The disciples were counting what they would need to buy. Jesus asked what they already had. He did not ask because He lacked information. Gill says He asked "not as ignorant, but as willing to try their faith yet more, and that the after miracle might be more manifest." John's account says the same about the earlier question to Philip: "he himself knew what he would do" (John 6:6). The added words "go and see" sent them to find out for themselves. Gill offers two readings, checking their own store, "or rather" (his preference) going to see "what was to be had upon the spot, among the company."

The disciples went, found out, and reported: "Five, and two fishes." John adds that Andrew spoke of a lad with "five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?" (John 6:8-9). Matthew records Jesus' reply: "Bring them hither to me" (Matthew 14:18). He had the people sit down in ranks, blessed and broke the loaves, divided the two fishes among them all, and "they did all eat, and were filled," with twelve baskets of fragments left over (Mark 6:39-43).

Barnes notes that the five loaves were in the possession of a lad and "were made of barley" (compare John 6:9). He explains why Jesus "brake" them: "The loaves of bread, among the Jews, were made thin and brittle."

The twelve baskets of leftovers (Mark 6:43) were, Barnes suggests, "Baskets belonging to the disciples, in which they carried their provisions, or, perhaps, belonging to some of the multitude." Matthew Henry has a slightly different picture of where the food came from: the disciples "had brought with them five loaves, for the victualling of their ship, and two fishes perhaps they caught as they came along." John's account says the loaves and fishes belonged to a lad (John 6:9).

Jesus did not start from nothing. He started with what was already there. His question moved the disciples from what they lacked (two hundred pennyworth) to what they had (five loaves and two fishes), and then He took that small supply into His own hands. Matthew Henry observes that "In the former miracle, Christ used all the bread he had, which was five loaves, and fed all the guests he had, which were five thousand."

This was not the last time Jesus asked this question. When another hungry crowd gathered, He asked again, "How many loaves have ye?" (Mark 8:5). And later He used the numbers from both meals to teach the disciples to trust Him: "When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?" (Mark 8:19).