John Gill

And about four thousand men were present. As soon as Jesus had dismissed the crowd,

“And they that had eaten were about four thousand,.... That is, men, besides women and children, as Matthew observes; See Gill on Mat 15:38.”

He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

“And straightway he entered into a ship, with his disciples,.... As soon as ever he had, dismissed the multitude, he took shipping with his disciples; for he was at the sea of Galilee, either at a place near it, or upon the shore of it…”

Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.

“And the Pharisees came forth,.... Out of their houses; who dwelt in the coasts of Magdala, and parts of Dalmanutha, and came to Jesus, hearing of his being arrived in their neighbourhood: and began to question with him; or to dispute with him, it being…”

Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

“And he sighed deeply in his Spirit,.... In his human soul; and which shows that he had one, and was subject to grief and sorrow, and all passions and infirmities, excepting sin.”

And He left them, got back into the boat, and crossed to the other side.

“And he left them,.... As a perverse and hardened generation of men, and as such with whom it was not worth while to discourse: and entering into the ship again; which brought him over, and waited for him: departed to the other side; of the…”

Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.

“Now the disciples had, forgotten to take bread,.... At Dalmanutha, or Magdala, or whatever place in those parts they were at, before they took shipping, as was their usual method.”

So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.

“And they reasoned among themselves,.... Upon Christ's giving this caution, and recollecting with themselves, that they had forgot to buy any provisions, and take with them: saying, it is because we have no bread; that he says these words; tacitly chiding and reproving us, for…”

‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember?

“Having eyes, see ye not?.... Meaning perhaps both the eyes of their bodies, and of their understandings: they had bodily eyes, and with them saw the miracles he wrought, and yet took little notice of them; and the eyes of their understandings were enlightened by…”

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.

“When I brake the five loaves among five thousand,.... This, with what follows, chiefly regards the last question: how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? do not you remember? have you forgot what was so lately done?”

“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they said.

“And when the seven among four thousand,.... That is, when seven loaves were broken among four thousand men, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?”

When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.

“And he cometh to Bethsaida,.... The city of Andrew, Peter, and Philip, Joh 1:44; a fishing town, which was situated by the sea of Galilee. Beza's ancient copy, and the Gothic version, wrongly read "Bethany".”

Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.

“After that he had put his hands again upon his eyes,.... By the former account it does not appear on what part of him he put his hands; but this determines it; and from hence it seems plain, that he first spit on his eyes…”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

“And they answered,.... That some said he was John the Baptist; which was the opinion of Herod, and others: but some say Elias; that is the "Tishbite", whom the Jews in general expected in person before the coming of the Messiah and imagined that Jesus…”

“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

“And he saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am?.... It was for the sake of this question he put the former; See Gill on Mat 16:15; and Peter answereth and saith unto him, thou art the Christ; the Messiah that was long…”

He spoke this message quite frankly, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

“And he spake that saying openly,.... Concerning his sufferings, death, and resurrection from the dead.”

Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

“Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? To deliver it out of its miserable state and condition; all the riches of the world, and the whole world itself, are not an equivalent to it, or a sufficient ransom for it; riches…”

His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them.

“And his raiment became shining,.... With the rays of glory and brightness which darted from his body through his clothes, and made them as bright as the light of the sun at noon day: and exceeding white as snow; than which nothing is whiter; so…”

And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus.

“And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses,.... Or Moses and Elias, as all the Oriental versions read, as in Mat .”

For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.

“For he wist not what to say,.... He did not know what he should say, or what was proper to be said by him, at such a time, in such circumstances, and before such persons; for they were sore afraid.”

Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!”

“And there was a cloud that overshadowed them,.... Jesus, Moses, and Elias, and also the disciples; who, according to Luke, entered into it, and so were covered by it. And a voice came out the cloud, saying, this is my beloved Son, hear him.”

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

“And as they came down from the mountain,.... Christ and his three disciples, Peter, James, and John, whom he led up thither: he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen; on the mount, as the transfiguration of himself, the…”

And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

“And they asked him, saying,.... Being put in mind of it, by seeing Elias on the mount, or else by what Christ had said concerning his resurrection, or both: why say the Scribes, the Vulgate Latin adds, "and Pharisees", that Elias must first come?”

But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.”

“But I say unto you, that Elias is indeed come,.... Meaning John the Baptist, who in prophecy is designed by him.”

When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.

“And when he came to his disciples,.... The other nine, who were left at the bottom of the mountain, and were waiting for him: he saw a great multitude about them: there was a multitude that followed him from Bethsaida hither; and which, very likely…”

“What are you disputing with them?” He asked.

“And he asked the Scribes,.... The Vulgate Latin renders it, "he asked them"; and the Ethiopic version, he said unto them; meaning either that he asked the disciples when he came to them, or else the people that ran to salute him; but the Syriac…”