So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
Parallel translations
- WEB So he set it before them, and they ate, and had some left over, according to Yahweh’s word.
- KJV So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.
- BSB So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
- NASB So he served it to them, and they ate and had some left over, in accordance with the word of the Lord.
- NLT And when they gave it to the people, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the Lord had promised.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The food is set before the men, they eat, and there is some left over, just as God said. God's word proves true, providing more than enough.
Overview
The miracle fulfills Yahweh's promise exactly, with food remaining after all are fed. God's abundance answers human scarcity and doubt. The pattern of multiplied bread with leftovers clearly anticipates Christ's feeding miracles. It reveals the Lord as the generous provider for His people.
Cross-references & the web
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Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 4:44 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.