Mat 15:32-39 | NETfull | STEP | Then Jesus called the disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way.”

Matthew 15:32-39

The Feeding of the Four Thousand

32 Then Jesus called the ^{▼▼ ‡ Although the external evidence is not great (א W Θ 700 pc), the internal evidence for the omission of αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after “disciples” is fairly strong. The pronoun may have been added by way of clarification. NA²⁷, however, includes the pronoun, on the basis of the much stronger external evidence.} disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way.” 33 The disciples said to him, “Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?” 34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven – and a few small fish.” 35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, who then gave them to the crowds. ^{▼▼ Grk “was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowd.”} 37 They ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has not been translated.} all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 38 Not counting children and women, ^{▼▼ ‡ Although most witnesses (B C L W f¹³ 33 Maj. f sy^s,p,h mae) read “women and children” instead of “children and women,” it is likely that the majority’s reading is a harmonization to Matt 14:21. “Children and women” is found in early and geographically widespread witnesses (e.g., א D [Θ f¹] 579 lat sy^c sa bo), and has more compelling internal arguments on its side, suggesting that this is the original reading. NA²⁷, however, agrees with the majority of witnesses.} there were four thousand men who ate. ^{▼▼ Grk “And those eating were four thousand men, apart from children and women.”} 39 After sending away the crowd, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. ^{▼▼ Magadan was a place along the Sea of Galilee, the exact location of which is uncertain.}