And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
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 straightway Jesus constrained his disciples,.... As soon as ever he had wrought the above miracle, and perceived that the people were so convinced by it, of his being the Messiah, that they were determined, whether he would or not, to set him up for a temporal king, to deliver them from the Roman yoke; which they doubted not he was able to do, who...
Verse 21. Five thousand men, beside, etc. Probably the number might have been ten thousand. To feed so many was an act of great benevolence, and a stupendous miracle. The effect was such as might be expected. John says that they were convinced by it that he was that prophet that should come into the world; that is, the Messiah.