Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 14:16

"But Jesus said unto them, They have no need to go away; give ye them to eat." — Matthew 14:16 (ASV)

Jesus said—They need not depart; give ye them to eat. John adds that, previous to this, Jesus had addressed Philip and asked, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? (John 6:5). This he said to prove him; that is, to try his faith; to test the confidence of Philip in himself.

Philip, it seems, had not the kind of confidence which he ought to have had. He immediately began to think of their ability to purchase food for them. “Two hundred pennyworth of bread,” he said, “would not be enough.” In the original it is two hundred denarii. These were Roman coins, amounting to about fourteen cents each [seven pence,]. The whole two hundred, therefore, would have been equal to about twenty-eight dollars.

In Philip’s view, this was a great sum—a sum which twelve poor fishermen were by no means able to provide. It was this fact, and not any unwillingness to provide for them, which led the disciples to request that they should be sent into the villages around to obtain food. Jesus knew how much they had, and he required of them, as he does of all, implicit faith, and told them to give them to eat. He requires us to do what he commands; and we need not doubt that he will give us strength to accomplish it.

See Barnes on "Matthew 14:13".