Matthew 15:29-39 Meaning: Jesus Has Compassion
29Jesus departed from there and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up on the mountain and sat there.
30Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,
31so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.
32Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.”
33The disciples said to him, “Where could we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?”
34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;
36and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
37They all ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.
38Those who ate were four thousand men, in addition to women and children.
39Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.
29And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
30And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:
31Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
32Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
33And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
34And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
35And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
37And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
38And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
39And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
29And Jesus departed thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.
30And there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at his feet; and he healed them:
31insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel.
32And Jesus called unto him his disciples, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat: and I would not send them away fasting, lest haply they faint on the way.
33And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?
34And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes.
35And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;
36and he took the seven loaves and the fishes; and he gave thanks and brake, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
37And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.
38And they that did eat were four thousand men, besides women and children.
39And he sent away the multitudes, and entered into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.
29And Jesus having passed thence, came nigh unto the sea of Galilee, and having gone up to the mountain, he was sitting there,
30and there came to him great multitudes, having with them lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they did cast them at the feet of Jesus, and he healed them,
31so that the multitudes did wonder, seeing dumb ones speaking, maimed whole, lame walking, and blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
32And Jesus having called near his disciples, said, `I have compassion upon the multitude, because now three days they continue with me, and they have not what they may eat; and to let them away fasting I will not, lest they faint in the way.'
33And his disciples say to him, `Whence to us, in a wilderness, so many loaves, as to fill so great a multitude?'
34And Jesus saith to them, `How many loaves have ye?' and they said, `Seven, and a few little fishes.'
35And he commanded the multitudes to sit down upon the ground,
36and having taken the seven loaves and the fishes, having given thanks, he did break, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
37And they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up what was over of the broken pieces seven baskets full,
38and those eating were four thousand men, apart from women and children.
39And having let away the multitudes, he went into the boat, and did come to the borders of Magdala.
29And Jesus, going away from thence, came towards the sea of Galilee, and he went up into the mountain and sat down there;
30and great crowds came to him, having with them lame, blind, dumb, crippled, and many others, and they cast them at his feet, and he healed them:
31so that the crowds wondered, seeing dumb speaking, crippled sound, lame walking, and blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
32But Jesus, having called his disciples to [him], said, I have compassion on the crowd, because they have stayed with me already three days and they have not anything they can eat, and I would not send them away fasting lest they should faint on the way.
33And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so many loaves in [the] wilderness as to satisfy so great a crowd?
34And Jesus says to them, How many loaves have ye? But they said, Seven, and a few small fishes.
35And he commanded the crowds to lie down on the ground;
36and having taken the seven loaves and the fishes, having given thanks, he broke [them] and gave [them] to his disciples, and the disciples to the crowd.
37And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was over and above of the fragments seven baskets full;
38but they that ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
39And, having dismissed the crowds, he went on board ship and came to the borders of Magadan.
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus heals the sick and feeds four thousand with seven loaves. His compassion for the crowd shows God's care for body and soul.
Context
Jesus has just left Tyre and Sidon, where he healed the Canaanite woman's daughter. Now he returns to the Sea of Galilee, goes up a mountain, and sits. In Matthew, mountain settings often signal teaching and authority. Great crowds bring the lame, blind, mute, and maimed, laying them at his feet. He heals them all. The people are amazed and glorify the God of Israel. Then, after three days with the crowd, Jesus says he has compassion because they have nothing to eat. He takes seven loaves and a few fish, gives thanks, breaks them, and the disciples distribute. Everyone eats and is satisfied. Seven baskets of leftovers are collected. This is not merely a repeat of the feeding of the five thousand; it shows Jesus' persistent compassion for all people.
Key Words
Three Greek words anchor this passage. First, splagchnizomai (σπλαγχνίζομαι), often translated “I have compassion.” In the original, it refers to the bowels or inner organs, the deepest seat of emotion. When Jesus says this, he is moved from his core. It is not mild sympathy; it is a gut-level reaction that drives action.
Second, chortazō (χορτάζω), meaning to feed, satisfy, or fill. It originally described feeding animals, but here it shows how the crowd ate and were “filled”, completely satisfied, not just given a snack. The same word appears in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Physical satisfaction points to spiritual.
Third, rhiptō (ῥίπτω), to throw or cast down. The crowds “cast” the sick at Jesus’ feet. Vincent’s Word Studies notes this suggests haste, urgency, and eagerness. They did not gently place them; they flung them down, so many coming with the same desperate hope. It is a picture of faith in action.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen this passage as a demonstration of Jesus’ messianic identity. Matthew Henry emphasizes Jesus as the compassionate provider, showing that when he calls people to follow, he also supplies their needs. Calvin notes the disciples’ forgetfulness and how we easily fail to apply past lessons of God’s provision. Catholic interpreters often see a Eucharistic foretaste: Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it, language that echoes the Last Supper. Some Protestant readings focus on the abundance of grace: seven loaves become seven baskets full, the number of completeness. All traditions agree that Jesus’ compassion is the driving force behind both healing and feeding.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that the feeding of the four thousand is a duplicate of the feeding of the five thousand, so readers skip it as redundant. In fact, Matthew deliberately records two distinct feedings. The numbers differ: five thousand vs four thousand; twelve baskets vs seven; different kinds of baskets. The context is also different, this feeding happens after Jesus heals many in a region where Gentiles predominate, showing compassion beyond Israel. The disciples’ question “Where could we get so many loaves?” reveals they still haven’t fully grasped who Jesus is. Repetition teaches us that we, too, often forget past provision and need fresh reminders of God’s care.
Living This Out
This week, think about what you have that seems too small: a little money, a bit of time, limited energy, a few skills. It might be enough for your own needs, but you wonder how it could help others. Jesus asks, “How many loaves do you have?” He does not despise small offerings. He takes them, gives thanks, breaks them, and multiplies them through your hands. You can take a small step, share a meal with someone lonely, use an hour to listen, give a few dollars to a need. Then watch what God does with it. You may be surprised by the leftovers.
Main takeaway: Jesus' compassion for the crowd is not just a feeling; it moves him to heal and feed, using our small resources to meet great needs.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus saw that the people were hungry. He took seven loaves and a few fish, thanked God, and gave them to everyone. There was enough for all!
For ages 9, 12
The disciples forgot that Jesus had already fed five thousand people, so they were worried again about food. But Jesus didn't scold them; he simply took what they had, seven loaves and fish, and gave thanks. Then he broke them and gave to the disciples to hand out. Everyone ate until they were full, and there were seven baskets left over. This shows that God can do a lot with a little when we trust him.
Questions People Ask
Why does Jesus feed 4,000 men if he already fed 5,000?
This second miracle shows Jesus' compassion for all people, including Gentiles in the Decapolis region, and teaches the disciples that his power is not limited to one nation or one occasion.
What does the mountain symbolize in Matthew 15:29?
In Matthew, mountains often accompany important teaching or revelation (Sermon on the Mount, Transfiguration). Jesus sits as a teacher, and the healings confirm his authority.
What is the significance of the number seven?
Seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection in Scripture. Seven loaves, seven baskets leftover, God provides fully and abundantly.
Why did the crowds stay with Jesus for three days?
They were so drawn to his teaching and healing that they forgot about food. Jesus notices their devotion and responds with compassion.
How is this miracle different from the feeding of the 5,000?
Different number, different baskets (spurides vs kophinoi), different location, and different audience (mixed Jewish-Gentile). It shows Jesus' consistent concern for human need.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study