7. The denarius was a Roman silver coin, whose value differed at different times. From the year 217 B.C. till the reign of Augustus (30 B.C. to 14 A.D.) it was worth 8‐½_d._; afterwards, and, therefore, in the time of Christ, it was worth about 7‐½_d._ See Smith’s _Lat. Dict. Calendarium_, Tables viii. and ix. Two hundred denarii, then would be equal to about £6 5_s._, and yet what bread this would purchase would not suffice to give even a little to each, so great was the multitude. 8. Dicit ei unus ex discipulis 8. One of his disciples, eius, Andreas frater Simonis Andrew, the brother of Simon Petri. Peter, saith to him: 9. Est puer unus hic, qui 9. There is a boy here that habet quinque panes hath five barley loaves and hordeaceos, et duos pisces: two fishes: but what are these sed haec quid sunt inter among so many? tantos? 10. Dixit ergo Iesus: Facite 10. Then Jesus said: Make the homines discumbere. Erat autem men sit down. Now there was foenum multum in loco. much grass in the place. The Discubuerunt ergo viri, numero men therefore sat down in quasi quinque millia. number about five thousand. 10. Christ tells the disciples to bid the multitude be seated “on the green grass” (Mark vi. 39); and about 5,000 men (“not reckoning women and children,” Matt. xiv. 21) sat down in companies “by hundreds and by fifties” (Mark vi. 40). 11. Accepit ergo Iesus panes: 11. And Jesus took the loaves: et cum gratias egisset, and when he had given thanks, distribuit discumbentibus: he distributed to them that similiter et ex piscibus were set down. In like manner quantum volebant. also of the fishes as much as they would. 11. Having returned thanks for all the benefits of God, and particularly for that which He was now about to bestow, Christ took and blessed the loaves and fishes, and through His disciples distributed them to the multitude (Matt., Mark, Luke). It is not said at what precise time the loaves were multiplied or enlarged, whether in the hands of Christ, or of the disciples. It may be, as Mald. supposes, that the increase began in our Lord’s hands, and continued as far as necessary during the distribution by the disciples. That it at least began in our Lord’s hands, we think extremely probable, for thus He was more clearly shown to be the author of the miracle. 12. Ut autem impleti sunt, 12. And when they were filled, dixit discipulis suis: he said to his disciples: Colligite quae superaverunt Gather up the fragments that fragmenta, ne pereant. remain, lest they be lost. 12. The disciples are told to gather up the fragments—(1) to teach us not to neglect the gifts of God; (2) that the fragments might serve as a proof and a memorial of the miracle which had been wrought.