Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 14:17

"And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes." — Matthew 14:17 (ASV)

It was now late afternoon. On the face of it, the conversation between Jesus and his disciples is straightforward. They wanted him to send the crowds to the small, unwalled hamlets for food. Jesus’ words “you give them something to eat” were not easy to understand; but whatever they meant, the disciples did not understand them. Their answer in v.17 not only reveals limited vision but also an approach to the problem betraying a lack of both understanding and faith.