And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
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Bede
AD 735
In Marc., 2, 32: Why they who came from afar hold out for three days, Matthew says more fully: “And He went upinto a mountain, and sat down there, and great multitudes came unto Him, having with them many sick persons, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.” .
In this passage then we should notice, in one and the same, our Redeemer, a distinct operation of Divinity and of Manhood; thus the error of Eutyches , who presumes to lay down the doctrine of one only operation in Christ, is to becast out far from the Christian pale. For who does not here see that the pity of our Lord for the multitude is the feeling and sympathy of humanity; and that at the same time His satisfying four thousand men with seven loaves and a few fishes, is a work of Divine virtue? It goes on, “And they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.”.
The typical difference between this feeding and the other of the five loaves and two fishes, is, that there the letter of the Old Testament,...
He does not however wish to dismiss them fasting, lest they should faint by the way; for it is necessary that men should find in what is preached the word of consolation, lest hungering through want of the food of truth, they sink under the toil of this life. Therefore the Lord Jesus divides the food, and His will indeed is to give to all, to deny none; He is the Dispenser of all things, but if thou refusest to stretch forth thy hand to receive the food, thou wilt faint by the way; nor canst thou find fault with Him, who pities and divides.
From the lesser number of men [four thousand], less remains; from the greater number [five thousand], more is left over. Four thousand men—fewer certainly in number, but greater in faith. The one who is greater in faith eats more, and because he does, there is less left over! I wish that we, too, might eat more of the hardy bread of holy writ, so that there would be less left over for us to learn. Tractate on the Gospel of Mark, Homily
Or else, the seven loaves are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the fragments of the loaves are the mystical understanding of the first week.
The small fishes blessed are the books of the New Testament, for our Lord when risen asks for a piece of broiled fish.
Again, the seven baskets are the seven Churches. By the four thousand is meant the year of the new dispensation, with its four seasons. Fitly also are there four thousand, that in the number itself it might be taught us that they were filled with the food of the Gospel.
Ignorance was not His reason for asking them, but that from their answering, “seven,” the miracle might be noised abroad, and become more known in proportion to the smallness of the number. It goes on: “And He commanded the people to sit down on the ground." In the former feeding they lay down on grass, in this one on the ground. It continues, “And He took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake." In giving thanks, He has left us an example, that for all gifts conferred on us from heaven we should return thanks to Him. And it is to be remarked, that our Lord did not give the bread to the people, but to His disciples, and the disciples to the people. For it goes on, “and gave to His disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people." And not only the bread, but the fish also He blessed, and ordered to be set before them.
After the Lord had performed the former miracle concerning the multiplication of the loaves, now again, afitting occasion presents itself, and He takes the opportunity of working asimilar miracle. For He did not always work miracles concerning the feeding of the multitude, lest they should follow Him for the sake of food; now therefore He would not have performed this miracle, if He had not seen that the multitude was in danger. Wherefore it goes on: “And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.”.
The disciples did not yet understand, nor did they believe in His virtue, notwithstanding former miracles; wherefore it continues, “And His disciples said unto Him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? "But the Lord Himself does not blame them, teaching us that we should not be grievously angry with ignorant men and those who do not understand, but bear with their ignorance. After this ...
