Matthew 15:36

Mat 15:36. Εὐχαριστήσας, having given thanks) It is right to give thanks even before food (see Act 27:35), and there it is the same as εὐλογία, or benediction, for it is an acknowledgment of the Divine blessing for the past and the future. Jesus referred everything to the Father, and here gave thanks for the loaves, and for the approaching satisfying of the people; cf. Joh 11:41.—εὐχαριστεῖν is a verb found fault with by Phrynichus,[703] but used also by Diodorus Siculus.[704]

[703] PHRYNICUS, a rhetorician and sophist of Bythinia, who flourished in the second century of the Christian æra.—(I. B.)

[704] DIODORUS SICULUS, an ancient Greek historian. Born at Agyrium in the first century after Christ.—(I. B.)

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 15:36 . εὐχαριστήσας , a late Greek word (“does not occur before Polybius in the sense of gratias agere ” Camb. N. T.), condemned by Phryn., who enjoins χάριν εἰδέναι instead (Lobeck, p. 18). Elsner dissents from the judgment of the ancient grammarians, citing instances from Demosthenes, etc.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they did all eat, and were filled,.... Every one had a share of the provision, and that to full satisfaction; no one was overlooked and neglected, and everyone had as much as he could eat:

and they took up of the broken meat that was left, seven baskets full. The disciples, after they had distributed to everyone his portion, went round, and collected the remaining fragments, and filled seven baskets therewith, according to the number of the loaves which were broken; and so had a full return for the loaves and fishes they spared on this occasion.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

Ver. 36. And gave to his disciples] So confuting their unbelief, and confirming their faith for the future. And the like he doth for us every time we receive the sacrament of his Supper. He bespeaks us there, as he did peremptory Thomas, Joh 20:27.

And the disciples to the multitude] This is Christ’s course to this day; by the hands of his faithful ministers to deal forth his favours, to give his Holy Spirit, which is, to give all good things, Mat 7:11; cf. Luk 11:13, by the preaching of faith. This manna comes down from heaven in the dews of the ministry, Num 11:9; 1Pe 1:22. If our eyes see not our teachers, we cannot expect to hear the voice behind us, Isa 30:20.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He gave thanks to his heavenly Father, for that providential care with which he supplies our wants, even miraculously, when necessary for us. Everywhere his goodness and attention to the wants of his children are manifested, but not more so in the manna of the desert, than in the fertility of the holy land. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He took. The account differs little from that on the former occasion. Gave thanks (eucaristhsav). This represents the blessing of the viands. Thanksgiving was a specially enjoined accompaniment of meals. The Talmud said, "He that enjoys.anything without an act of thanksgiving is as one that robs the Almighty." The blessing here was the efficient cause of the multiplication of the food. Without any fresh creation Jesus used the materials ready to his hands, and only increased them by his Almighty power. Brake them, and gave (eklase kai edidou). Looking to the tenses used, we should say that Jesus brake the viands once, and then kept continually giving of them to the twelve for the purpose of distribution. We do not read how the multitude was arranged in the present case. Possibly the locality did not admit of methodical division into ranks and companies, or, on the other hand, its natural terraces may have obviated the necessity for any such formal arrangement, the company falling naturally into convenient sections.

The mission of miracles of supply.

They were corrective of the influence that was actually produced by the miracles of healing. The differences in the spheres and the character of our Lord"s miracles is not sufficiently observed, he was no mere Eastern Hakim, with a wonderful panacea for all forms of bodily woe. He is too often spoken of as if this were his description. More importance needs to be given to our Lord"s walking the water, stilling the storm, raising the dead, and multiplying the food supplies. It is competent for any man to plead that the healing gift is, like the artistic gift, the special endowment of individuals; and Jesus was a Man with an unusual gift of the healing power. No such explanation can be found for the miracles of supply, or for the miracles of control over nature. And we shall come back upon the miracles of healing with new and worthier ideas when we have rightly apprehended the miracles of supply. We have seen, in the previous homily, that Christ"s doctoring work rather directed men"s attention to the "God of Israel" than to himself, "God manifest in the flesh.

I THE MIRACLES OF SUPPLY SET THE PERSON OF JESUS IN PROMINENCE. Illustrate by the effect of the wine making at Cana. That miracle "manifested forth his glory." Also by the other feeding of the thousands, which set Christ"s Person forth so prominently that the people wanted, then and there, to make him king. Miracles of supply are stranger things, more difficult to explain, and more impressively related to the individual, than miracles of healing. Forth teem miracles of supply men go, saving to their neighbours, "What think ye of Christ? whose Son is he?" Compare the remarkable direction of the thoughts of the disciples to the Person and mystery of Christ, when he came to them walking on the sea.

II THE MIRACLES OF SUPPLY SET THE SPIRITUAL CHARACTER OF THE WORK OF JESUS IN PROMINENCE. They belong to another and more suggestive region. Removal of disabilities may be a great thing, but renewal of life is greater. Food, to be taken into a man"s body, and turned into life, is a revelation of Christ"s higher relation to men. He is soul food; taken in by faith and love, he is turned into the soul"s life. "He that eateth me shall live by me. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He gave thanks, or blessed the food - That is, he praised God for it, and prayed for a blessing upon it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

J. W. McGarvey's The Fourfold Gospel [LXX. A. Third Withdrawal].

LXX. THIRD WITHDRAWAL FROM HEROD'S TERRITORY. Subdivision A. PHARISAIC LEAVEN. A BLIND MAN HEALED. (Magadan and Bethsaida. Probably Summer, A. D. 29.) aMATT. XV. 39-XVI. 12; bMARK VIII. 10-26.

b10 And straightway he entered into the boat with his disciples, aand came into the borders of Magadan. binto the parts of Dalmanutha. [It appears from the context that he crossed the lake to the west shore. Commentators, therefore, pretty generally think that Magadan is another form of the name Magdala, and that Dalmanutha was either another name for Magdala, or else a village near it.] a1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees bcame forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign aand trying him [testing the strength of his miraculous power] asked him to show them a sign from heaven. [They rejected his miracles as signs of his Messiahship, the Pharisees holding that such signs could be wrought by Beelzebub. They therefore asked a sign from heaven such as only God could give, and such as he had accorded to Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and Elijah, or such as Joel foretold ( Joe_2:31). It is generally thought that the [406] Herodians were Sadducees of Galilee. If so, we note the beginning of their hostility recorded at Mark iii. 6, 1Co_1:22.] 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and bverily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. [i. e., none such as was demanded] bbut the sign of Jonah. [For comment on similar language, see pages 305-306. The resurrection or Jonah sign was a sign from heaven in the sense in which they used the words; that is, it was wrought directly by God, and not through man.] 13 And he left them, bAnd again entering into the boat departed to the other side. [I. e., from Magdala back again to the east shore, or rather, toward Bethsaida Julias, on the northeast shore.] a5 And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take bread. band they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf. [This loaf was probably left over from the previous supply.] a6 Then Jesus said unto them, b15 And he charged them, saying, aTake heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. band the leaven of Herod. [Leaven, which answered to our modern yeast, was a symbol of a secret, penetrating, pervasive influence, usually of a corrupting nature. The [407] influence of the Pharisees was that of formalism, hypocritical ostentation, and traditionalism; that of the Sadducees was sneering rationalistic unbelief, free thought and cunning worldliness, manifesting itself among the Herodians in political corruption. 16 And they reasoned one with another, aamong themselves, saying, We took bhave no bread. They thought that Jesus reproved them for their carelessness in forgetting to take bread, since that carelessness might lead them to be without bread on their journey. So his rebuke below indicates.] a8 And Jesus perceiving it said, bsaith, unto them, aO ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet perceive, bneither understand? aneither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets [cophini, probably traveling baskets] ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets [spurides, probably grain baskets or hampers] ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? bhave ye your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19 When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets [cophini] full of broken pieces took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls [spurides] of broken pieces took ye up? And they say unto him, Seven. 21 And he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand? aBut beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [Jesus had resorted to metaphor because the word leaven better expressed his idea than did the word teaching. The formulated dogmas of the Pharisees were not so bad, but the subtle influence of their spirit and example corrupted [408] without warning, like a concealed grave. There are those to-day who are too skillful to be openly convicted of heterodox statements, but whose teaching, nevertheless, in its very essence and spirit, tends to infidelity.] b22 And they cometh unto Bethsaida. [Not the suburb of Capernaum, but Bethsaida Julias, a town on the east side of the Jordan, near where it flows into the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was proceeding northward toward Cæsarea Philippi.] And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. 23 And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village [Jesus increased the sympathy between himself and the man by separating him from the crowd. Our greatest blessing can only come to us after we have been alone with God]; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught? 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men; for I behold i them as trees, walking. 25 Then again he laid his hands again upon his eyes; and he looked steadfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly. [The man's eyes were probably sore, and Jesus made use of saliva to soften and soothe them. But it was our Lord's custom to give variety to the manifestation of his power, sometimes using one apparent auxiliary means, and sometimes another; and also healing instantly or progressively, as he chose, that the people might see that the healing was altogether a matter of his will. The man had evidently not been born blind, else he would not have been able to recognize men or trees by sight, for those not used to employ sight can not by it tell a circle from a square.] 26 And he sent him away to his home, saying, Do not even enter into the village. [The man, of course, lived in the village, and to send him home was to send him thither, but he was to go directly home and not spread the news through the town, for if he did the population would be at once drawn to Jesus, thus breaking up the privacy which he sought to maintain.] [409]

[FFG 406-409]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He took the seven loaves and the fish

"Jesus held the seven loaves and the fish in his hands"

he broke the loaves

"he tore the loaves"

gave them

"gave the bread and the fish"

they gathered

"the disciples gathered" or "some people gathered"

Those who ate

"The people who ate"

four thousand men

"4,000 men" (See: Numbers)

the region

"the area"

Magadan

This region is sometimes called "Magdala." (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

disciple

basket

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

36. εὐχαριστήσας. εὐχαριστεῖν does not occur before Polybius in the sense of gratias agere. The decree in Demosth. de Cor. p. 257, where the word is found, (see Lob. Phryn. 18) is probably spurious. The classical expression is χάριν εἰδέναι.

τὸ περισσεῦον τῶν κλασμάτων. See ch. Mat 14:20. One side of the lesson is the lavishness of Providence. God gives even more than we require or ask for. But the leading thought is a protest against waste.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

36. And took the seven loaves and the fishes, and having given thanks, He brake and was giving to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.] Mk. has: “And having taken the seven loaves, having given thanks, He brake, and was giving to His disciples that they might distribute; and they distributed to the multitude. And they had a few little fishes: and having blessed them, He commanded (εἷπεν) also to distribute these.”

(M)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.