VI. After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was a Lev. xxiii. nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his name. y read, the. 47.] The meaning is: 'men give greater weight to what is written and published, the letter of a book, than to mere word of mouth;-and ye in particular give greater honour to Moses, than to Me: if then ye believe not what he has written, which comes down to you hallowed by the reverence of ages,-how can you believe the words which are uttered by Me, to whom you are hostile ?' This however is not all:- Moses leads to Christ :-is one of the witnesses by which the Father hath testified of Him: if then ye have rejected the means, how shall ye reach the end?' If your unbelief has stopped the path, how shall ye arrive at Him to whom it leads ?' CHAP. VI. JESUS THE LIFE IN THE FLESH. 1-15.] Miraculous feeding of five thousand men. Matt. xiv. 1321. Mark vi. 30-44. Luke ix. 10-17, in each of which compare the notes throughout. Here we have another example of John relating a miracle with the view of introducing a discourse, and that discourse carries on the testimony of Jesus to Himself. In the last, He was the SON OF GOD, testified to by the Father, received by faith, rejected by unbelief: here He is SON of MAN, the incarnate Life of the world, and we have the unbelief of the Jews and His own disciples set in strong contrast with the feeding on and participating in Him as the Bread of Life. 1.] After these things gives us no fixed date;-see on ch. v. 1. As Lücke remarks, the words went over the sea of Galilee.. if connected with the preceding discourse, would be unintelligible,-and can only be understood by the fragmentary character of this Gospel as relates to mere narration, and the well-known fact being presupposed, that His Ministry principally took place in Galilee. Matthew gives this passage over the lake in connexion with the execution of John the Baptist: Mark and Luke, with the return of the Twelve from their mission. (The Twelve were probably gathered, or their gathering finished, in the interval since ch. v. 47, during which time their mission also had taken place.) which and eyes, saw Z render, the. 5,7. Deut. xvi. 1. ch. ii. 13: v. 1. is the sea of Tiberias] The last appellation is probably inserted for the sake of Gentile readers, to whom it was best known by that name. It was more usually called, as by Josephus, Gennesar, or Gennesaritis: see also, 1 Macc. xi. 67. 2.] It is evi dent from this that a circuit in Galilee and works of healing are presupposed (see Matthew, ver. 13; Mark, ver. 33; Luke, ver. 11). 3.] the mountain, perhaps the hill country on the shore of the lake: expressed in Matthew by "a desert place apart." 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. 4.] This will account, not for so great a multitude coming to Him, but perhaps (?) for the circumstance that the people at that time were gathered in multitudes, ready to set out on their journey to Jerusalem. We must remember also that the reference of the following discourse to the Passover being so pointed, the remark would naturally be here inserted by the Evangelist: but I would not insist on this as the only reason for his making it. 5.] Here there is considerable difficulty, on account of the variation from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who relate that the disciples came to the Lord after He had been teaching and healing the multitudes, and when it was now evening,-and asked Him to dismiss the multitudes, that they might buy food;-whereupon He commanded, 'Give ye them to eat ;'-whereas here apparently, on their first coming, the Lord Himself suggests the question, how they were to be fed, to Philip. This dif ference is not to be passed over, as it has usually been by English Commentators, without notice. Still less are we to invent improbable and hardly honest harmonistic shifts to piece the two narratives together. There can be no doubt, fairly and honestly speaking, that the narratives, in their mere letter, disagree. But those who are not slaves to the mere letter will see here that inner and deeper accordance of which Augustine speaks in commenting on this pas 21, 22. b a great company a come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he b See Num. xi. b would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two [small] c2 Kings iv. fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the d men sit down. Now there was b render, was about to do. 43. a render, coming. comit. sage: "From which general variety in the verbal narrative amidst agreement in the facts and sense, it is evident enough that we are wholesomely instructed that nothing is to be looked for in the words of Scripture but the general purport of those who spoke to display which purpose should be the watchful care of all truthful narrators, whether relating concerning man, or angel, or God Himself." I repeat the remark so often made in this Commentary,—that if we were in possession of the facts as they happened, there is no doubt that the various forms of the literal narrations would fall into their places, and the truthfulness of each historian would be apparent:-but as we cannot at present reconcile them in this way, the humble and believing Christian will not be tempted to handle the word of God deceitfully, but to admire the gracious condescension which has given us the evidence of so many independent witnesses, whose very difference in detail makes their accordance in the great central truths so much the more weighty. On every point of importance here, the four sacred historians are entirely and absolutely agreed. That every minor detail related by them had its ground in historical fact, we fully believe; it is the tracking it to this ground in each case, which is now beyond our power; and here comes in the simplicity and reliance of faith: and the justification of those who believe and receive each Gospel as they find it written. unto Philip] Why to Philip, does not appear; perhaps some reason lay in the words "this He said to prove him," which is now lost to us. From his words in ch. xiv. 8, we cannot infer, as has been done by Cyril of Alexandria and others, that he was weaker in faith, or tardier in spiritual apprehension, than the rest. Of all the Apostles who appear in the sacred narrative, something might be d render, people. See note. quoted, shewing equal unreadiness to believe and understand. I would take the circumstance as simple matter of fact, implying perhaps that Philip was nearest to our Lord at the moment. We must not fall into the mistake of supposing that Philip being of Bethsaida the city of Andrew and Peter (ch. i. 45) throws any light on the question: for the Bethsaida near which our Lord now was, Luke ix. 10, was another place: see notes there. Whence from what store ?' Hence Philip's answer. 6. he knew:-by this St. John must be understood not only to rescue our Lord from the imputation of asking counsel of Philip, but to refer the miraculous act, on His part, to His purpose of exhibiting Himself as the Son of Man the Life of the World in the flesh. 7.] See notes on Mark. 8.] Meyer remarks, that the words one of His disciples may seem strange, seeing that Philip also was this: but that it has its value in the narrative, seeing that, Philip, having been asked in vain, one from among the circle of the disciples answers, and is afterwards specified as having been Andrew. In the three other Gospels, the loaves and fishes appear as the disciples' own;-and we have thus a very simple but very instructive instance of the way in which differences in detail arose. They were their own, — but not till they had bought them. 9.] barley loaves-this was the usual barley bread which formed the food of the lower orders. 10.] much grass, in accordance with the time of year, the latter end of spring, after the rainy season. the men] Before, when our Lord commanded, as in A. V., "make the men sit down," it was the general word, signifying both men and women indiscriminately. And I have therefore substituted in the margin, people. 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 [e to the disciples, and the disciples] to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14g Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth dh that prophet that a Gen. xlix. 10 should come into the world. 15 i When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into himself alone. But now it is the word signifying men, as distinguished from women and children. And this is a particular touch of accuracy in the account of an eye-witness, which has not I think been noticed. Why in the other accounts should mention be made only of the men in numbering them? St. Matthew has, it is true, "beside women and children," leaving it to be inferred that there was some means of distinguishing;the others merely give "[about] five thousand men without any explanation. But " here we see how it came to be so-the men a mountain h render, the. Deut. xviii. 15, 18. Matt. Luke, "He blessed them," i. e. the loaves: We must not altogether miss the reference to the 12 tribes of Israel, typifying the church which was to be fed with the bread of life to the end of time. 14.] On the prophet see note on ch. i. 21,- The 16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17 and entered into a ship, and I went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was m not come to them. 18 And the sea n arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21 0 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they P went. 22 The day following, when the people which stood on m read, not yet. 1 render, were going. ▲ render, was rising. • render, They were willing therefore to receive. Whom do the people say that I am?' and the answer, expressing the very confession of the people here. 16-21.] Jesus walks on the sea. Matt. xiv. 22-33. Mark vi. 45-52. Omitted by St. Luke. An important and interesting question arises, WHY is this miracle here inserted by St. John? That he ever inserts for the mere purpose of narration, I cannot believe. The reason seems to me to be this to give to the Twelve, in the prospect of so apparently strange a discourse respecting His Body, a view of the truth respecting that Body, that it, and the things said of it were not to be understood in a gross corporeal, but in a supernatural and spiritual sense. And their very terror, and reassurance, tended to impress that confidence in Him which kept them firm, when many left Him, ver. 66. 16.] even, here, will be during the time between the "evening" of Matt. xiv. 15, and that of the same, ver. 23. The Jews commonly reckoned two evenings: see the note on Matt. xxvi. 17, p. 182, bottom of col. 1. went down] By the command of Jesus (Matthew, Mark). 17.] were going-denoting the unfinished action-they were making for the other side of the sea, in the direction of Capernaum; "unto Bethsaida," Mark, which would be the same thing. It would appear as if the disciples were lingering along shore with the expectation of taking in Jesus: but night had fallen, and He had not come to them, and the sea began to be stormy (ver. 18). Having therefore set out (ver. 19), and rowed, &c. a render, multitude. The word So, with which ver. 19 begins, was becoming thoroughly agitated. They were afraid :—but upon being reassured by His voice, they were willing to take Him into the ship; and upon their doing so, the ship in a comparatively short time (or perhaps immediately by miracle, but I prefer the other) was at the land to which they had been going, viz. by the storm ceasing, and the ship making smooth way ("the wind ceased," Matthew, Mark). It seems to me that the above interpretation of they were willing therefore to receive Him" is absolutely necessary to account for the therefore. 22-59.] The multitudes follow Jesus to Capernaum, where, in the synagogue, He discourses to them on Himself as the Bread of Life. 22-24.] These verses are involved and parenthetical in construc t the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save [that] one [whereinto his disciples were entered], and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; 23 (howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread after that the Lord had given thanks :) 24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw [the] miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 a Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but e for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: render, the Father sealed, even God. tion, but very characteristic of the minute care with which the Evangelist will account for every circumstance which is essential to his purpose in the narrative. the multitude] We are not to understand the 26.] The seeking Him, on the part of these people,-to Him, who saw the hearts,- -was merely a low desire to profit by His wonderful works,—not a reasonable consequence of deduction from His miracles that He was the Saviour of the world. VOL. I. for him bhath God ¤ render, multitude. a better, Work not see note. And from this low desire of mere satisfac- M M |