John 6:9

9. Omit ἕν after παιδάριον, with אBDL, Lat. vet., Syr. vet., and Origen, i.e. the oldest MSS., oldest versions, and oldest Father who quotes the passage.

9. παιδάριον. A little lad, or (less probably) servant. The ἕν of some MSS., if genuine, would emphasize the poverty of their resources; the provisions of a single boy. S. Andrew has been making enquiries; which shews that the disciples had considered the matter before Jesus addressed S. Philip, as the Synoptists tell us.

κριθίνους. The ordinary coarse food of the lower orders; Judges 7:13. S. John alone mentions their being of barley, and that they belonged to the lad, who was probably selling them. With homely food from so scanty a store Christ will feed them all. These minute details are the touches of an eyewitness.

ὀψάρια. The force of the diminutive is lost; fishes, not ‘small fishes.’ The word occurs in this Gospel only (John 6:11; John 21:9-10; John 21:13), and literally means a little relish, i.e. anything eaten with bread or other food: and as salt fish was most commonly used for this purpose, the word came gradually to mean ‘fish’ in particular. S. Philip had enlarged on the greatness of the difficulty; S. Andrew insists rather on the smallness of the resources for meeting it.