And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
All Commentaries on Mark 6:44 Go To Mark 6
Theophylact of Ochrid
AD 1107
See now, how those who are disciples of Christ grow in love to man, for they pity the multitudes, and cometo Christ to intercede for them. But the Lord tried them, to see whether they would know that His power was great enough to feed them. Wherefore it goes on: “He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat.”.
But the disciples thought that He did not know what was necessary for the feeding of so large amultitude, for their answer shows that they were troubled. For it goes on, “And they said unto Him, Let us go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat.”.
We are given to understand that they lay down in parties, separate from one another, for what is translated by companies, is repeated twice over in the Greek, as though it wereby companies and companies.
He also looks up to heaven, that He may teach us to seek our food from God, and not from the devil, as they do who unjustly feed on other men’s labours. By this also He intimated to the crowd, that He could not be opposed to God, since He called upon God. And He gives the bread to His disciples to set before the multitude, that by handling the bread, they might see that it was an undoubted miracle. It goes on: “And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments. "Twelve baskets of fragments remained overand above, that each of the Apostles, carrying a basket on his shoulder, might recognise the unspeakable wonder of the miracle. For it was a proof of overflowing power not only to feed so many men, but also to leave such asuperabundance of fragments. Even though Moses gave manna, yet what was given to each was measured by his necessity, and what was over and above was overrun with worms. Elias also fed the woman, but gave her just what was enough forher; but Jesus, being the Lord, makes His gifts with superabundant profusion.
Or the two fishes are the discourses of fishermen, that is, their Epistles and Gospel.
