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They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Luke 9:17 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
  • KJV And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
  • NKJV So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
  • NASB And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.
  • NLT They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!

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

Everyone eats and is satisfied, and twelve baskets of leftovers are gathered. The abundance proves the miracle was real and that Christ provides more than enough.

Overview

The full satisfaction of the crowd and the twelve baskets of fragments demonstrate God's lavish provision through His Son. The leftovers, likely one basket per disciple, confirm that nothing is wasted and that Christ's supply exceeds the need. This sign reveals Jesus as the one who satisfies hunger, pointing ahead to Him as the bread of life.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • 2 Kgs 4:44So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
  • Prov 13:25A righteous man eats to his heart’s content, but the stomach of the wicked is empty.
  • Mark 6:42–44They all ate and were satisfied,
  • Mark 8:8–9The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
  • Matt 14:20–21They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
  • Matt 15:37–38They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
  • Matt 16:9–10Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
  • Mark 8:19–20When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.
  • John 6:11–13Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
  • Phil 4:18–19I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
  • Ps 37:16Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
  • Ps 107:9For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 9:17YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 9:17 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.