Why did the disciples doubt whether Jesus could repeat the miracle after he had already fed the five thousand?
Maybe the disciples were just stressing that they themselves could not get the needed bread for the crowd, so that if someone were to do it, it would have to be Jesus. Or maybe they had already forgotten about the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:15–21), or just doubted that Jesus could do it again. They would not be the only ones quick to forget God’s power, for soon after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they feared that they would die in the desert (Exodus 17:1–7).
It could be that the disciples here in Matthew 15:33 simply want to highlight the fact that they themselves would be unable to acquire the necessary bread for the crowd and that if someone were to do it, it would have to be Jesus himself. On the other hand it is also possible that they had already forgotten about the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:15–21) or if not, simply doubted whether Jesus would be able to repeat it. In the latter case they would not be the only ones quick to forget God’s great wonders, for after all, shortly after the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, they feared that they would perish in the desert (Exodus 17:1–7).1
33 Les disciples lui dirent: Comment nous procurer dans ce lieu désert assez de pains pour rassasier une si grande foule?