Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 14:21

"And they that did eat were about five thousand men, besides women and children." — Matthew 14:21 (ASV)

Beside women and children — St. Matthew is the only Evangelist who mentions their presence, but all four use the word that emphasizes the fact that all five thousand were men. As the crowd had come from considerable distances in many cases, the women and children were probably few in number, were grouped by themselves, and were not counted, so that the round number settled in people's minds without reference to them.