another close synoptic parallel with the same exchange—disciples point to the limited five loaves and two fish and suggest buying food—leading to the multiplication miracle.
- John 6:5-9 (verbal): Johannine account preserves the key elements (five loaves and two fish, a boy with the food) and the practical question of where to obtain bread, paralleling Luke’s concern with scarcity and provision.
- Mark 8:1-9 (thematic): Feeding of the four thousand: similar narrative structure—Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, disciples’ awareness of insufficient food, and miraculous multiplication—providing a thematic parallel about Jesus’ provision.
- 2 Kings 4:42-44 (thematic): Elisha’s miracle of feeding many with a limited number of loaves serves as an Old Testament precedent for miraculous multiplication and divine provision, thematically resonant with Luke’s episode.
Alternative generated candidates
- But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have only five loaves and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people.”
- He said to them, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people."
Luke.9.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ησαν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- γαρ: PART
- ωσει: ADV
- ανδρες: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- πεντακισχιλιοι: NUM,nom,pl,m
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- προς: PREP
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- μαθητας: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- αυτου·Κατακλινατε: PRON,gen,sg,m + VERB,aor,act,imp,2,pl
- αυτους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- κλισιας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- ωσει: ADV
- ανα: PREP
- πεντηκοντα: NUM,acc,pl,n
Parallels
- Matthew 14:19-21 (structural): Parallel account of the feeding of the 5,000: Jesus tells the crowd to sit, the miracle of loaves and fishes occurs, and about five thousand men are present.
- Mark 6:40 (verbal): Describes the people sitting in orderly groups 'by hundreds and by fifties,' echoing Luke's instruction to arrange the crowd in groups of about fifty.
- John 6:10-11 (structural): John's version of the feeding of the 5,000: Jesus instructs the people to sit down (in groups), notes the number present (about five thousand men), and distributes the loaves and fishes.
- Mark 8:8 (thematic): Feeding of the 4,000: a thematically similar miracle (large crowd fed, baskets of leftovers) that highlights the recurring motif of Jesus' miraculous provision and the crowd-organizing pattern.
Alternative generated candidates
- For there were about five thousand men. Then he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
- For there were about five thousand men.
Luke.9.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- εποιησαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- ουτως: ADV
- και: CONJ
- κατεκλιναν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- απαντας: ADJ,acc,pl,m
Parallels
- Matthew 14:19-20 (verbal): Parallel account of the feeding of the 5,000: Jesus blesses/breaks the loaves and the people are seated and fed; language and sequence closely match Luke’s description of arranging the crowd and distributing food.
- Mark 6:41-44 (verbal): Mark’s narrative gives the same sequence—Jesus takes, blesses, breaks, and gives the loaves; the people are arranged (reclining) and all are fed—matching Luke’s brief report that they “made them recline.”
- John 6:11-13 (thematic): John records Jesus giving thanks, distributing the loaves and fishes, and the crowd being fed with leftovers gathered afterward; thematically parallels Luke’s report of arranging and feeding the multitude.
- Luke 9:16 (structural): Immediate continuation in Luke’s own Gospel describing Jesus taking the five loaves and two fish, blessing them, and distributing them—directly connected to the preceding verse about making the people recline.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
- Then he said to his disciples, "Set them down in companies of about fifty each."
Luke.9.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- λαβων: PART,aor,act,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- πεντε: NUM,acc,pl,m
- αρτους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- δυο: NUM,acc,pl,m
- ιχθυας: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- αναβλεψας: PART,aor,act,nom,sg,m
- εις: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- ουρανον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- ευλογησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- κατεκλασεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- εδιδου: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,n
- μαθηταις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- παραθειναι: VERB,pres,act,inf
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- οχλω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 14:19 (verbal): Synoptic parallel with almost identical wording: Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish, looks up, blesses (gives thanks), breaks them, and gives to the disciples to distribute.
- Mark 6:41 (verbal): Closest Synoptic match; same sequence of verbs (took, looked up, blessed/said a blessing, broke) and action of giving to the disciples for the crowd.
- John 6:11 (verbal): John's version of the feeding of the 5,000 repeats the core actions (took the loaves, gave thanks/blessed, distributed), linking Jesus' provision to later teaching about bread from heaven.
- Matthew 15:36 (structural): Feeding of the 4,000 (also Mark 8:6) repeats the same structural pattern (took loaves, blessed/gave thanks, broke, gave to disciples to set before the people), showing a repeated miracle motif.
- 2 Kings 4:42-44 (allusion): Elisha's multiplication of loaves (a man brings loaves and they feed many with leftovers) serves as an Old Testament precedent/allusion for miraculous multiplication of bread and surplus.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they all ate and were satisfied; and they gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces left over, and also the pieces of the fish.
- And he took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
Luke.9.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- εφαγον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- και: CONJ
- εχορτασθησαν: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,pl
- παντες: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ηρθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- περισσευσαν: VERB,aor,act,part,sg,n
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- κλασματων: NOUN,gen,pl,n
- κοφινοι: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- δωδεκα: NUM,acc,pl,m
Parallels
- Mark 6:43 (verbal): Mark's account of the feeding of the five thousand uses nearly identical language: all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve baskets of fragments.
- Matthew 14:20 (verbal): Matthew's parallel to the feeding of the five thousand likewise records that they all ate and were satisfied and that twelve baskets of leftover pieces were gathered.
- John 6:12-13 (verbal): John also preserves the detail that the people ate and were satisfied and that the disciples collected twelve baskets of fragments, though set within John's broader discourse material.
- Matthew 15:37 (thematic): The feeding of the four thousand shares the thematic motif of miraculous feeding and collecting leftovers (seven baskets here), highlighting a recurrent Gospel tradition of abundance and gathered fragments.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now the number of those who had eaten was about five thousand men.
- And they all ate and were satisfied; and they gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that remained.
And when the apostles returned, they told him all that they had done. So he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. But when the people learned it, they followed him; and he received them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
As the day began to wane, the twelve drew near and said to him, "Send the crowd away to the surrounding villages and farms, that they may find lodging and food; for we are in a deserted place here."
He said to them, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people."
For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in companies of about fifty each."
They did so, and all sat down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, lifted up his eyes to heaven, blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And the fragments left over were gathered, twelve baskets full. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men.