Matthew 15:37 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

NIV: They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

NASB: And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full.

CSB: They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces--seven large baskets full.

NLT: They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.

KJV: And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

NKJV: So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.

Many commentators point to this miraculous feeding, like the previous one (Matthew 14:13–21) as a picture of the banquet to come at the beginning of the kingdom of heaven. There, all will be made right and there will be no hunger or death or mourning or pain (Isaiah 25:6; Revelation 21:4). How could there be any of those things at the table of God? No one will go hungry in His presence.

As with the previous miraculous meal, everyone eats until they are satisfied. No skimping. Then the disciples collect the leftovers and end up with seven full baskets instead of the twelve baskets of leftovers from the first time at Bethsaida. Once again, the disciples are given a message that God can provide all that is needed and far more, no matter the apparent resources in the moment (John14:12).

Matthew 15:32–39 describes another miraculous feeding, separate from an earlier event where Jesus provided as many as twenty thousand meals (Matthew 14:13–20). Jesus has compassion on the hungry crowd after three days with them. He does not want to send them away without feeding them. He takes the disciples' seven loaves and few fish and makes all the people sit down. He gives thanks and starts handing food to the disciples, who pass it out until everyone has eaten all they want, which includes four thousand men plus women and children. While the first miraculous feeding was for a mostly Jewish crowd, this assembly is almost all Gentiles. After they leave, the disciples return to Jewish territory on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Pharisees and scribes come from Jerusalem to challenge Jesus. They are offended that His disciples break the religious leaders' tradition about ritual handwashing before meals. Jesus turns that attack upside down, pointing out that His critics honor tradition above God's actual commands! He insists that nobody is defiled by what goes in the mouth—by the literal matter itself—but by the overflow of the spirit, such as the words that come out of the mouth. He and the disciples travel out of the country. Jesus casts a demon out of the daughter of a persistent Canaanite woman. They travel to the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus feeds thousands of people from a few loaves and fishes. These last two events set up the eventual spread of the gospel beyond the people of Israel.

Matthew 15 begins with a confrontation between some Pharisees and Jesus. They ask why His disciples break the traditional practice of ritual handwashing. Pointedly, Jesus asks why they allow the obvious intent of God's commandments to be broken through their traditions. Jesus and the disciples travel out of Israel, encountering a Canaanite woman. He praises her faith and casts a demon from her daughter. They travel to the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus heals more people and feeds thousands more from another few loaves and fishes. This sets up another confrontation with religious leaders, warnings about their teachings, and predictions of Jesus' death in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/2/2024 7:59:44 PM