The Deaf Stammerer Healed and Four Thousand Fed.

  4 And his {^a the} disciples say unto {^b answered} him, Whence shall one be able to fill these men with bread here in a desert place? ^a Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude? [It seems strange that the apostles should ask such a question after having assisted in feeding the five thousand. But the failure to expect a miracle, despite previous experience, was a common occurrence in the history of Israel and of the twelve ( Numbers 11:21-23 ; Psalms 78:19 Psalms 78:20 ). In this case the failure of the apostles to expect miraculous relief suggests that they had probably often been hungry and had long since ceased to look for supernatural relief in such cases. Their disbelief here is so similar to their disbelief in the first instance that it, with a few other minor details, has led rationalistic commentators to confound the miracle with the feeding of the five thousand. But the words of Jesus forbid this-- Matthew 16:9 Matthew 16:10 ; Mark 8:19 Mark 8:20 .]

  34 And Jesus said unto them,

  ^b 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. ^a and a few small fishes.

  35 And he commanded {^b commandeth} the multitude to sit down on the ground

[they were on the bleak mountain, and not in the grassy plain of Butaiha]:

  ^b 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. ^a and a few small fishes.

  35 And he commanded {^b commandeth} the multitude to sit down on the ground

and he took the seven loaves ^a and the fishes; and he gave thanks, ^b and having given thanks, he brake, and gave to his {^a the} disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. {^b to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.}

  7 And they had a few small fishes: and having blessed them, he commanded to set these also before them.

  ^a 37 And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.

  38 And they that did eat were ^b about ^a four thousand men, besides women and children.

  39 And he sent away the multitudes.

  7 And they had a few small fishes: and having blessed them, he commanded to set these also before them.

  ^a 37 And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.

  38 And they that did eat were ^b about ^a four thousand men, besides women and children.

  39 And he sent away the multitudes.