Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 6:7
Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
7. Two hundred pennyworth ] Two hundred shillingsworth would more accurately represent the original. The denarius was the ordinary wage for a day’s work (Mat 20:2; comp. Luk 10:35); in weight of silver it was less than a shilling; in purchasing power it was more. Two hundred denarii from the one point of view would be about 7, from the other, nearly double that. S. Philip does not solve the difficulty; he merely states it in a practical way; a much larger amount than they can command would still be insufficient. See notes on Mar 8:4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 7. Two hundred pennyworth] This sum, rating the denarius at 7 3/4d., would amount to 6. 9s. 2d. of our money, and appears to have been more than our Lord and all his disciples were worth of this world’s goods. See the notes on Mt 18:28.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This discourse between our Saviour and Philip is reported by none of the other evangelists, and probably was after that which they report of the other disciples motion to Christ to dismiss the people, because it was now towards evening. The number (as we shall find afterward) was five thousand, besides women and children; amongst whom five hundred pennyworth of bread was very little to be divided.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Philip answered him,…. Very quick and short, and in a carnal and unbelieving way:
two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them. Two hundred pence, or “Roman denarii”, which may be here meant, amount to six pounds five shillings of our money; and this sum is mentioned, because it might be the whole stock that was in the bag, or that Christ and his disciples had; or because this was a round sum, much in use among the Jews; [See comments on Mr 6:37]. Or this may be said by Philip, to show how impracticable it was to provide for such a company; that supposing they had two hundred pence to lay out in this way; though where should they have that, he suggests? yet if they had it, as much bread as that would purchase would not be sufficient:
that everyone of them might take a little; it would be so far from giving them a meal, or proper refreshment, that everyone could not have a small bit to taste of, or in the least to stay or blunt his appetite: a penny, with the Jews, would buy as much bread as would serve ten men; so that two hundred pence would buy bread enough for two thousand men; but here were three thousand more, besides women and children, who could not have been provided for with such a sum of money.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Two hundred pennyworth of bread ( ). “Loaves of two hundred denarii.” The Roman coin originally for ten asses (afterwards sixteen), about 16 2/3 cents. The denarius was the usual pay for a day’s labour (Matt 20:2; Matt 20:9; Matt 20:13). This item in Mr 6:37, but not in Matthew or Luke.
That every one may take a little ( ). Final clause with and second aorist active subjunctive of . This detail in John alone.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Pennyworth [] . See on Mt 20:2. Two hundred pennyworth would represent between thirty and thirty – five dollars. That every one may take a little. Peculiar to John.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) ”Philip answered him,” (apekrithe auto ho Philippos) “Philip answered him directly,” almost impulsively, emphatically.
2) “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them,” (diakosion denarion artoi ouk akousin autois) “Of two hundred denari (two one dollar) loaves, There is not enough for them,” to meet their hunger need; Such was impossible, according to Philip’s immediate calculation. This was the sum they had with them, Num 11:22; 2Ki 4:43, recounts a similar inquiry of the Lord by Moses, and again, by sons of the prophets.
3) “That every one of them may take a little.” (hina hekastos brachu ti labe) “In order that each might take a little,” to satisfy themselves for even one meal, Luk 9:12-13; Php_4:19. The idea is that Jesus can supply every need, and He desires to do so as we ask Him, day by day, one day at a time, Mat 6:11.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
7. Two hundred denarii. As the denarius, according to the computation of Budaeus, is equal to four times the value of a carolus and two deniers of Tours, this sum amounts to thirty-five francs, or thereby. (119) If you divide this sum among five thousand men, each hundred of them will have less than seventeenpence sterling (120) If we now add about a thousand of women and children, it will be found that Philip allots to each person about the sixth part of an English penny, (121) to buy a little bread But, as usually happens in a great crowd, he probably thought that there was a greater number of people present; and as the disciples were poor and ill supplied with money, Andrew intended to alarm Christ by the greatness of the sum, meaning that they were not wealthy enough to entertain so many people.
(119) The value of the old French coins passed through so many changes, that all reasoning about them must be involved in uncertainty; but, so far as we have been able to ascertain, the value of a carolus of Tours, in Calvin’s time, was nearly that of a penny sterling, and the denier was the tenth part of it, or nearly a modern centime of Paris. “Four times the carolus, with two deniers, ” would thus be 4 and 1/5 pence sterling, and, multiplying that by 200, we have three pounds, ten shillings. Again, taking the franc (as Cotgrave rates it) at two shillings, 35 francs are also equal to three pounds, ten shillings. This is, at least, a curious coincidence, and the reader may compare it with a computation made from the livre Parisis, ( Harmony, volume 2, page 234, n. 2.) It would appear, however, that Budaeus and Calvin had estimated the denarius at little more than half its real value, which was sevenpence halfpenny sterling, taking silver at five shillings per ounce; so that two hundred denarii would be equal to six pounds, five shillings sterling. — Ed.
(120) “ Quatorze (fourteen) sols Tournois.” According to Cotgrave, the sol Tournois is the tenth part of our shilling, or one part in six better than our penny.” — Ed.
(121) “ Sesquituronicum;” — “ un denier Tournois et maille;” — “one and a half denier of Tours.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) Philip answered him.The answer proves that Philip has not really learnt the lessons of the earlier teaching. The question does not suggest to him the true answer of divine sufficiency, but leads him to think of the human difficulty. He looks on the vast throng of people. At the lowest estimate, it would take the value of 200 denarii to feed themin present money-value nearly 7; in actual labour-value nearly a workmans yearly wage. The denarius is the value of a days work in the parable (Mat. 20:2 et seq.). In A.D. 14, on the accession of Tiberius, one of the causes of revolt in the Pannonian legions is the smallness of their pay, and one of their demands (Tacit. Ann. i. 26) is a penny a day. For Philip this large sum seems an impossibility. He states the difficulty, and leaves it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii of bread is not sufficient for them that every one may take a little”.’
Philip’s reply is to point out that it will cost a considerable sum to feed them (200 denarii – a denarius was a day’s pay. NIV translates ‘eight month’s wages’ for an individual). This brings out the size of the crowd. The emphasis is being laid on the fact that without God there could be no solution to the problem.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 6:7. Two hundred pennyworth of bread As much as could be purchased for 200 denarii, which amounts to about six pounds five shillings of our money. The mention of that sum seems to intimate that their whole stock amounted to no more. See Mar 6:37.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
Ver. 7. Two hundred penny-worth ] And where will you have half the money? send them away therefore, rid your hands honestly of them, and let us rest and refresh ourselves, as we resolved to do when we first retired hither. Thus he.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7. ] See notes on Mark.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 6:7 . Philip swiftly calculating declares it impossible to provide bread for so vast a multitude, . “Two hundred denarii worth of loaves are not enough for them that each should receive a little.” “Denarius” means containing ten; and originally the denarius contained ten asses. The as was originally an ingot of copper, aes , weighing one lb.; but long before imperial times it had been reduced to one ounce, and the denarius was reckoned as equal to sixteen asses or four sesterces, and taking the Roman gold piece like our sovereign as the standard, the denarius was equivalent to about 9d., which at that time was the ordinary wage of a working man; sufficient therefore to support a family for a day. If half was spent in food, then, reckoning the family at five persons, one denarius would feed ten persons, and 200 would provide a day’s rations for 2000; but as Philip’s calculation is on the basis not of food for a whole day, but only for one meagre meal, a short ration ( ), it is approximately accurate. There were between five and ten thousand mouths. See Expositor , Jan., 1890.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
pennyworth. See App-51.
not. Greek ou. App-105.
every . . . little. Recorded only in John.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
7.] See notes on Mark.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 6:7. , a little) Septuag. , 1Sa 14:43.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 6:7
Joh 6:7
Philip answered him, Two hundred shillings worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.-Philip made a calculation of the number to be fed, of the amount they would eat, and of the cost. [Wisdom here for us in counting the cost before undertaking a thing. It equaled thirty dollars.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Two: This sum, rating the denarius at 7 +d., would amount to 6. 5s.: or, reckoning the denarius, with some at 7, 3/4d., it would amount to 6. 9s. 2d. of our money; which appears to have been more than our Lord and all his disciples were worth of this world’s goods. Num 11:21, Num 11:22, 2Ki 4:43, Mar 6:37
pennyworth: Joh 12:5, Mat 18:28, *marg.
Reciprocal: Mat 14:20 – were Mar 8:4 – From Mar 14:5 – pence Joh 6:9 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
Philip’s remark showed that the “proof” Jesus used was testing him.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 6:7. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. As the number of the men alone proved to be five thousand, an expenditure of 200 pence (i.e. 200 denarii) would allow less than a denarius, or about eight-pence of our money, to twenty-five persons, and that sum would not purchase in ordinary times more than five or six ounces of bread for each. Philip might well say that it was not sufficient for them.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Philip, too, as Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, was thinking only on the physical level. Two hundred denarii represented about eight month’s wages for a workingman. Such a large sum might be the minimum they could scrape by with, but it would not provide enough bread to satisfy the people. Philip, as an accountant, put his mental calculator to work and concluded that the situation was hopeless.