Matthew 14:16
New International Version
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

New Living Translation
But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

English Standard Version
But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

Berean Standard Bible
“They do not need to go away,” Jesus replied. “You give them something to eat.”

Berean Literal Bible
And Jesus said to them, "They have no need to go away. You give to them something to eat."

King James Bible
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

New King James Version
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

New American Standard Bible
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go; you give them something to eat!”

NASB 1995
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

NASB 1977
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

Legacy Standard Bible
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

Amplified Bible
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

Christian Standard Bible
“They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat."”

American Standard Version
But Jesus said unto them, They have no need to go away; give ye them to eat.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus replied, "They don't have to leave. Why don't you give them something to eat?"

English Revised Version
But Jesus said unto them, They have no need to go away; give ye them to eat.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus said to them, "They don't need to go away. You give them something to eat."

Good News Translation
"They don't have to leave," answered Jesus. "You yourselves give them something to eat!"

International Standard Version
But Jesus told them, "They don't need to go away. You give them something to eat."

Majority Standard Bible
?They do not need to go away,? Jesus replied. ?You give them something to eat.?

NET Bible
But he replied, "They don't need to go. You give them something to eat."

New Heart English Bible
But he said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

Webster's Bible Translation
But Jesus said to them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

Weymouth New Testament
"They need not go away," replied Jesus; "you yourselves must give them something to eat."

World English Bible
But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Jesus said to them, “They have no need to go away—you give them to eat.”

Berean Literal Bible
And Jesus said to them, "They have no need to go away. You give to them something to eat."

Young's Literal Translation
And Jesus said to them, 'They have no need to go away -- give ye them to eat.'

Smith's Literal Translation
But Jesus said to them, They have no need to depart; give ye them to eat.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Jesus said to them, They have no need to go: give you them to eat.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But Jesus said to them: “They have no need to go. Give them something to eat yourselves.”

New American Bible
[Jesus] said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”

New Revised Standard Version
Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But he said to them, It is not necessary for them to go; you give them something to eat.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But he said to them, “It is not necessary for them to go. You give them to eat.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But Jesus said to them: They need not go away; do you give them food.

Godbey New Testament
And Jesus said to them, They have no need to go away; you give them to eat.

Haweis New Testament
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart: give ye them to eat.

Mace New Testament
but Jesus said to them, that's needless, let them eat what you have.

Weymouth New Testament
"They need not go away," replied Jesus; "you yourselves must give them something to eat."

Worrell New Testament
But Jesus said to them, "They have no need to go away. Give ye them to eat."

Worsley New Testament
But Jesus said to them, they have no need to go away, do ye give them something to eat.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
15When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowds so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16“They do not need to go away,” Jesus replied. “You give them something to eat.” 17“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.…

Cross References
John 6:5-13
When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” / But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do. / Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.” ...

Mark 6:37-44
But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?” / “Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.” / Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass. ...

Luke 9:13-17
But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” / (There were about five thousand men.) He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” / They did so, and everyone was seated. ...

2 Kings 4:42-44
Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha. / But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” / So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

Exodus 16:4-15
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. / Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” / So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ...

Numbers 11:13-23
Where can I get meat for all these people? For they keep crying out to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ / I cannot carry all these people by myself; it is too burdensome for me. / If this is how You are going to treat me, please kill me right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and let me not see my own wretchedness.” ...

John 6:26-27
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. / Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

Matthew 15:32-38
Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.” / The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?” / “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” ...

Mark 8:1-9
In those days the crowd once again became very large, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called the disciples to Him and said, / “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. / If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.” ...

Luke 9:12
As the day neared its end, the Twelve came to Jesus and said, “Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside for lodging and provisions. For we are in a desolate place here.”

John 6:1-14
After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias). / A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick. / Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples. ...

Psalm 78:19-25
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? / When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?” / Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel, ...

Isaiah 55:1-2
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! / Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

John 21:5-13
So He called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” “No,” they answered. / He told them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it there, and they were unable to haul it in because of the great number of fish. / Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and jumped into the sea. ...


Treasury of Scripture

But Jesus said to them, They need not depart; give you them to eat.

they.

2 Kings 4:42-44
And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat…

Job 31:16,17
If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; …

Proverbs 11:24
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

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Matthew 14
1. Herod's opinion of Jesus.
3. Wherefore John Baptist was beheaded.
13. Jesus departs into a solitary place,
15. where he feeds five thousand men with five loves and two fishes.
22. He walks on the sea to his disciples;
34. and landing at Gennesaret,
35. heals the sick who touch of the hem of his garment.














But Jesus said to them
This phrase introduces the direct response of Jesus to His disciples. The Greek word for "said" is "εἶπεν" (eipen), which is often used to denote authoritative speech. In the context of the Gospels, when Jesus speaks, it is with divine authority and wisdom. This sets the stage for a teaching moment, emphasizing that what follows is not merely a suggestion but a directive from the Son of God. Historically, this moment occurs after a long day of teaching and healing, highlighting Jesus' compassion and leadership.

They do not need to go away
Here, Jesus challenges the disciples' initial reaction to send the crowd away to find food. The Greek word for "need" is "χρείαν" (chreian), which implies necessity or lack. Jesus is addressing a perceived lack, not just of physical sustenance but of spiritual understanding. This statement reflects Jesus' mission to provide for both physical and spiritual needs, underscoring His role as the Good Shepherd who cares for His flock.

You give them something to eat
This command is pivotal. The Greek word for "give" is "δώτε" (dote), an imperative form, indicating a command rather than a suggestion. Jesus is inviting His disciples to participate in His ministry, to act in faith and reliance on His power. This directive foreshadows the miraculous feeding that follows and serves as a lesson in faith and obedience. It also reflects the broader biblical theme of God using His people to accomplish His purposes, despite their apparent limitations.

Verse 16. - But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; they have no need to go away (Revised Version). Matthew only. The Lord takes up the expression. There is no need for them to move from this place, desert though it is. Give ye them to eat. Ye; emphatic, he throws upon his disciples the duty of feeding them, and, strange though the command seemed to them (cf. 2 Kings 4:43), they carried it out.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“They do
ἔχουσιν (echousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

not
Οὐ (Ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

need
χρείαν (chreian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5532: From the base of chraomai or chre; employment, i.e. An affair; also occasion, demand, requirement or destitution.

to go away,”
ἀπελθεῖν (apelthein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 565: From apo and erchomai; to go off, aside or behind, literally or figuratively.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

replied.
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“You
ὑμεῖς (hymeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

give
δότε (dote)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

them
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

[something] to eat.”
φαγεῖν (phagein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 5315: A primary verb; to eat.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 14:16 But Jesus said to them They don't (Matt. Mat Mt)
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