Luke 9:14

‘For they were about five thousand men.'

The full situation, revealing the reason for the dilemma, is then laid out. This tiny amount of food would have to be sufficient for five thousand grown men (to say nothing of women and children). Five thousand was a round number signifying the covenant community. In terms of symbolism what followed would teach that Jesus would continually feed His people in that new community. But in practical terms at this stage it indicated a small round barley loaf to every thousand men, an impossible situation.

‘And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” '

But they were now to learn that with Jesus nothing was impossible, and that He had within Him the resources sufficient for every situation. So He told them to seat the people down in covenant groups of fifty, resulting in about a hundred groups. This would enable them to ensure that none were overlooked. In view of the clear connection of this feeding with 1 Kings 17:14 and 2 Kings 4:42 there may just have been in His mind here 1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 18:13 where Obadiah split a hundred of God's prophets into groups of fifty and hid them in a cave where he could feed them with bread and water, the idea being that these people were similarly enjoying His protection.

‘In companies (klisia).' The word originally meant a hut or tent, and then a couch, and then came to mean those who laid on such, and thus eventually a group gathered to dine lying on couches (a couch group). Here therefore it indicated a group ready to eat.