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And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
Matthew 14:20 · King James Version
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.
  • BSB They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
  • 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 16:12I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
  • Matt 16:8–10Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
  • Exod 16:8And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
  • 1 Kgs 17:12–16And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
  • Mark 6:42–44And they did all eat, and were filled.
  • Lev 26:26And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.
  • John 6:11–14And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
  • 2 Kgs 4:1–7Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
  • 2 Kgs 4:43–44And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
  • Luke 1:53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
  • Mark 8:8–9So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.
  • Luke 9:17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
  • Prov 13:25The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
  • Mark 8:16–21And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
  • Hag 1:6Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
  • Matt 5:6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
  • Matt 15:33And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
  • John 6:7Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
  • Ezek 4:14–16Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.
  • Matt 15:37–38And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

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.