Matthew 15:38

38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 15:38 in Other Translations

38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children.

38 Over four thousand people ate their fill at that meal.

38 Now those who ate were 4,000 men, besides women and children.

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 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.

37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.

39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.