Overview One of Jesus' miracles. It is the miracle where, as Jesus was teaching, a large crowd had gathered, and as evening approached, the people had nothing to eat. A boy offered five loaves of bread and two fish that he had, and after Jesus blessed the food, it was distributed to the people, and everyone ate their fill, with twelve baskets of leftovers. ## Gospel Accounts of the Five Loaves and Two Fish ### Matthew's Account
Matthew 14:13Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick.Matthew 14:14When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.”Matthew 14:15But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”Matthew 14:16They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”Matthew 14:17He said, “Bring them here to me.”Matthew 14:18He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes.Matthew 14:19They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.Matthew 14:20Those who ate were about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.Matthew 14:21Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
Mark 6:30He said to them, “You come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile.” For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.Mark 6:31They went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.Mark 6:32They saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him.Mark 6:33Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.Mark 6:34When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, “This place is deserted, and it is late in the day.Mark 6:35Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat.”Mark 6:36But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give them something to eat?”Mark 6:37He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go see.” When they knew, they said, “Five, and two fish.”Mark 6:38He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.Mark 6:39They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.Mark 6:40He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.Mark 6:41They all ate, and were filled.Mark 6:42They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish.Mark 6:43Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.Mark 6:44Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away.
Luke 9:10But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing.Luke 9:11The day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”Luke 9:12But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.”Luke 9:13For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”Luke 9:14They did so, and made them all sit down.Luke 9:15He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.Luke 9:16They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.Luke 9:17As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”
John 6:1A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick.John 6:2Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples.John 6:3Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.John 6:4Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?”John 6:5He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.John 6:6Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may receive a little.”John 6:7One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,John 6:8“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?”John 6:9Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.John 6:10Jesus took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired.John 6:11When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.”John 6:12So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.John 6:13When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.”John 6:14Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
그러나 이 일이 끝난 뒤에 사람들이 흥분하면서 모여들자 예수님은 오히려 사람들을 흩으시고 피하시며 하나님의 나라가 먹고 마시는 것에 있지 않다는 것을 강조하신다. 또한 이 사건을 경험한 군중들은 물론이고 제자들 역시 참된 의미를 깨닫지 못한 부분을 두고 예수님이 강하게 질책하시는 내용이 뒤 이어 나오면서 중요한 부분은 먹을 것을 해결해주는 것과 그 너머에 있는 예수님 그 자체를 구하고 따라야 한다는 것을 강조하고 있다.