Luke 9:13

13 But He said unto them, "Give ye them to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fishes, unless we should go and buy meat for all these people."

Luke 9:13 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 9:13

And he said to them, give ye them to eat
Signifying, that it was not his will to dismiss people, and send them scattering abroad into the adjacent cities, towns, or houses; and that there was no need of it, but that his will was, that they should be supplied with provisions out of their stock:

and they said, we have no more than five loaves and two fishes;
and these loaves were barley loaves, and the fishes small, ( John 6:9 )

except we should go and buy meat for all this people;
which would at least cost them two hundred pence; and which they represent as impossible to be done, either through want of so much money, or the scarcity of provision in those parts; where, had they money, it would be difficult, at least to get such a quantity of provisions at once, which so great a number of persons required.

Luke 9:13 In-Context

11 And the people, when they learned of it, followed Him. And He received them and spoke unto them of the Kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.

12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve and said unto Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge and get victuals, for we are here in a desert place.

13 But He said unto them, "Give ye them to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fishes, unless we should go and buy meat for all these people."

14 For they were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down by fifties in a company."

15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.