But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

LUKE 9:13KJV
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Luke 9:13 (KJV)

What does Luke 9:13 mean?

Luke 9:13 shows Jesus telling his disciples to give food to the crowd, but the disciples respond that they only have five loaves of bread and two fish, unless they go and buy food for everyone. The verse highlights the disciples' sense of limitation and their uncertainty about how to meet the needs of so many people.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking directly to his disciples as a large crowd gathers around them. The disciples are aware of the crowd’s hunger and their own lack of resources. This moment sets up the well-known miracle where Jesus multiplies the food, but here, the focus is on the disciples’ practical concerns and their honest reply about what they have on hand.

The Greek behind Luke 9:13

  • The word "Give" (δότε, dote) is a direct command from Jesus, emphasizing that he expects the disciples themselves to take action, not just look to him for a solution.
  • The phrase "We have no more but" (οὐκ εἰσὶν ἡμῖν πλείονα ἢ, ouk eisin hēmin pleiona ē) shows the disciples’ emphasis on their limited resources, highlighting their practical mindset and the apparent impossibility of the task.
  • "Loaves" (ἄρτους, artous) and "fishes" (ἰχθύας, ichthyas) are ordinary, everyday foods, underlining how little the disciples have to offer compared to the size of the crowd.

Why Luke 9:13 matters

  • This verse helps clear up the idea that the disciples were always confident or full of faith; here, they are clearly unsure and focused on their lack.
  • It emphasizes the contrast between human limitation and what Jesus is about to do, setting the stage for the miracle that follows.
  • Luke 9:13 connects to the wider passage by showing the disciples’ involvement and responsibility, not just as bystanders but as participants in Jesus’ ministry.

Where else these words appear

“except” Greek G1509 · used in 3 verses

  • 1 Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
  • 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

“meat” Greek G1033 · used in 15 verses

  • Matthew 14:15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
  • Romans 14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
  • 1 Corinthians 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

“fishes” Greek G2486 · used in 18 verses

  • Matthew 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
  • Mark 6:38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
  • Luke 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

“buy” Greek G59 · used in 31 verses

  • Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
  • Mark 15:46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
  • 1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.