Luke 9:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

NIV: (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, 'Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.'

NASB: (For there were about five thousand men.) But He said to His disciples, 'Have them recline to eat in groups of about fifty each.'

CSB: (For about five thousand men were there.)Then he told his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each."

NLT: For there were about 5,000 men there. Jesus replied, 'Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.'

KJV: For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

NKJV: For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”

Jesus is telling the disciples to organize a vast crowd, preparing them to receive food which He will provide. There are about five thousand men, plus women and children (Matthew 14:21). Unfortunately, the crowd only has five loaves of bread and two fish (Luke 9:13). Despite the fact the disciples have healed illnesses, raised the dead, and cast out demons (Matthew 10:8), they can't imagine how they—or Jesus—could find enough food to feed everyone.

Scholars differ on whether the numbers recorded have any significance. Some say the "five thousand" should be connected to verse 13, to emphasize the difficulty in finding enough food. Some say the groups of fifty refer to when Obadiah hid prophets in a cave and fed them (1 Kings 18:13). Some suggest it refers to Moses dividing the Israelites into groups of fifty (Exodus 18:21). Still others say the only meaningful intent is to provide specific details as part of Luke's historically accurate account.

A series of allusions to Old Testament figures runs throughout Luke chapter 9. These include Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and other Old Testament-era prophets (Luke 9:8, 13, 19, 33, 41, 54). This makes any of the three options valid.

Luke 9:10–17 records Jesus feeding the five thousand, one of the last public events before Jesus "set[s] His face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). With just five loaves and two fish, Jesus sates multiple thousands of men, plus women and children. Further, there are twelve full baskets left over. This is one of the few miracles found in all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:31–44; John 6:1–13). Next, Jesus will challenge the Twelve to a deeper, more committed discipleship in preparation for their journey to Jerusalem and Jesus' path to the cross.

Luke 9 completes Jesus' Galilean ministry and begins describing His journey towards Jerusalem. Jesus gives His disciples miraculous power and commissions them to preach. The empowerment thrills the disciples but confuses Herod Antipas. A hungry crowd of thousands and hard teachings about following Jesus, however, shows the disciples' faith is short-lived. The transfiguration and the demonized boy precede stories of the disciples' continued confusion. They still struggle to accurately represent Jesus. Luke 9:51–62 begins the "travelogue" (Luke 9:51—19:27) with examples of the patience and sacrifice needed to represent Jesus as His followers.

Luke 9 straddles the two major sections biblical scholars call "Jesus' Galilean Ministry" (Luke 4:14—9:50) and "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27). The Galilean ministry alternates calls to discipleship with stories on Jesus' authority and teachings. The travelogue records what Jesus did and taught to prepare the disciples for His crucifixion. After a final group of stories on how to respond to Jesus (Luke 9:51—11:13) and several examples of how the Jewish religious leaders reject Jesus (Luke 11:14–54), Luke presents Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—19:27).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.