And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Ver. 21. Were about five thousand] Pythias is famous for that he was able, at his own charge, to entertain Xerxes' whole army, consisting of ten hundred thousand men. But he grew so poor upon it, that he lacked bread before he died. Our Saviour fed five thousand, and his store not a jot diminished: but as it is said of a great mountain of salt in Spain, de quo quantum demus tantum accrescit; so is it here.
Besides women and children] Which did very much add to the number, and so to the miracle. But they are not reckoned of here (not out of any base esteem of them, as the Jews at this day hold women to be of a lower creation than men, and made only for the propagation and pleasure of men, but), because they eat little in comparison to men.