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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
What follows also expresses great weakness. For after saying, "hath five barley loaves," he addeth, "but what are they among so many?" He supposed that the Worker of the miracle would make less out of less, and more out of more. But this was not the case, for it was alike easy to Him to cause bread to spring forth from more and from less, since He needed no subject-matter. …
Cyril of Alexandria
And I think (and let the lover of wisdom look out for something better) that by the five barley loaves are signified the five-fold book of the all-wise Moses, that is, the whole Law, bringing in as it were coarser food, that by the letter and history. For this the barley hints at. But by the little fishes is signified the food got through the fishermen, that is, the more delicate books of the disciples of the Saviour; and these two (he says), the apostolic and Evangelic preaching, shine forth among us. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Having tested Philip as to whether he had faith, and having discovered that he was not yet free from human weakness, He finds Andrew to be the same, although his understanding was somewhat higher than Philip's. Philip said that "two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough." Andrew points to "five barley loaves and two fish," perhaps having recalled the miracles of the prophets, such as when Elisha performed a miracle with loaves when Samaria had reached the point of utter destruction (2 Kings 4:42–44). …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
The five barley loaves signify the old law; either because the law was given to men not as yet spiritual, but carnal, i. e. under the dominion of the five senses, (the multitude itself consisted of five thousand:) or because the Law itself was given by Moses in five books. And the loaves being of barley is also an allusion to the Law, which concealed the soul's vital nourishment, under carnal ceremonies. For in barley the corn itself is buried under the most tenacious husk. …
Bede
Barley is the food of cattle and slaves: and the old law was given to slaves and cattle, i. e. to carnal men. Or, by the two fishes are meant the saying or writings of the Prophets, and the Psalmist. And whereas the number five refers to the five senses, a thousand stands for perfection. …
Bonaventure
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish": so many loaves, he says, we have, but they are not sufficient; therefore he says: "But what are these among so many?" In this is noted the remarkable poverty of the Lord and the disciples, that they had few loaves and of poor quality; whence they also frequently suffered hunger with the Lord: Matthew twelve: "Jesus went through the grain fields; and his disciples, being hungry, began to pluck ears of grain and to eat." Morally, the five loaves, which the boy has, are the …
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