And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
MATTHEW 14:21KJVWhat does Matthew 14:21 mean?
Matthew 14:21 states that about five thousand men ate the food Jesus provided, not counting the women and children who were also present. This verse highlights the large number of people fed during the miracle, making it clear that the total crowd was much greater than just the men.
In this scene, Matthew is describing the aftermath of Jesus feeding a massive crowd with just a small amount of food. The verse specifically notes that the count of "about five thousand" refers only to the men (adult males), and that women and children were not included in this number. This detail emphasizes the extraordinary scale of the miracle and shows that the actual number of people fed was likely much higher than five thousand.
The Greek behind Matthew 14:21
- ἄνδρες (andres, G435): This word means "men" in the sense of adult males, not just people in general. By using this term, Matthew makes it clear that the five thousand counted did not include women or children.
- χωρὶς (chōris, G5565): This word means "beside" or "apart from." It signals that the number given is exclusive of another group—in this case, women and children—so the total crowd was even larger.
- γυναῖκες (gynaikes, G1135) and παιδία (paidia, G3813): These words mean "women" and "children," respectively. Their mention highlights that the crowd was made up of whole families, not just men.
Why Matthew 14:21 matters
- Matthew 14:21 clarifies that the miracle of feeding the crowd was even more impressive than it might seem at first glance, since the number of people fed was far greater than five thousand.
- The verse helps correct a common misunderstanding that only five thousand people were present, when in fact the total could have been two or three times higher.
- By specifying men, women, and children, Matthew shows the inclusiveness of Jesus' ministry and the broad impact of this miracle on all types of people in the crowd.