John 6:3

Joh 6:3. Ἀνῆλθε, went up) Not after the arrival of the people, but in the meantime, whilst the people were approaching.—ἐκάθητο, He was sitting) He did not desire the people to come to Him; but He graciously received them [when they came].

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 3. Went up into a mountain] This mountain must have been in the desert of Bethsaida, in the territories of Philip, tetrarch of Galilee. Our Lord withdrew to this place for a little rest; for he and his disciples had been so thronged with the multitudes, continually coming and going, that they had not time to take necessary food. See Mr 6:31.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain. Christ unquestionably sought a place of retirement till the feast of the Passover; and therefore it is said that he sat down on a mountain with his disciples. Such was undoubtedly the purpose which he formed as man; but the purpose of God was different, which he willingly obeyed. Although, therefore, he avoided the sight of men, yet he permits himself to be led by the hand of God as into a crowded theater; for there was a larger assembly of men in a desert mountain than in any populous city, and greater celebrity arose from the miracle than if it had happened in the open market-place of Tiberias We are therefore taught by this example to form our plans in conformity to the course of events, but in such a manner that, if the result be different from what we expected, we may not be displeased that God is above us, and regulates everything according to his pleasure.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(3) A mountain.—Better, the mountain, or, perhaps, the hill-country on the east shore of the sea. See the parallel passages.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. into a mountain] Rather, into the mountain, or, perhaps the mountainous part of the district. The definite article indicates familiarity with the locality. Comp. Joh_6:15. We have no means of determining the precise eminence.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jesus went up into a mountain,.... In a desert place near Bethsaida, Luk 9:10;

and there he sat with his disciples; partly for security from the cruelty of Herod, having just heard of the beheading of John; and partly for privacy, that he might have some conversation alone with his disciples, upon their return from off their journey; as also for the sake of rest and refreshment; and according to the custom of the Jewish doctors, which now prevailed; see Gill on Mat 5:1, he sat with his disciples, in order to teach and instruct them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

Ver. 3. And Jesus went up into a mount] {See Trapp on "Mat 5:1"} He would have been private till the passover and refreshed himself with his disciples; but seeing God had now put a new opportunity into his hands of benefiting many, he would not neglect it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, the third passover after our Saviour had entered upon his public ministry; by which we may observe, that John omitted many things spoken and done by our Saviour in the year immediately following the second passover, for he giveth us no further account than what we have in the former chapter, and in this. The other evangelists give us a more full account of them. The place whither our Saviour went seemeth to have been toward the end of the lake, so as the people could go on foot, and turn at the point of the lake, and be there before the ship could cross the water.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And Jesus went up into the mountain; i.e. the high ground which everywhere surrounded the lake. The same expression, eiv to orov , occurs very frequently in the synoptist Gospels. (Mar_3:13 Mat_5:1 Mat_14:23) This last passage is an interesting confirmation of our text. The usage implies on the part of the four evangelists familiar acquaintance with the scenery. And there he sat downwith his disciples. From this elevation they would see the gathering multitudes streaming from different points and meeting on the pebbly beach, asking each ether where was the Master? and whither had the Prophet, the Healer, fled? Women and little children are in the crowd. (Mat_14:21) Weiss, who argues that the main features of the narrative are deeply imbedded in all the traditions, summarily disposes of the later accounts of the similar event recited by Mark (Mar_8:1-11) and Matthew. (Mat_15:32-38)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jesus went up - Before the people overtook him.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

This miracle of our Saviour’s feeding five thousand persons with five barley loaves and two small fishes, is recorded by all the four Evangelists, and several particulars therein are very remarkable.

Observe, 1. What a poor and slender provision the Lord of the whole earth hath for his family, for himself, for his disciples, and the multitude; nothing more than five barley loaves and two fishes.

Teaching us, That these bodies of ours must be fed, not pampered. Our belly must not be our master, much less our God; and as the quality of the victuals was plain, so was the quantity small; only five loaves and two fishes. Well might the disciples say, What are they among so many? The eye of sense and reason sees an utter impossibility of those effects which faith can easily apprehend, and a divine power more easily produce. When men judge by sense and reason, and do not look to Christ’s power, if extremities come, they are soon at their wit’s end, and know not what to do.

Observe, 2. How the great Master of this miraculous feast doth marshal his guests; he commanded them to sit down. None of the people reply, "Sit down, but to what? Here’s the mouths, but where’s the meat? We may soon be set, but when shall we be served?" Not a word like this, but they obey and expect. Lord how easy it is to trust thy providence, and rely upon thy power, when there is corn in the barn, bread in the cupboard, money in the purse. But when our stores are empty, when our stock runs low, when we have nothing in hand, then to depend upon an invisible bounty, is a noble act of faith indeed.

Observe, 3. The actions performed by our blessed Saviour.

1. He blessed the loaves; teaching us by his example, never to use or receive the good creatures of God without prayer and praise, not to sit down to our food as a beast to his fodder. Christ broke the loaves: he could have mutiplied them whole, why then doth he rather chuse to do it in the breaking?

Perhaps to teach us, that we may rather expect his blessings in the distribution of his bounty, than in the reservation of it. Scattering is the way to increasing, and liberality the way to riches.

Again, 3. He gave to his disciples, that they might distribute to the multitude; he did not do it with his own hands, but by theirs; doubtless it was to gain reputation to his disciples, from the people: the same course doth Christ take in spiritual distributions. He that could feed the souls of his people immediately by the hand of his Spirit, chuses rather by the hands of his ministers to divide the bread of life among them.

Observe, 4. The reality and greatness of the miracle, They did all eat, and were filled; they did eat, not a crumb or a bit, but to satiety and fulness. All that were hungry did eat, and all that did eat were satisfied, and yet twelve baskets of fragments remain. More is left than was at first set on. It is hard to say which was the greatest miracle, the miraculous eating, or miraculous leaving. If we consider what they ate, we may wonder that they left any thing; if what they left, that they eat anything.

Observe lastly, These fragments, though of barley loaves and fish bones, must not be lost, but gathered up; we must exercise frugality in the enjoyment of the greatest plenty.

Lord! how tremendous will their account be, who, having large and plentiful estates, do consume them upon their lusts! how will they wish they had been born to poverty and necessity, when they appear to make up their accounts before God!

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. τὸ ὅρος. The mountain, or the mountainous part, of the district: the article indicates familiarity with the neighbourhood (Joh 6:15). We cannot determine the precise eminence. The object is retirement.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3.] τὸ ὄρος, perhaps ‘the hill country’ on the shore of the lake = ἔρημον τόπον κατʼ ἰδίον, Matt. The expression is used by John only here and in ver. 15, but no inference can be drawn from that, for this is the only portion of the Galilæan Ministry related by him.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. ἀνῆλθεν δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Ἰη., “Jesus went up to the hill,” i.e. the hill rising out of the little plain by the shore. Mk. (6:46), followed by Mt., mentions the hill after his narrative of the miracle; but Mt. (15:29), in telling what preceded the parallel miracle of the Feeding of the Four Thousand, says, as Jn. does here, ἀναβὰς εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἐκάθητο ἐκεῖ. Perhaps Jn. has borrowed here from Mt., but this is unlikely.1

It was the habit of Jesus to sit when He taught, as the Rabbis were accustomed to do (cf. Mar 4:1, Mar 9:35, Mat 26:55, Luk 4:20, Luk 5:3 [Jn.] 8:2); and He was wont to go up to the hills, whether for teaching (Mat 5:1, Mat 24:3) or for prayer (Mar 6:46, Luk 6:12, Luk 9:28).

The verb ἀνέρχομαι occurs again in N.T. only at Gal 1:18; and give א*D give ἀπῆλθεν here.

This narrative represents Jesus and His disciples as having arrived at the eastern side of the lake before the crowd, who according to Mk. (6:33) had arrived there first. According to Mar 6:30, Luk 9:10, the disciples who were with Jesus were the “apostles”; and this is implied in Jn.’s narrative, though not explicitly stated, for the twelve baskets of fragments of v. 13 indicate that the number of disciples present was twelve. See on 2:2.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A mountain [το ορος] . Strictly, the mountain. The writer speaks as one familiar with the district.

He sat [εκθητο] . Imperfect : was sitting, when he saw the multitude approaching (ver. 5).

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vv. 3, 4. “And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.”

The expression, the mountain, denotes not a particular mountain, which was in the region (for the locality has not been designated), but the mountainous country, in contrast to the level of the shore. Jesus had sought a solitary place there, and was conversing in it with his disciples. John’s expression has some resemblance to that of Mat 15:29, immediately after the second miracle of the loaves.

What is the purpose of the remark in Joh 6:4? Is it a chronological note? In that case, it would rather have been placed at the beginning of the narrative. It occurs here incidentally, after the manner of John, as an explanatory remark (comp. Joh 1:24). But with what purpose? According to Meyer, to explain the great gathering which is spoken of in Joh 6:5. But this explanation forces him to distinguish this multitude from that of Joh 6:2, which is evidently inadmissible. Weiss acknowledges this, and sees in Joh 6:2, and Joh 6:5, the crowd of pilgrims who are about to go to Jerusalem for the Passover. But what had the caravans going up to this feast to do in this out of the way place? And is it not very clear, from Joh 6:2, that these numerous arrivals are no others than the multitudes who habitually accompanied Jesus in Galilee? The mention of the feast near at hand, must, therefore, serve to explain, not the presence of the multitudes, but the conduct of Jesus towards them.

Not being able to go to Jerusalem for the feast (Joh 7:1), Jesus, on seeing these multitudes hastening towards Him in the wilderness, recognizes in this unexpected circumstance a signal from the Father. He puts this concourse in comparison with the feast which is about to be celebrated in Jerusalem, and He says for Himself, for His disciples, for the multitude: “We also will have our Passover!” This is the thought which sets in its true light the following miracle, as the discourses which are connected with it prove. For Jesus represents Himself here as the one whose flesh and blood are designed to give life to believers, a point which undoubtedly calls to mind the sacrifice and eating of the Paschal lamb. By this fourth verse John gives us, therefore, the key of the whole narrative, as he had given us in Joh 3:1, by the words: of the Pharisees, that of the whole conversation with Nicodemus. The denials of Weiss and Keil seem to us to rest on no sufficient grounds. The term ἡ ἑορτή τ.᾿Ιουδ., the feast of the Jews, must, according to Keil, explain the word Passover, which was unknown to Greek readers, or, according to others, designate this feast as “the feast par excellence for the Jews;” but comp. Joh 2:13, and Joh 7:2. Perhaps John desires to make us understand the total separation which was more and more evident between Jesus and this people who were becoming foreign to Him. From the incident in Luk 6:1-5, and the parallel passages, we discover in the Synoptics also a spring season passed in Galilee during the course of the ministry accomplished in that province.

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.