Matthew 14

Matthew 14 belongs to the middle section of the Gospel, which covers Jesus' Galilean ministry. It follows the close of Matthew 13, where Jesus is rejected in His hometown of Nazareth.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 Herod the tetrarch hears reports about Jesus and tells his servants that John the Baptist has risen from the dead.
• Verses 3–12 Herod had imprisoned John on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. At Herod's birthday celebration the daughter of Herodias danced, and at her request Herod had John beheaded. John's disciples buried the body and went and told Jesus.
• Verses 13–21 Jesus heals the sick in a desert place. He then feeds five thousand men, besides women and children, with five loaves and two fish. The leftover fragments fill twelve baskets.
• Verses 22–33 Jesus prays alone on a mountain, and in the fourth watch of the night (toward dawn) He comes to the disciples, walking on the sea. Peter walks on the water but begins to sink when he sees the wind. Jesus catches hold of him, and those in the boat confess Him as "the Son of God."
• Verses 34–36 At Gennesaret, the sick who touch the hem of Jesus' garment are all made whole.

Key Verses

• Matthew 14:16 "Give ye them to eat" — frequently cited in sermons on the feeding of the five thousand to emphasize the disciples' responsibility.
• Matthew 14:31 "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" — a classic text in discussions of faith and doubt.
• Matthew 14:33 "Of a truth thou art the Son of God" — the first confession made by the disciples together. It anticipates Peter's confession in Matthew 16.

People and Places

• Herod — here referring to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch (a ruler over a portion of a divided kingdom) of Galilee.
• John the Baptist
• Herodias and Salome — Herodias and her daughter
• Peter
• Gennesaret — a plain on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Notes for Reading

• The text does not name the daughter of Herodias. The name Salome is generally understood to come from the writings of Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian.
• The feeding of the five thousand is recorded in all four Gospels. However, the "lad" who supplied the loaves appears only in John 6:9.
• Jesus' walking on the water also appears in Mark 6 and John 6, but the episode of Peter walking on the water is found only in Matthew. Mark 6:52 notes that the disciples' heart was hardened, whereas Matthew closes the scene with the disciples' worship and confession.
• Some interpreters connect the words of verse 19, "he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves," with the Lord's Supper by comparing them with Jesus' actions at the Last Supper. Others link the twelve baskets with the twelve tribes of Israel, though the text does not state this directly.

In the Korean Church

• The story of the five loaves and two fish is frequently taught in Sunday schools and Vacation Bible Schools. The Korean term for "five loaves and two fish" (obyeongieo) is also commonly used in the names of church sharing and relief ministries.
• The scene of Peter sinking in the water is often used in sermons on the theme "Look to the Lord, not to your circumstances."