The Fourth Sign: Feeding of the Five Thousand

After(A) this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee(B) (or Tiberias(C)). A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples.

Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him,(D) he asked Philip,(E) “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?” He asked this to test him,(F) for he himself knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii[a](G) worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”

One of his disciples, Andrew,(H) Simon(I) Peter’s(J) brother, said to him, “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand.(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 twelve 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[b] he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet(N) who is to come(O) into the world.”(P)

15 Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king,(Q) he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

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Footnotes

  1. 6:7 A denarius = one day’s wage
  2. 6:14 Other mss read signs

The Feeding of Five Thousand

After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee (that is, Tiberias). And a large crowd was following him because they were observing the signs that he was doing on those who were sick. So Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. (Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.) Then Jesus, when he looked up[a] [b] and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people can eat?” (Now he said this to test him, because he knew what he was going to do.) Philip replied to him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for them, in order that each one could receive a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people recline.” (Now there was a lot of grass in the place.) So the men reclined, approximately five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the bread, and after he[c] had given thanks, he distributed it[d] to those who were reclining—likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they were satisfied, he said to his disciples, “Gather the remaining fragments so that nothing is lost.” 13 So they gathered them,[e] and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

14 Now when[f] the people saw the sign that he performed, they began to say,[g] “This one is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 Then Jesus, because he[h] knew that they were about to come and seize him in order to make him[i] king, withdrew again up the mountain by himself alone.

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Footnotes

  1. John 6:5 Literally “then Jesus lifting up the eyes”
  2. John 6:5 *Here “when” in the translation is supplied as a component of the participle “lifting up” which is understood as temporal
  3. John 6:11 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had given thanks”) which is understood as temporal
  4. John 6:11 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  5. John 6:13 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  6. John 6:14 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
  7. John 6:14 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
  8. John 6:15 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“knew”) which is understood as causal
  9. John 6:15 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation