Luke 9:14

Jive thousand men)"Besides women and children," Matthew 14:21. These would probably not be numerous, and would not (in accordance with Eastern usage) sit down with the men, but would stand apart.

by fifties in a company The vivid details of Mark shew the eyewitness of St Peter. He compares them to parterres of flowers (prasiai prasiai,-by garden beds") as they sat on the green grass in their bright Oriental robes of red and blue and yellow. St Luke's word, klisiai, means literally in dining-parties, from klisia, -a couch." This systematic arrangement made it easy to tell the number of the multitude.