Matthew 14:18
What does Matthew 14:18 mean?
A plain-English look at Matthew 14:18 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Matthew 14:18 means
Jesus simply instructed the disciples to bring what little food they had—the five loaves and two fish—to Him. This command reveals Jesus' intention to use their seemingly insignificant resources as the basis for His miracle. It teaches that even small offerings, when consecrated to Christ, can be used by Him to accomplish extraordinary things. This invitation to surrender what they had was a crucial step in the unfolding of God's power.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And he said, Bring them hither to me.
KJV
King James Version · 1611He said, Bring them hither to me.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And he said, Bring them hither to me.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And he said, Give them to me.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And he said, `Bring ye them to me hither.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Who said to them: Bring them hither to me.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And he said, Bring them here to me.
Context
This verse directly follows the disciples' declaration of their meager food supply. Jesus' simple command to bring the provisions to Him is the crucial turning point, moving from human inadequacy to divine action. This instruction sets the immediate stage for the actual miracle, as Jesus takes the food and begins the process of multiplication for the vast crowd.
v.17And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
v.18This passage
v.19And he commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
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