Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 15:36
And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke [them,] and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
And he took the seven loaves and the fishes,…. Into his hands, and lifted them up, that it might be seen, and observed, that there were no other food than these, that so the miracle might appear in its true light:
and gave thanks; to God for the provision, though it was so small, in the name of the whole company, according to the usage of the Jewish nation; who, if there were ten thousand r, one for the rest used to say,
“let us bless the Lord our God, the God of Israel, the God of hosts, that sitteth between the cherubim:”
teaching us to do so likewise, and to be thankful for, and content with our portion, be it more or less:
and brake them; which also was the custom of the master of the family to do:
and gave to his disciples: as a fresh trial of their faith, to reprove their unbelief, to put them in mind of the former miracle, and that they might be witnesses of this, and, in order to distribute to the people, which they accordingly did:
and the disciples to the multitude; in doing which they obeyed their master’s orders, though before they could not persuade themselves, that such a multitude of people could be filled with so small a quantity.
r Misn. Beracot, c. 7. sect. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gave thanks (). In 14:19 the word used for “grace” or “blessing” is . Vincent notes that the Jewish custom was for the head of the house to say the blessing only if he shared the meal unless the guests were his own household. But we need not think of Jesus as bound by the peccadilloes of Jewish customs.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
‘And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and he gave thanks and broke, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.’
Then taking the seven loaves and the few fishes He gave thanks, broke them and gave them to the disciples. In the previous incident He had ‘offered a blessing’ for them. The latter was very much a Jewish way of looking at the giving of thanks. That used here was more universal. But the principle behind it all is the same. He is providing food to His ‘family’. The inference is clear. Those who respond to Him and do the will of His Father in Heaven are His family, whether they be Jew or Gentile.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
36 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.
Ver. 36. And gave to his disciples ] So confuting their unbelief, and confirming their faith for the future. And the like he doth for us every time we receive the sacrament of his Supper. He bespeaks us there, as he did peremptory Thomas, Joh 20:27 .
And the disciples to the multitude ] This is Christ’s course to this day; by the hands of his faithful ministers to deal forth his favours, to give his Holy Spirit, which is, to give all good things,Mat 7:11Mat 7:11 ; cf. Luk 11:13 , by the preaching of faith. This manna comes down from heaven in the dews of the ministry, Num 11:9 ; 1Pe 1:22 . If our eyes see not our teachers, we cannot expect to hear the voice behind us, Isa 30:20 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 15:36 . , a late Greek word (“does not occur before Polybius in the sense of gratias agere ” Camb. N. T.), condemned by Phryn., who enjoins instead (Lobeck, p. 18). Elsner dissents from the judgment of the ancient grammarians, citing instances from Demosthenes, etc.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
brake. See note on Mat 14:19.
to = [gave] to. Supplying the Ellipsis from the preceding clause.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 15:36. , having given thanks) It is right to give thanks even before food (see Act 27:35), and there it is the same as , or benediction, for it is an acknowledgment of the Divine blessing for the past and the future. Jesus referred everything to the Father, and here gave thanks for the loaves, and for the approaching satisfying of the people; cf. Joh 11:41.- is a verb found fault with by Phrynichus,[703] but used also by Diodorus Siculus.[704]
[703] PHRYNICUS, a rhetorician and sophist of Bythinia, who flourished in the second century of the Christian ra.-(I. B.)
[704] DIODORUS SICULUS, an ancient Greek historian. Born at Agyrium in the first century after Christ.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
and gave thanks: Mat 26:26, Mat 26:27, 1Sa 9:13, Luk 22:19, Luk 24:30, Joh 6:11, Act 27:35, Rom 14:6, 1Co 10:31, 1Ti 4:3, 1Ti 4:4
Reciprocal: 1Ki 17:14 – The barrel of meal Mat 14:19 – he blessed Mar 6:41 – blessed Mar 8:6 – to sit Luk 9:16 – he blessed Joh 6:10 – Make
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5:36
In this case Jesus gave thanks, in the instance of chapter 14:19 he “blessed” which was virtually the same meaning as was explained at that place.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
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.
[He gave thanks and brake.] See here the tract Beracoth; where it is discoursed of the manner of giving thanks when many ate together: Three who eat together ought to give thanks together; that is, one gave thanks for the rest (as the Gloss writes) “in the plural number, saying, Let us give thanks.” So when there were ten, or a hundred, or a thousand or more, one gave thanks for all, and they answered after him Amen; or some words which he had recited.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 15:36-37. The mode of distribution (and the miracle itself) was precisely the same.
That which remained of the broken pieces, seven baskets full. In the other case twelve. The word rendered baskets. is a different one (probably larger ones are meant), and the same difference is observed in Mat 16:9-10.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
LXX.
THIRD WITHDRAWAL FROM HEROD’S TERRITORY.
Subdivision A.
PHARISAIC LEAVEN. A BLIND MAN HEALED.
(Magadan and Bethsaida. Probably Summer, A. D. 29.)
aMATT. XV. 39-XVI. 12; bMARK VIII. 10-26.
b10 And straightway he entered into the boat with his disciples, aand came into the borders of Magadan. binto the parts of Dalmanutha. [It appears from the context that he crossed the lake to the west shore. Commentators, therefore, pretty generally think that Magadan is another form of the name Magdala, and that Dalmanutha was either another name for Magdala, or else a village near it.] a1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees bcame forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign aand trying him [testing the strength of his miraculous power] asked him to show them a sign from heaven. [They rejected his miracles as signs of his Messiahship, the Pharisees holding that such signs could be wrought by Beelzebub. They therefore asked a sign from heaven such as only God could give, and such as he had accorded to Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and Elijah, or such as Joel foretold ( Joe 2:31). It is generally thought that the [406] Herodians were Sadducees of Galilee. If so, we note the beginning of their hostility recorded at Mark iii. 6, 1Co 1:22.] 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and bverily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. [i. e., none such as was demanded] bbut the sign of Jonah. [For comment on similar language, see pages 305-306. The resurrection or Jonah sign was a sign from heaven in the sense in which they used the words; that is, it was wrought directly by God, and not through man.] 13 And he left them, bAnd again entering into the boat departed to the other side. [I. e., from Magdala back again to the east shore, or rather, toward Bethsaida Julias, on the northeast shore.] a5 And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take bread. band they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf. [This loaf was probably left over from the previous supply.] a6 Then Jesus said unto them, b15 And he charged them, saying, aTake heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. band the leaven of Herod. [Leaven, which answered to our modern yeast, was a symbol of a secret, penetrating, pervasive influence, usually of a corrupting nature. The [407] influence of the Pharisees was that of formalism, hypocritical ostentation, and traditionalism; that of the Sadducees was sneering rationalistic unbelief, free thought and cunning worldliness, manifesting itself among the Herodians in political corruption. 16 And they reasoned one with another, aamong themselves, saying, We took {bhave} no bread. They thought that Jesus reproved them for their carelessness in forgetting to take bread, since that carelessness might lead them to be without bread on their journey. So his rebuke below indicates.] a8 And Jesus perceiving it said, {bsaith,} unto them, aO ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet perceive, bneither understand? aneither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets [cophini, probably traveling baskets] ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets [spurides, probably grain baskets or hampers] ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? bhave ye your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19 When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets [cophini] full of broken pieces took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls [spurides] of broken pieces took ye up? And they say unto him, Seven. 21 And he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand? aBut beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [Jesus had resorted to metaphor because the word leaven better expressed his idea than did the word teaching. The formulated dogmas of the Pharisees were not so bad, but the subtle influence of their spirit and example corrupted [408] without warning, like a concealed grave. There are those to-day who are too skillful to be openly convicted of heterodox statements, but whose teaching, nevertheless, in its very essence and spirit, tends to infidelity.] b22 And they cometh unto Bethsaida. [Not the suburb of Capernaum, but Bethsaida Julias, a town on the east side of the Jordan, near where it flows into the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was proceeding northward toward Csarea Philippi.] And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. 23 And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village [Jesus increased the sympathy between himself and the man by separating him from the crowd. Our greatest blessing can only come to us after we have been alone with God]; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught? 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men; for I behold them as trees, walking. 25 Then again he laid his hands again upon his eyes; and he looked steadfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly. [The man’s eyes were probably sore, and Jesus made use of saliva to soften and soothe them. But it was our Lord’s custom to give variety to the manifestation of his power, sometimes using one apparent auxiliary means, and sometimes another; and also healing instantly or progressively, as he chose, that the people might see that the healing was altogether a matter of his will. The man had evidently not been born blind, else he would not have been able to recognize men or trees by sight, for those not used to employ sight can not by it tell a circle from a square.] 26 And he sent him away to his home, saying, Do not even enter into the village. [The man, of course, lived in the village, and to send him home was to send him thither, but he was to go directly home and not spread the news through the town, for if he did the population would be at once drawn to Jesus, thus breaking up the privacy which he sought to maintain.] [409]
[FFG 406-409]