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Pentecost Season · Proper 13 · Year A

Matthew 14:13-21

Feeding the Five Thousand

August 2, 2026

Feeding the Five Thousand (July), Marten van Valckenborch
Feeding the Five Thousand (July), Marten van Valckenborch, 16th century
From a series of the months. The miracle happens in the middle distance of a July landscape busy with ordinary summer work.They all ate and were filled, and they took up what was left over: the painting puts the feeding into a countryside that is already feeding people.Marten van ValckenborchA Flemish painter who fled Antwerp for religious reasons and worked in Frankfurt, painting the months and seasons.
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelMatt. 14:13-21Mt 14:13-21
EpistleRom. 9:1-5Rom 9:1-5
Old TestamentGen. 32:22-31Gn 32:22-31Alt. OTIsa. 55:1-5Is 55:1-5
PsalterPs. 17:1-7, 15Ps 17:1-7, 15Alt. PsalmPs. 145:8-9, 14-21Ps 145:8-9, 14-21

Overview & Insights

"And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full." (Matthew 14:20)

Moved with compassion for a large crowd, Jesus heals the sick and then feeds more than five thousand people from five loaves and two fish, with twelve baskets left over.

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Take it further: Matthew 14:13-21

Commentary

Working Preacher: Commentary on Matthew 14:13-21Working Preacher: Commentary on Mt 14:13-21 Working Preacher

Lutheran lectionary commentary on the feeding of the five thousand for Year A, Proper 13.

Enduring Word: Matthew 14Enduring Word: Mt 14 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical notes on the whole chapter.

Precept Austin: Matthew 14 CommentaryPrecept Austin: Mt 14 Commentary Precept Austin

Study page gathering many conservative commentators on Matthew 14.

BibleHub: Commentaries on Matthew 14:13BibleHub: Commentaries on Mt 14:13 BibleHub

Parallel classic commentaries keyed to the opening of the feeding miracle.

StudyLight: Matthew 14 CommentariesStudyLight: Mt 14 Commentaries StudyLight

Many complete commentaries on Matthew 14 gathered on one passage page.

Background & Word Study

BibleProject: Matthew 14-28 OverviewBibleProject: Mt 14-28 Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of the second half of Matthew, including the feeding miracle.

BibleHub: Matthew 14 InterlinearBibleHub: Mt 14 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek-English interlinear for word-level study of Matthew 14.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Matthew 14Catena: Mt 14 Catena

Patristic comments gathered verse by verse on Matthew 14.

Worship & Prayers

The Lectionary Page: Proper 13A The Lectionary Page

Anglican collect and full set of appointed readings for the day.

Podcast

Working Preacher: Sermon Brainwave Podcast Working Preacher

Weekly lectionary podcast where scholars discuss the appointed texts.

Art & Music

Vanderbilt: Revised Common Lectionary Art Index Vanderbilt

Lectionary art index for visual reflection on the day's readings.

Study Hub

The Text This Week: Proper 13A Textweek

Curated study, art, and preaching hub for Proper 13 in Year A.

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