Matthew - 15:38

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  4. 38
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38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Matthew 15:38.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
And they that did eat were four thousand men, besides women and children.
And they that did eat, were four thousand men, beside children and women.
And they that had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children.
and those eating were four thousand men, apart from women and children.
Those who ate were 4,000 adult men, without reckoning women and children.
And there were four thousand men who took food, together with women and children.
But those who ate were four thousand men, plus children and women.
The men who ate were four thousand in number without counting women and children.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Four thousand - Let the poor learn from these miracles to trust in God for support. Whatever his ordinary providence denies, his miraculous power will supply.

And they that did eat, were four thousand men,.... This number of men, as well as of the baskets of fragments, clearly shows this to be a distinct miracle from the former of this kind, recorded in Matthew 14:15. There the number of men were five thousand, here four thousand; there the quantity of food was five loaves and two fishes, here seven loaves and a few fishes; there the number of the baskets of fragments was twelve, here seven; though the quantity might be as large; since the word here used for a basket is not the same as there, and designs one of a larger size:
besides women and children; who were not taken into the account, though they ate as well as the men, and whose number might be very large.

Four thousand. Instead of 5,000, as in the former miracle.

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