John 6
Expanded Bible
More than Five Thousand Fed(A)
6 After this, Jesus went ·across [to the other side of] ·Lake [T the Sea of] Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias). 2 Many people followed him because they saw the ·miracles [L signs; 2:11] he did ·to heal [L for; on behalf of] the sick. 3 Jesus went up on a ·hill [or mountain] and sat down there with his ·followers [disciples]. 4 It was almost the time for the Jewish Passover Feast [C the annual festival that celebrates God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt; Ex. 12; John 2:13].
5 When Jesus ·looked up [L raised his eyes] and saw a large crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip [C one of the twelve disciples; 1:43], “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?” 6 (Jesus asked Philip this question to test him, because Jesus already knew what he ·planned [was going] to do.)
7 Philip answered [L him], “·Someone would have to work almost a year to buy enough bread [L Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not enough; C a denarius was a unit of money worth about a day’s wages] for each person to have only a little piece.”
8 Another one of his ·followers [disciples], Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, but ·that is not enough [L what are these…?] for so many people.”
10 Jesus said, “·Tell [L Make] the people to sit down.” There was plenty of grass there, and about five thousand men sat down there. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves of bread, ·thanked God [L gave thanks] for them, and ·gave [distributed] them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, giving as much as the people wanted.
12 When they ·had all had enough to eat [L were filled/satisfied], Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “Gather the leftover ·pieces of fish and bread [L pieces] so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they gathered up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left from the five barley loaves [2 Kin. 4:42–44; C Jesus’ miracle surpasses that of Elisha].
14 When the people saw this ·miracle [L sign] that Jesus did, they said, “He must truly be the Prophet [1:21; C probably the “prophet like Moses” of Deut. 18:15–18] who is coming into the world.”
15 Jesus knew that the people ·planned [intended; were about] to come and take him by force and make him their king, so he ·left [withdrew] and went into the ·hills [or mountains] alone.
Jesus Walks on the Water(B)
16 That evening Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] went down to ·Lake Galilee [L the lake/sea]. 17 It was dark now, and Jesus had not yet ·come to [joined] them. The ·followers [disciples] got into a boat and started across the lake to Capernaum. 18 By now a strong wind was blowing, and ·the waves on the lake were getting bigger [L the sea/lake rose up]. 19 When they had rowed the boat about ·three or four miles [L twenty-five or thirty stadia; C a stadion was about 600 feet], they saw Jesus walking on the ·water [sea; lake], coming toward the boat. The ·followers [disciples] were afraid, 20 but Jesus said to them, “It is I [or “I am”; C there could be an echo here of Ex. 3:14]. Do not be afraid.” 21 Then they ·were glad [or were willing] to take him into the boat. ·At once [Immediately] the boat came to land at the place where they wanted to go. [C The sea often stands for chaos, and God controls it.]
The People Seek Jesus
22 The next day the ·people [L crowd] who had stayed on the ·other [opposite] side of the ·lake [sea] knew that Jesus had not gone in the boat with his ·followers [disciples] but that they had left ·without him [L alone]. And they ·knew [L saw] that only one boat had been there. 23 But then some boats came from Tiberias [C a major city on the western shore of Lake Galilee] and landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the ·people [L crowd] saw that Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] were not there now, they got into boats and went to Capernaum to find Jesus.
Jesus, the Bread of Life
25 When ·the people [L they] found Jesus on the ·other [opposite] side of the ·lake [sea], they asked him, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], when did you come here?”
26 Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], you aren’t looking for me because you saw ·me do miracles [L signs]. You are looking for me because you ate the bread and were ·satisfied [filled]. 27 Don’t work for the food that ·spoils [perishes]. Work for the food that ·stays good always and gives eternal life [L endures/remains/abides for eternal life]. The Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] will give you this food, because on him God the Father has ·put his power [L set his seal; C a seal impression signifies ownership and authority; 3:33].”
28 The people asked Jesus, “What ·are the things God wants us to do [L should we do to work the works of God]?”
29 Jesus answered, “·The work God wants you to do is this [L This is the work of God]: Believe the One he sent.”
30 So ·the people [L they] asked, “What ·miracle will you do? If we see a miracle, we will believe you [L sign will you do that we might see and believe you?]. What ·will you do [work will you perform]? 31 Our ·ancestors [forefathers; L fathers] ate the manna [C a flaky breadlike food that God provided the Israelites in the wilderness; Ex. 16:13–36] in the ·desert [wilderness]. ·This is written in the Scriptures [L As it is written]: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat [compare Ex. 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Ps. 78:24].’
32 [L Therefore; So; Then] Jesus said to them, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven; it is my Father who is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 [L For] God’s bread is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 [L Therefore] ·the people [L they] said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Then Jesus said to them, “I am the ·bread that gives life [T bread of life]. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you before, you have seen me and still don’t believe. 37 ·The Father gives me the people who are mine. Every one of them will come to me [L All/Everything the Father gives me will come to me], and I will ·always accept them [not reject them; L not cast them out]. 38 [L For] I came down from heaven to do ·what God wants me to do [L the will of him who sent me], not ·what I want to do [L my own will]. 39 Here is ·what the One who sent me wants me to do [L the will of him who sent me]: I must not lose even one whom God gave me, but I must raise them all on the last day. 40 Those who see the Son and believe in him have eternal life, and I will raise them on the last day. This is ·what my Father wants [L the will of my Father].”
41 ·Some people [The Jewish leaders; L The Jews] began to ·complain [grumble; murmur] about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that comes down from heaven.” 42 They said, “·This is [L Is this not…?] Jesus, the son of Joseph. We know his father and mother. How can he [L now] say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43 But Jesus ·answered [responded], “Stop ·complaining to each other [grumbling/murmuring among yourselves]. 44 The Father is the One who sent me. No one can come to me unless the Father draws him to me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God [Is. 54:13].’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 ·No one has [or Not that anyone has] seen the Father except the One who is from God; only he has seen the Father. [C Some interpreters put the previous sentence in parentheses as a side comment made by the author.] 47 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the ·bread that gives life [T bread of life]. 49 Your ·ancestors [forefathers; L fathers] ate the manna [see 6:31] in the ·desert [wilderness], but still they died. 50 Here is the bread that comes down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give up so that the world may have life.”
52 Then the ·Jewish leaders [L Jews] began to ·argue [dispute; quarrel] among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 [L So] Jesus said to them, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], you must eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. Otherwise, you won’t have ·real life [L life] in you. 54 Those who ·eat [feed on; C Jesus uses a different Greek word for “eat” in vv. 54–57 than in the previous verses; but the difference is probably stylistic] my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day. 55 [L For] My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who ·eat [feed on] my flesh and drink my blood ·live [remain; abide] in me, and I ·live [remain; abide] in them. 57 The living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father. So whoever ·eats [feeds on] me will live because of me. 58 I am not like the bread your ·ancestors [forefathers; L fathers] ate [C the manna; 6:31]. They ate that bread and still died. I am the bread that came down from heaven, and whoever ·eats [feeds on] this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said all these things while he was teaching in the synagogue [C a local congregation of Jews] in Capernaum [2:12].
The Words of Eternal Life
60 When the ·followers [disciples; C a broader circle of followers, not the twelve disciples] of Jesus heard this, many of them said, “This teaching [C that Jesus is the bread of life; 6:25–59] is ·hard [difficult; offensive]. Who can ·accept [obey; L hear] it?”
61 Knowing that his ·followers [disciples] were ·complaining [grumbling] about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this teaching ·bother [offend] you? 62 Then ·will it also bother you to [L what if you] see the Son of Man ·going back [L going up; ascending] to the place ·where he came from [L where he was before; C heaven]? 63 It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh ·doesn’t give life [L is useless; counts for nothing]. The words I told you ·are spirit, and they give life [or are from the Spirit who gives life]. 64 But some of you don’t believe.” ([L For] Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe and who would ·turn against [betray] him.) 65 Jesus said, “That is the reason I said, ·‘If the Father does not bring a person to me, that one cannot come.’ [L ‘No one can come to me unless the Father enables/grants him.’]”
66 After Jesus said this, many of his ·followers [disciples] ·left him [L turned back to previous things] and ·stopped following [L no longer walked with] him.
67 Jesus asked ·the twelve followers [the Twelve], “Do you want to leave, too?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord [or Master], who would we go to? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One from God.”
70 Then Jesus answered them, “·I chose [L Did I not choose…?] all twelve of you, but one of you is ·a devil [or the Devil; C Jesus equates the work of Judas with the work of Satan; compare Mark 8:33].”
71 Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Judas was one of the twelve, but later he was going to ·turn against [betray] Jesus.
John 6
New King James Version
Feeding the Five Thousand(A)
6 After (B)these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of (C)Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were (D)diseased.[a] 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 (E)Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 (F)Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to (G)Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, (H)“Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, (I)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, (J)but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them [b]to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly (K)the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Jesus Walks on the Sea(L)
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him (M)king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
16 (N)Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19 So when they had rowed about [c]three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were (O)afraid. 20 But He said to them, (P)“It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
The Bread from Heaven
22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except [d]that one [e]which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— 23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— 24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, (Q)seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 (R)Do not labor for the food which perishes, but (S)for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, (T)because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, (U)“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
30 Therefore they said to Him, (V)“What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 (W)Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, (X)‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but (Y)My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 (Z)Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, (AA)“I am the bread of life. (AB)He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never (AC)thirst. 36 (AD)But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet (AE)do not believe. 37 (AF)All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and (AG)the one who comes to Me I will [f]by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, (AH)not to do My own will, (AI)but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, (AJ)that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, (AK)that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Rejected by His Own
41 The Jews then [g]complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, (AL)“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, [h]“Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 (AM)No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me (AN)draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, (AO)‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ (AP)Therefore everyone who [i]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 (AQ)Not that anyone has seen the Father, (AR)except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, (AS)he who believes [j]in Me has everlasting life. 48 (AT)I am the bread of life. 49 (AU)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 (AV)This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread (AW)which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and (AX)the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore (AY)quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless (AZ)you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 (BA)Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is [k]food indeed, and My blood is [l]drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood (BB)abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 (BC)This is the bread which came down from heaven—not (BD)as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Turn Away
60 (BE)Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a [m]hard saying; who can understand it?”
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples [n]complained about this, He said to them, “Does this [o]offend you? 62 (BF)What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 (BG)It is the Spirit who gives life; the (BH)flesh profits nothing. The (BI)words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But (BJ)there are some of you who do not believe.” For (BK)Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore (BL)I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 (BM)From that time many of His disciples went [p]back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have (BN)the words of eternal life. 69 (BO)Also we have come to believe and know that You are the [q]Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70 Jesus answered them, (BP)“Did I not choose you, the twelve, (BQ)and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of (BR)Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would (BS)betray Him, being one of the twelve.
Footnotes
- John 6:2 sick
- John 6:11 NU omits to the disciples, and the disciples
- John 6:19 Lit. 25 or 30 stadia
- John 6:22 NU omits that
- John 6:22 NU omits which His disciples had entered
- John 6:37 certainly not
- John 6:41 grumbled
- John 6:43 Stop grumbling
- John 6:45 M hears and has learned
- John 6:47 NU omits in Me
- John 6:55 NU true food
- John 6:55 NU true drink
- John 6:60 difficult
- John 6:61 grumbled
- John 6:61 make you stumble
- John 6:66 Or away; lit. to the back
- John 6:69 NU Holy One of God.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
