Matthew 14:14Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
The setting
Eastern shore of Sea of Galilee, ~29 AD. Jesus emerges from His boat expecting solitude but finds thousands of desperate people who walked miles to reach Him.
The emotion here: amazed at Jesus choosing others over His own grief
The original word
splagchnizomai (ἐσπλαγχνίσθη) — gut-level compassion, literally 'moved in the bowels,' the deepest physical empathy
Why it matters
In first-century Palestine, only 2% of people could afford physicians - most relied on folk healers or suffered
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 14:14
Jesus was still processing John's execution but chose to serve others in His own pain
Common misconceptionPeople think compassion means you must be emotionally whole first. Jesus shows us that broken people can still heal others - your wounds don't disqualify your ministry.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 14:14
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 14:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 14:14 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. The setting is wilderness. These words are attributed to Matthew. The dominant emotion in this verse is joyful, with a comfort power of 85% and a tone that is tender. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include compassion, healing ministry. Notable phrases: Jesus went out; saw a great multitude; had compassion; healed their sick.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same joyful
“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, …”
— Isaiah 9:6
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22
“"Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?"”
— 1 Corinthians 15:55
“Rejoice always.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
Your reflection
What does Matthew 14:14 mean to you, today?
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