Keraia
John 6

John 6:13

The Feeding of the Five Thousand · John 6:1–15
Read John 6

Translations

Modern
So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
Traditional
Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
Literal
So they gathered together and filled twelve hand-baskets of fragments from the five barley loaves that superabounded to those having eaten.
Latin
Collegerunt ergo, et impleverunt duodecim cophinos fragmentorum ex quinque panibus hordeaceis, quæ superfuerunt his qui manducaverant.

Original

Greek
English
So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Notes

John 6:1–15

Jesus feeding the 5,000 recalls the Old Testament story of manna (bread from heaven) when Israel was in the wilderness (Exodus 16). In that story, God provided bread each day for his people.

In the time of Jesus, some Jewish teachers believed that the Messiah would again give bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4). They expected a new act of divine provision.

When Jesus fed the crowd, he met this expectation. However, he was not only giving physical bread. He was pointing to himself as the true bread from heaven, who gives life to the world.

John 6:1–71

Each story in this chapter uses the setting of the Feast of the Passover (6:4) to communicate a deeper meaning.

Events

Parallels

Matthew 14:13–21 Mark 6:30–44 Luke 9:10–17

Glossary

Agriculture Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Bread Food and Food Preparation Jesus Christ Jesus Christ, Teachings of John, Gospel of Lord’s Supper, the Miracle Sea of Galilee Spirit of Jesus Christ

Topics

Barley: Loaves of Deserts: Vast Barren Plains Economics: Household Jesus, the Christ: Miracles of More than Five-Thousand People Fed Jesus, the Christ: The Twelve Apostles Return Wasting