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
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Fourth Sign: Feeding 5,000
6 After(A) this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee(B) (or Tiberias(C)). 2 And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing by healing the sick. 3 So Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 5 Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him,(D) He asked Philip,(E) “Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?” 6 He asked this to test him,(F) for He Himself knew what He was going to do.
7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii(G) worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew,(H) Simon(I) Peter’s(J) brother, said to Him, 9 “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”
There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.(K) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.(L)
12 When they were full, He told His disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.”(M) 13 So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign[a] He had done, they said, “This really is the Prophet(N) who was to come(O) into the world!”(P) 15 Therefore, when Jesus knew that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king,(Q) He withdrew again[b] to the mountain by Himself.
The Fifth Sign: Walking on Water
16 When(R) evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.(S) Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 Then a high wind arose, and the sea began to churn. 19 After they had rowed about three or four miles,[c] they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid.
20 But He said to them, “It is I.[d](T) Don’t be afraid!” 21 Then they were willing to take Him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading.
The Bread of Life
22 The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea knew there had been only one boat.[e](U) They also knew that Jesus had not boarded the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone off alone. 23 Some boats from Tiberias(V) came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord gave thanks. 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
25 When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi,(W) when did You get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “I assure you: You are looking for Me, not because you saw[f] the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27 Don’t work for the food that perishes(X) but for the food that lasts for eternal life,(Y) which the Son of Man(Z) will give you, because God the Father(AA) has set His seal of approval on Him.”
28 “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.
29 Jesus replied, “This is the work(AB) of God—that you believe in the One He has sent.”(AC)
30 “What sign then are You going to do so we may see and believe You?” they asked. “What are You going to perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna(AD) in the wilderness,(AE) just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”[g](AF)[h]
32 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Moses(AG) didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always!”
35 “I am(AH) the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me(AI) will ever be hungry,(AJ) and no one who believes in Me(AK) will ever be thirsty(AL) again. 36 But as I told you, you’ve seen Me,[i] and yet you do not believe. 37 Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.(AM) 38 For I have come down from heaven,(AN) not to do My will, but the will of Him(AO) who sent Me. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me: that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise(AP) them up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father:(AQ) that everyone who sees the Son(AR) and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise(AS) him up on the last day.”
41 Therefore the Jews started complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph,(AT) whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus answered them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws[j] him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets:(AU) And they will all be taught by God.(AV)[k] Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father(AW) comes to Me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father(AX) except the One who is from God.(AY) He has seen the Father.(AZ)
47 “I assure you: Anyone who believes[l] has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna(BA) in the wilderness,(BB) and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die.(BC) 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live(BD) forever.(BE) The bread that I will give for the life(BF) of the world is My flesh.”(BG)
52 At that, the Jews argued(BH) among themselves,(BI) “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 So Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man(BJ) and drink His blood,(BK) you do not have life in yourselves. 54 Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood(BL) has eternal life, and I will raise(BM) him up on the last day, 55 because My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. 56 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him.(BN) 57 Just as the living(BO) Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live(BP) because of Me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna[m] your fathers ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”(BQ)
59 He said these things while teaching in the synagogue(BR) in Capernaum.(BS)
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
60 Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept[n] it?”
61 Jesus, knowing in Himself(BT) that His disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man(BU) ascending(BV) to where He was before? 63 The Spirit(BW) is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning(BX) those who would not[o] believe and the one who would betray(BY) Him.) 65 He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me(BZ) unless it is granted to him by the Father.”
66 From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him. 67 Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve,(CA) “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”
68 Simon Peter(CB) answered, “Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!”[p](CC)
70 Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve?(CD) Yet one of you is the Devil!”(CE) 71 He was referring to Judas,(CF) Simon Iscariot’s son,[q][r] one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray(CG) Him.
Footnotes
- John 6:14 Other mss read signs
- John 6:15 A previous withdrawal is mentioned in Mk 6:31-32, an event that occurred just before the feeding of the 5,000.
- John 6:19 Lit 25 or 30 stadia; 1 stadion = 600 feet
- John 6:20 Lit I am
- John 6:22 Other mss add into which His disciples had entered
- John 6:26 Or perceived
- John 6:31 Bread miraculously provided by God for the Israelites
- John 6:31 Ex 16:4; Ps 78:24
- John 6:36 Other mss omit Me
- John 6:44 Or brings, or leads; see the use of this Gk verb in Jn 12:32; 21:6; Ac 16:19; Jms 2:6.
- John 6:45 Is 54:13
- John 6:47 Other mss add in Me
- John 6:58 Other mss omit the manna
- John 6:60 Lit hear
- John 6:64 Other mss omit not
- John 6:69 Other mss read You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God
- John 6:71 Other mss read Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son
- John 6:71 Lit Judas, of Simon Iscariot
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