And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
De Con. Evan., 2, 46: This in the Gospel of John is the answer to Philip, but Mark gives it as the answer of the disciples, wishing it to be understood that Philip made this answer as amouthpiece of the others; although he might put the plural number for the singular, as is usual. It goes on: “And He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. "The other Evangelists pass over this being done by the Lord. It goes on: “And when they knew, they say, "Five, and two fishes. "This, which was suggested by Andrew, as we learn from John, the other Evangelists, using the plural for the singular, have put into the mouth of the disciples. It goes on, “And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass, and they sat down in ranks by hundreds and by fifties. "But we need not be perplexed, though Luke says that they were ordered to sit down by fifties, and Mark by hundreds and fifties, for one has mentioned a part, the other the whole. Mark, who mentions the hundre...
The number one thousand, beyond which no calculation of ours extends, ordinarily indicates the fullness of the things which are being treated. By the number five the wellknown senses of our body are represented, namely, sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. The spiritual meaning of the five thousand: Those who act boldly and take courage by living soberly, righteously, and piously, that they may deserve to be renewed by the sweetness of heavenly wisdom, are those implied by the five thousand whom our Lord satisfied by this mystical banquet.
The time being far spent, points outthat it was evening. Wherefore Luke says, “But the day had begun to decline.”.
By these words He calls on His Apostles, to break bread for the people, that they might be able to testify that they had no bread, and thus the greatness of the miracle might become more known.
Again, in a mystical sense, the Saviour refreshes the hungry crowds at the day’s decline, because, either now that the end of the world approaches, or now that the Son of justice has set in death for us, we are saved from wasting away in spiritual hunger. He calls the Apostles to Him at the breaking of bread, intimating that daily by them our hungry souls are fed, that is, by their letters and examples. By the five loaves are figured the Five Books of Moses, by the two fishes, the Psalms and Prophets.
Again, those men lie down on grassand are fed by the food of the Lord, who have trodden under foot theirconcupiscences by continence, and apply themselves diligently to hear and fulfil...
Mor. 16, 55: The different ranks in which those who ate lie down, mark out the divers churches which make up theone Catholic. But the Jubilee restis contained in the mystery of the number fifty, and fifty must be doubled before it reaches up to a hundred. As then the first step is to rest from doing evil, that afterwards the soul may rest more fully from evil thoughts, some liedown in parties of fifty, others of a hundred.
Or, in the gathering of the twelve baskets full of fragments, is signified the time, when they shall sit onthrones, judging all who are left of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel, when the remnant of Israel shall be saved.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc., seeHom. in Matt., 49: Now it was with fitness that He looked up to heaven, for the Jews, when receiving manna in the desert, presumed to say of God, “Can he give bread?” To prevent this, therefore, before He performed the miracle, He referred to His Father when He was about to do.
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 ...
