Focused Passage

Matthew 15:32-39

Tradition, the Heart, Gentile Faith, and the Compassionate Bread of the Messiah

Matthew moves from Jerusalem leaders accusing Jesus’ disciples, to Jesus accusing them of nullifying God’s command, to Jesus teaching the crowds about heart defilement, to private explanation for the disciples, to the Canaanite woman’s persistent faith, to widespread healing and praise to the God of Israel, to the feeding of four thousand, and finally to Jesus’ departure to Magadan.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

32Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.”

33The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?”

34“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground.

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.

37They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

38A total of four thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

39After Jesus had dismissed the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 32

Original words

ThenδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularcalledπροσκαλεσάμενοςG4341Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine SingularHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Pluraldisciples [to Him]μαθητὰςG3101Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural[and] saidεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularI have compassionΣπλαγχνίζομαιG4697Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person SingularforἐπὶG1909Preposition[this]τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularcrowdὄχλονG3793Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularbecauseὅτιG3754Conjunctionthey have already beenπροσμένουσίνG4357Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural. . .ἤδηG2235Adverbwith MeμοιG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person SingularthreeτρεῖςG5140Adjective - Nominative Feminine PluraldaysἡμέραιG2250Noun - Nominative Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionhaveἔχουσινG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralnothingοὐκG3756Adverb-τίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularto eatφάγωσινG5315Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural-καὶG2532ConjunctionvvvοὐG3756AdverbI do not wantθέλωG2309Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularto send them awayἀπολῦσαιG630Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active. . .αὐτοὺςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person PluralhungryνήστειςG3523Adjective - Accusative Masculine Pluralvvvμή‿G3361AdverborποτεG4219Conjunctionthey may faintἐκλυθῶσινG1590Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person PluralalongἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularwayὁδῷG3598Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Verse 33

Original words

-ΚαὶG2532ConjunctionTheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluraldisciplesμαθηταίG3101Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralrepliedλέγουσινG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural-αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularWhereΠόθενG4159AdverbinἐνG1722Prepositionthis desolate placeἐρημίᾳG2047Noun - Dative Feminine Singularcould we [find]ἡμῖνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person PluralenoughτοσοῦτοιG5118Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine PluralbreadἄρτοιG740Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralvvvὥστεG5620Conjunctionto feedχορτάσαιG5526Verb - Aorist Infinitive Activesuch a largeτοσοῦτονG5118Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine SingularcrowdὄχλονG3793Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 34

Original words

How manyΠόσουςG4214Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine PluralloavesἄρτουςG740Noun - Accusative Masculine Pluraldo you haveἔχετεG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural-ΚαὶG2532Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularaskedλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralSevenἙπτάG2033Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural-δὲG1161Conjunction-ΟἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey repliedεἶπανG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctiona fewὀλίγαG3641Adjective - Accusative Neuter Pluralsmall fishἰχθύδιαG2485Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 35

Original words

AndΚαὶG2532ConjunctionHe instructedπαραγγείλαςG3853Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartheτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularcrowdὄχλῳG3793Noun - Dative Masculine Singularto sit downἀναπεσεῖνG377Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveonἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulargroundγῆνG1093Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 36

Original words

TakingἔλαβενG2983Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralsevenἑπτὰG2033Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralloavesἄρτουςG740Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralfishἰχθύαςG2486Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural-καὶG2532ConjunctionHe gave thanksεὐχαριστήσαςG2168Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular[and] broke [them]ἔκλασενG2806Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularThenκαὶG2532ConjunctionHe gave [them]ἐδίδουG1325Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartoτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Plural[the] disciplesμαθηταῖςG3101Noun - Dative Masculine PluralandδὲG1161ConjunctiontheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluraldisciplesμαθηταὶG3101Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural[gave them] to theτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralpeopleὄχλοιςG3793Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 37

Original words

-ΚαὶG2532ConjunctionThey allπάντεςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralateἔφαγονG5315Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctionwere satisfiedἐχορτάσθησανG5526Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction[the disciples] picked upἦρανG142Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralsevenἑπτὰG2033Adjective - Accusative Feminine PluralbasketfulsσπυρίδαςG4711Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural. . .πλήρειςG4134Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Pluralof broken piecesκλασμάτωνG2801Noun - Genitive Neuter PluralthatτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularwere left overπερισσεῦονG4052Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 38

Original words

A total ofοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Plural. . .δὲG1161Conjunctionfour thousandτετρακισχίλιοιG5070Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralmenἄνδρεςG435Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralwereἦσανG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralfedἐσθίοντεςG2068Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralbesidesχωρὶςG5565PrepositionwomenγυναικῶνG1135Noun - Genitive Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionchildrenπαιδίωνG3813Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Verse 39

Original words

AfterΚαὶG2532Conjunction[Jesus] had dismissedἀπολύσαςG630Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralcrowdsὄχλουςG3793Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralHe got intoἐνέβηG1684Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .εἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularboatπλοῖονG4143Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwentἦλθενG2064Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralregionὅριαG3725Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralof MagadanΜαγαδάνG3093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.