Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 14:14

And Jesus went forth ,.... Either from the mountain where he sat with his disciples, John 6:3 or out of the desert, where he had retired for secrecy; or out of the ship, which seems best, the company having got thither before his landing: and saw a great multitude ; for, there were about five thousand men, beside women and children, Matthew 14:21 and was moved with compassion toward them : partly on account of their bodily infirmities, which were very many and great; and partly... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 14:15

And when it was evening ,.... Mark says, "when the day was now far spent"; and Luke, "when the day began to wear away"; it was upon the decline of the day. The Jews, as Grotius rightly observes, had two evenings; the one began when the sun declined at noon, and the other at sun setting: now it was the former of these, and not the latter, that was now come; for after this, you read of another evening that was come, Matthew 14:23 between which two evenings Christ made the multitude to sit... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 14:16

But Jesus said unto them ,.... the disciples, they need not depart ; meaning so long as he was with them, who had power enough to provide a sufficient meal for them, as well as by a word speaking, to heal their diseases; however, to try their faith, and make way for the working of the following miracle, he says to them, give ye them to eat ; such provisions as you have along with you. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 14:17

And they say unto him ,.... In order to excuse themselves, and to show the impossibility of feeding such a large number of people; we have here but five loaves ; and these barley ones, coarse bread; and two fishes ; small ones, which were dried and salted, and fit for present eating; which they either brought along with them for their own refreshment, or rather, were brought thither by a boy to sell, as is usual where a great concourse of people are got together: these words seem to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 14:18

He said, bring them hither to me. The loaves and the fishes, signifying that they were sufficient; or that he would make them so: this he said, to try their faith in him, their obedience to him, and their liberality to others: and indeed, the best way to have an increase of temporal supplies, is to bring what we have, and put it into Christ's hands; whereby not only good is done to others, but that with an overplus is returned to the giver. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 14:1

Herod the tetrarch - This was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. See the notes on Matthew 2:1 , where an account is given of the Herod family. The word tetrarch properly signifies a person who rules over the fourth part of a country; but it is taken in a more general sense by the Jewish writers, meaning sometimes a governor simply, or a king; see Matthew 14:9 . The estates of Herod the Great were not, at his death, divided into four tetrarchies, but only into three: one was given... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 14:2

This is John the Baptist - Ον εγω απεκεφαλισα , Whom I beheaded. These words are added here by the Codex Bezae and several others, by the Saxon, and five copies of the Itala. - See the power of conscience! He is miserable because he is guilty; being continually under the dominion of self-accusation, reproach, and remorse. No need for the Baptist now: conscience performs the office of ten thousand accusers! But, to complete the misery, a guilty conscience offers no relief from God - points... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 14:3

For Herodias' sake - This infamous woman was the daughter of Aristobulus and Bernice, and grand-daughter of Herod the Great. Her first marriage was with Herod Philip, her uncle, by whom she had Salome: some time after, she left her husband, and lived publicly with Herod Antipas, her brother-in-law, who had been before married to the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petraea. As soon as Aretas understood that Herod had determined to put away his daughter, he prepared to make war on him: the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 14:4

For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. - Here is an instance of zeal, fidelity, and courage, highly worthy of imitation. Plainness, mildness, and modesty, are qualifications necessary to be observed when we reprove the great. The best service a subject can render his prince is to lay before him, in the plainest but most respectful manner, what the law of God requires of him, and what it forbids. How unutterable must the punishment of those be who are chaplains to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 14:5

He feared the multitude - Miserable prince! who fears more to offend his people, than to sin against his God, by shedding innocent blood. When a man resists sin only by the help of human motives, he cannot long defend himself. read more

Group of Brands