Keraia
John 6

John 6:2

The Feeding of the Five Thousand · John 6:1–15
Read John 6

Translations

Modern
A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.
Traditional
And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
Literal
…and a great crowd was following Him because they were seeing the signs that He was doing upon the ailing.
Latin
…et sequebatur eum multitudo magna, quia videbant signa quæ faciebat super his qui infirmabantur.

Interlinear

Greek
English
A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.

Notes

John 6:1–15

Jesus feeding the 5,000 recalls the Old Testament story of manna (bread from heaven) when Israel was in the wilderness (Exodus 16). In that story, God provided bread each day for his people.

In the time of Jesus, some Jewish teachers believed that the Messiah would again give bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4). They expected a new act of divine provision.

When Jesus fed the crowd, he met this expectation. However, he was not only giving physical bread. He was pointing to himself as the true bread from heaven, who gives life to the world.

John 6:1–71

Each story in this chapter uses the setting of the Feast of the Passover (6:4) to communicate a deeper meaning.

Events

Parallels

Matthew 14:13–21 Mark 6:30–44 Luke 9:10–17

Glossary

Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Bread Jesus Christ Jesus Christ, Teachings of John, Gospel of Lord’s Supper, the Miracle Sea of Galilee Spirit of Jesus Christ

Topics

Jesus, the Christ: Received Jesus, the Christ: The Twelve Apostles Return Miracles: Jesus Was Followed on Account of