Matthew 14:17
New International Version
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

New Living Translation
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

English Standard Version
They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”

Berean Standard Bible
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

Berean Literal Bible
And they say to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."

King James Bible
And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

New King James Version
And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

New American Standard Bible
They said to Him, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.”

NASB 1995
They said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

NASB 1977
And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

Amplified Bible
They replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.”

Christian Standard Bible
“But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to Him.

American Standard Version
And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

Contemporary English Version
But they said, "We have only five small loaves of bread and two fish."

English Revised Version
And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They told him, "All we have here are five loaves of bread and two fish."

Good News Translation
"All we have here are five loaves and two fish," they replied.

International Standard Version
They told him, "We don't have anything here except five loaves of bread and two fish."

Majority Standard Bible
?We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,? they answered.

NET Bible
They said to him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."

New Heart English Bible
And they told him, "We only have here five loaves and two fish."

Webster's Bible Translation
And they say to him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

Weymouth New Testament
"We have nothing here," they said, "but five loaves and a couple of fish."

World English Bible
They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they say to Him, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fishes.”

Berean Literal Bible
And they say to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."

Young's Literal Translation
And they say to him, 'We have not here except five loaves, and two fishes.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And they say to him, We have not here but five loaves, and two fishes.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They answered him: We have not here, but five loaves, and two fishes.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They answered him, “We have nothing here, except five loaves and two fish.”

New American Bible
But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”

New Revised Standard Version
They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They said to him, We have nothing here, except five loaves of bread and two fish.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But they said to him, “There is nothing here with us but five loaves and two fish.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
They said to him: We have here but five loaves and two fishes.

Godbey New Testament
And they say to Him, We have nothing here except five loaves and two fishes.

Haweis New Testament
And they said unto him, We have nothing here except five loaves and two fishes.

Mace New Testament
we have nothing here, said they, but five loaves, and two fishes.

Weymouth New Testament
"We have nothing here," they said, "but five loaves and a couple of fish."

Worrell New Testament
And they say to Him, "We have nothing here except five loaves and two fishes."

Worsley New Testament
And they said, we have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
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. 18“Bring them here to Me,” Jesus said.…

Cross References
John 6:9
“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”

Mark 6:38
“Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

Luke 9:13
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.”

John 6:5-7
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.”

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.

Mark 8:5-7
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. / And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd. / They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well.

John 6:11-13
Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. / And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” / So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Matthew 15:34
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

John 6:1-4
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. ...

Exodus 16:4-5
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.”

Numbers 11:13
Where can I get meat for all these people? For they keep crying out to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’

1 Samuel 9:7-8
“If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” / The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have here in my hand a quarter shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.”

1 Kings 17:12-16
But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.” / “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son, / for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’” ...

Matthew 16:9-10
Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? / Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

Luke 22:35
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.


Treasury of Scripture

And they say to him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

Matthew 15:33,34
And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? …

Numbers 11:21-23
And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month…

Psalm 78:19,20
Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? …

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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.














We have here
This phrase indicates the disciples' immediate response to Jesus' inquiry about feeding the multitude. The Greek word for "have" is "ἔχομεν" (echomen), which implies possession or holding. This reflects the disciples' focus on their limited resources, a common human tendency to rely on visible, tangible assets rather than faith in divine provision. Historically, this setting is in a remote area, emphasizing the scarcity and the disciples' sense of inadequacy.

only
The use of "only" underscores the insufficiency perceived by the disciples. The Greek word "μόνον" (monon) conveys a sense of limitation and lack. This highlights a recurring biblical theme where God uses what seems insufficient to accomplish His purposes, teaching reliance on His power rather than human means.

five loaves of bread
The loaves mentioned here are likely small, flat barley loaves, common food for the poor in ancient Israel. The Greek word "ἄρτους" (artous) refers to bread, a staple in the diet of the time. This detail connects to the Old Testament, where God provided manna, symbolizing His provision. The number five can symbolize grace, pointing to the grace of God in providing for His people.

and two fish
Fish were a common source of protein for the people living around the Sea of Galilee. The Greek word "ἰχθύας" (ichthyas) is used here. Fish, in early Christian symbolism, represented Christ and His followers. The number two can signify witness or testimony, suggesting that this miracle would testify to Jesus' divine authority and compassion.

they answered
This phrase indicates the disciples' response to Jesus' question. The Greek word "εἶπαν" (eipan) is used for "answered," showing their immediate reaction. This reflects a moment of doubt and realism, as they assess the situation with human logic. It sets the stage for Jesus to demonstrate His power and teach a lesson on faith and divine provision.

Verse 17. - And they say unto him, We have here (ῶδε) but five loaves (Matthew 4:3, note), and two fishes (Matthew 7:9, note). St. Matthew omits the question, "Shall we go and buy?" etc., which comes in Mark and Luke, and essentially in John (ver. 5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“We have
ἔχομεν (echomen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

here
ὧδε (hōde)
Adverb
Strong's 5602: From an adverb form of hode; in this same spot, i.e. Here or hither.

only
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

five
πέντε (pente)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4002: Five. A primary number; 'five'.

loaves of bread
ἄρτους (artous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 740: Bread, a loaf, food. From airo; bread or a loaf.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

two
δύο (dyo)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1417: Two. A primary numeral; 'two'.

fish,”
ἰχθύας (ichthyas)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2486: A fish. Of uncertain affinity; a fish.

they answered.
λέγουσιν (legousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 14:17 They told him We only have here (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 14:16
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