Matthew 14:20
What does Matthew 14:20 mean?
A plain-English look at Matthew 14:20 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Matthew 14:20 means
Everyone in the massive crowd ate and was completely satisfied. After they had finished, the disciples collected twelve baskets full of leftover broken pieces. This abundance of leftovers, twelve baskets for twelve disciples, testifies to Jesus' miraculous power not only to provide sufficiently but to provide supernaturally more than enough. It demonstrates the divine generosity and efficiency, where nothing is wasted, and there is more left over than what they started with.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And they all took of the food and had enough: and they took up twelve baskets full of broken bits which were not used.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up what was over of the broken pieces twelve hand-baskets full;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up what remained, twelve full baskets of fragments.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And all ate and were filled, and they took up what was over and above of fragments twelve hand-baskets full.
Context
This verse immediately follows the detailed account of Jesus blessing and distributing the small meal. It reveals the astonishing outcome of the miracle, confirming that everyone was fed and filled. The collection of twelve baskets of leftovers serves as tangible proof of the supernatural abundance, contrasting sharply with the initial scarcity and setting the stage for the numerical summary of those who ate.
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.
v.20This passage
v.21And they that did eat were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Haggai 1:6
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
- Luke 1:53
The hungry he hath filled with good things; And the rich he hath sent empty away.
- John 6:7
Philip answered him, Two hundred shillings’ worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.
- Matthew 15:33
And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?
- Luke 9:17
And they ate, and were all filled: and there was taken up that which remained over to them of broken pieces, twelve baskets.
- Exodus 16:8
And Moses said, This shall be, when Jehovah shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that Jehovah heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah.
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