Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to set before the people.
Parallel translations
- WEB He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
- KJV Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
- NKJV Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
- NASB And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He blessed them and broke them, and gave them to the disciples again and again, to serve the crowd.
- NLT Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people.
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
Jesus takes the loaves and fish, looks to heaven, blesses and breaks them, and gives them to the disciples to distribute. He gives thanks to the Father and then multiplies the food through His servants.
Overview
The actions of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving foreshadow the Last Supper and point to Christ as the giver of true bread. By looking up to heaven, Jesus acknowledges the Father as the source of all provision. He works through the disciples' hands, showing how He feeds the multitudes by means of His servants who carry His gifts to the people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Matt 14:19And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
- Luke 24:30While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.
- 1 Tim 4:4–5For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
- Matt 15:36Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
- Rom 14:6He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
- John 6:11Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
- John 6:23However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
- Luke 22:19And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
- Acts 27:35After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
- Ps 121:1–2A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
- 1 Cor 10:30If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
- 1 Cor 11:24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
- Mark 7:34And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 9:16 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 Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.