Luke 9:14 Meaning and Explanation
“For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →With about five thousand men present, Jesus has the disciples seat the crowd in orderly groups of fifty.
What Does Luke 9:14 Mean?
Luke pauses to give the scale, about five thousand men, before recording the strange calm of Jesus. Facing the shortage, he does not wring his hands; he organizes the hungry. The disciples are told to seat the multitude in companies of fifty, rows of expectation arranged across the grass before any food exists to serve them.
Seating the crowd was itself an act of faith: it declared dinner before there was dinner. Jesus prepares people to receive what he has not yet provided, and the disciples obey without seeing how the end will come. Order, too, belongs to his goodness; the God who multiplies bread also arranges the table. Sometimes obedience looks like setting places at a table that is still empty.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 9:14
What does Luke 9:14 mean?
With about five thousand men present, Jesus has the disciples seat the crowd in orderly groups of fifty.