Luke 9:16
Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
Original Language Analysis
τοὺς
G3588
τοὺς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
6 of 24
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τοὺς
G3588
τοὺς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἀναβλέψας
and looking up
G308
ἀναβλέψας
and looking up
Strong's:
G308
Word #:
10 of 24
to look up; by implication, to recover sight
εἰς
to
G1519
εἰς
to
Strong's:
G1519
Word #:
11 of 24
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
οὐρανὸν
heaven
G3772
οὐρανὸν
heaven
Strong's:
G3772
Word #:
13 of 24
the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of god); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the gospel (christianity)
εὐλόγησεν
he blessed
G2127
εὐλόγησεν
he blessed
Strong's:
G2127
Word #:
14 of 24
to speak well of, i.e., (religiously) to bless (thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper)
αὐτοὺς
them
G846
αὐτοὺς
them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
15 of 24
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
16 of 24
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
18 of 24
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἐδίδου
gave
G1325
ἐδίδου
gave
Strong's:
G1325
Word #:
19 of 24
to give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection)
τοῖς
G3588
τοῖς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
20 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
παρατιθέναι
to set before
G3908
παρατιθέναι
to set before
Strong's:
G3908
Word #:
22 of 24
to place alongside, i.e., present (food, truth); by implication, to deposit (as a trust or for protection)
Cross References
Matthew 14:19And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.Matthew 15:36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.Luke 24:30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.Acts 27:35And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.Romans 14:6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.John 6:11And 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.John 6:23(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)Luke 22:19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Historical Context
The blessing before meals was standard Jewish practice, typically the berakah: "Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth." Jesus's use of this traditional blessing before a supernatural multiplication shows continuity with Jewish piety while transcending it. The miracle deliberately echoes Elisha's multiplication of loaves (2 Kings 4:42-44) but on a vastly greater scale—Elisha fed 100 with 20 loaves; Jesus feeds 15,000 with 5 loaves. The crowd will later seek to make Jesus king by force (John 6:15), misunderstanding the miracle's true significance—Jesus is the bread of life who gives eternal sustenance, not merely a wonder-worker who provides physical food.
Questions for Reflection
- What does Jesus's looking to heaven and blessing the food teach about acknowledging God's provision even for miraculous supply?
- How does Jesus's use of the disciples to distribute the multiplying bread involve them in the miracle and model collaborative ministry?
- In what ways does this feeding miracle point forward to the Last Supper and the ongoing gift of Christ as the bread of life in the Eucharist?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven (λαβὼν δὲ τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, labōn de tous pente artous kai tous dyo ichthyas anablepsas eis ton ouranon)—Jesus's upward gaze acknowledged dependence on the Father. This gesture appears before several miracles and prayers (Luke 18:13, John 11:41, 17:1), modeling that all power flows from God. Though Jesus is divine, His incarnate ministry demonstrates perfect human dependence on the Father.
He blessed them (εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς, eulogēsen autous)—Jesus gave thanks to God, following Jewish custom of blessing God for His provision. Matthew 14:19 uses eulogeō (bless), while John 6:11 uses eucharisteō (give thanks)—both describe the same action. This blessing transforms the meal, though the miracle's mechanics remain mysterious. And brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude (καὶ κατέκλασεν καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς παραθεῖναι τῷ ὄχλῳ, kai kateklasen kai edidou tois mathētais paratheinai tō ochlō)—The imperfect tense edidou ("kept giving") indicates continuous action. Jesus kept breaking and giving, breaking and giving, and the bread multiplied in His hands. The disciples mediated the miracle, distributing bread that supernaturally appeared. This foreshadows the Last Supper (Luke 22:19: "he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it") and the Eucharist.