Matthew 14:21

21 And those who had food were about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.

Matthew 14:21 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 14:21

And they that had eaten were about five thousand men,
&c.] The word "about", is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, and in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, which expressly say there were so many. A large number indeed, to be fed with five loaves and two fishes!

besides women and children;
who were not taken into the account, though they all ate, and were filled, it not being usual with the Jews to number their women; and who might be near as large a number as the men: for generally there is a very great concourse of the female sex, and of children, where anything extraordinary, or out of the way, is to be seen or heard; and of this sort was a large number of Christ's audience, who only came out of curiosity, or for one sinister end or another.

Matthew 14:21 In-Context

19 And he gave orders for the people to be seated on the grass; and he took the five cakes of bread and the two fishes and, looking up to heaven, he said words of blessing, and made division of the food, and gave it to the disciples, and the disciples gave it to the people.

20 And they all took of the food and had enough: and they took up twelve baskets full of broken bits which were not used.

21 And those who had food were about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.

22 And straight away he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, till he had sent the people away.

23 And after he had sent the people away, he went up into the mountain by himself for prayer: and when evening was come, he was there by himself.