And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
Parallel translations
- WEB They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.
- BSB They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- NKJV So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.
- NASB And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full.
- NLT They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.
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 filled, with seven baskets of leftovers gathered. It matters because the abundant surplus proves Christ's provision is more than sufficient.
Overview
The whole crowd eats to satisfaction, and seven full baskets remain. The leftovers demonstrate that Christ's provision overflows all need. This abundance confirms the miracle and reveals the generosity of God in Christ. It assures believers that the Lord supplies more than enough for those who trust him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Mark 8:19–21When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
- 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.
- 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?
- Matt 14:20–21And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
- Matt 16:9–10Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
- Ps 107:9For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
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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 15:37 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
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