John 6:11

11 And Jesus took [the] five loaves, and when he had done thankings, he parted to the men that sat to the meat [he parted to men sitting at the meat], and also of the fishes, as much as they would.

John 6:11 Meaning and Commentary

John 6:11

And Jesus took the loaves
Into his hands, as also the fishes, in order to feed the multitude with them:

and when he had given thanks;
for them, and blessed them, or implored a blessing on them, that they might be nourishing to the bodies of men, as was his usual manner, and which is an example to us;

he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were
sat down.
The Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, only read, "he distributed to them that were sat down": but it was not by his own hands, but by the means of the disciples, who received from him, and gave it to them; so that the sense is the same;

and likewise of the fishes, as much as they would;
that is, they had as much, both of the bread and of the fishes, distributed to them, and which they took and ate, as they chose: in some printed copies it is read, "as much as he would", and so the Persic version; that is, as much as Jesus would; but the former is the true reading, and makes the miracle more illustrious.

John 6:11 In-Context

9 A child is here, that hath five barley loaves and two fishes; but what be these among so many?

10 Therefore Jesus saith, Make them sit to the meat [Make ye men to sit at the meat]. And there was much hay in the place. And so men sat to the meat, as five thousand in number [Therefore men sat at the meat, in number as five thousand].

11 And Jesus took [the] five loaves, and when he had done thankings, he parted to the men that sat to the meat [he parted to men sitting at the meat], and also of the fishes, as much as they would.

12 And when they were filled, he said to his disciples, Gather ye the remnants that be left [Gather ye the reliefs that be left], that they perish not.

13 And so they gathered, and filled twelve baskets of the remnant of the five barley loaves and two fishes [Therefore they gathered, and filled twelve coffins of reliefs of the five barley loaves and two fishes], that left to them that had eaten.