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They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Matthew 14:20 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.
  • KJV And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
  • NKJV So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.
  • NASB And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces: twelve full baskets.
  • 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

All eat and are satisfied, with twelve baskets of leftovers gathered. Christ's provision is not merely sufficient but overflowing.

Overview

The entire crowd eats to the full, and twelve baskets of fragments remain. The abundance demonstrates the lavish generosity of Jesus' power, far exceeding the need. This sign points to the Messiah who richly satisfies and recalls God's provision in the wilderness, presenting Jesus as the greater shepherd who feeds His flock.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 20

  • Exod 16:12“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”
  • Matt 16:8–10Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?
  • Exod 16:8And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”
  • 1 Kgs 17:12–16But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”
  • Mark 6:42–44They all ate and were satisfied,
  • Lev 26:26When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied.
  • John 6:11–14Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
  • 2 Kgs 4:1–7Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
  • 2 Kgs 4:43–44But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
  • Luke 1:53He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.
  • Mark 8:8–9The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
  • Luke 9:17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
  • Prov 13:25A righteous man eats to his heart’s content, but the stomach of the wicked is empty.
  • Mark 8:16–21So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.
  • Hag 1:6You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”
  • Matt 5:6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
  • Matt 15:33The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?”
  • John 6:7Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”
  • Ezek 4:14–16“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”
  • Matt 15:37–38They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

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

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 14:20YouTube · 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 MatthewMatthew 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

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 14:20 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.