Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all.
Parallel translations
- WEB He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.
- KJV And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
- NKJV And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.
- NASB And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He gave them to the disciples again and again to set before them; and He divided the two fish among them all.
- 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 to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.
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 took the loaves and fish, gave thanks, and broke them for distribution, and they multiplied. It reveals His divine power and points to Him as the bread of life.
Overview
Looking to heaven, Jesus blessed the food as the source of all provision, then broke it so that it fed thousands. The breaking and giving anticipate the Last Supper and His body broken for His people. This sign reveals that Jesus is Himself the true bread come down from heaven (John 6).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- 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.
- Mark 7:34And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).
- Luke 9:16Taking 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.
- 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.
- John 11:41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
- 1 Tim 4:4–5For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
- Mark 14:22While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.”
- 1 Cor 10:31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
- John 17:1When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.
- 1 Sam 9:13As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.”
- John 6:23However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
- John 6:11Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
- Col 3:17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
- Mark 8:6–7And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd.
- Deut 8:10When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land that He has given you.
- Matt 26:26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 6:41 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.