When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
14. He was moved with compassion towards them. The other two Evangelists, and particularly Mark, state more clearly the reason why this compassion (συμπάθεια) was awakened in the mind of Christ. It was because he saw famishing souls, whom the warmth of zeal had carried away from their homes and led into a desert place This scarcity of teaching indicated a wretched state of disorder...
This passage of story, concerning Christ's feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, is recorded by all the four Evangelists, which very few, if any, of Christ's miracles are: this intimates that there is something in it worthy of special remark. Observe, I. The great resort of people to Christ, when he was retired into a desert place, Mat 14:13.
Commenting on Matthew 14:13-21
And Jesus went forth,.... Either from the mountain where he sat with his disciples, Joh 6:3 or out of the desert, where he had retired for secrecy; or out of the ship, which seems best, the company having got thither before his landing: and saw a great multitude; for, there were about five thousand men, beside women and children, Mat 14:21 and was moved with...