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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Cyril of Alexandria
But that the difficulty of the miracle may be still more enhanced, the number of men is stated to have been by no means small. As it follows, And there were about five thousand men, besides women and children, (Mat. 14:21.) as another Evangelist relates.
Theophylact of Ohrid
Our Lord teaches us, that when we entertain any one, we ought to make him sit down at meat, and partake of every comfort. Hence it follows, And he said to his disciples, &c.
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
That Luke says here, that the men were ordered to sit down by fifties, but Mark, by fifties and hundreds, does not matter, seeing that one spoke of a part, the other of the whole. But if one had mentioned only the fifties, and the other only the hundreds, they would seem to be greatly opposed to one another; nor would it be sufficiently distinct which of the two was said. But who will not admit, that one was mentioned by one Evangelist, the other by another, and that if more attentively considered it must be found so. …
Bede
But there were about five thousand men. Because there are five senses of the outer man, the five thousand men who followed the Lord signify those who, still set in the secular state, have learned to use well the external things they possess. They are rightly nourished by five loaves, because such need still to be instructed by legal precepts. For those who renounce the world entirely are four thousand, and being nourished by seven loaves, that is, both elevated by the evangelical nourishment and taught by spiritual grace. …
Bonaventure
And he said to his disciples, etc. After the occasion arising from the need of the multitude, he here adds the liberality arising from the munificence of the Savior. Now the liberality of the Savior is manifested in four things: in the ordering of the diners, the abundance of provisions, the courtesy of the ministers, and the satiety of the eaters; so that perfect liberality might thus be shown through the order of those reclining, the abundance of provisions, the readiness of those serving, and the fullness of those eating. …
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