Matthew 15:38

38 Four thousand men had eaten. (This number does not include the women and children who had eaten.)

Matthew 15:38 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 15:38

And they that did eat, were four thousand men
This number of men, as well as of the baskets of fragments, clearly shows this to be a distinct miracle from the former of this kind, recorded in ( Matthew 14:15-21 ) . There the number of men were five thousand, here four thousand; there the quantity of food was five loaves and two fishes, here seven loaves and a few fishes; there the number of the baskets of fragments was twelve, here seven; though the quantity might be as large; since the word here used for a basket is not the same as there, and designs one of a larger size:

besides women and children;
who were not taken into the account, though they ate as well as the men, and whose number might be very large.

Matthew 15:38 In-Context

36 He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks to God. Then he broke the bread and gave it to the disciples, and they gave the bread and fish to the people.

37 All of them ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets.

38 Four thousand men had eaten. (This number does not include the women and children who had eaten.)

39 After he sent the people on their way, Jesus stepped into the boat and came to the territory of Magadan.