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The Feeding of the Five Thousand

10 When[a] the apostles returned,[b] they told Jesus[c] everything they had done. Then[d] he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a town[e] called Bethsaida.[f] 11 But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He[g] welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God,[h] and cured those who needed healing.[i] 12 Now the day began to draw to a close,[j] so[k] the twelve came and said to Jesus,[l] “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging[m] and food, because we are in an isolated place.”[n]

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 9:10 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  2. Luke 9:10 tn The participle ὑποστρέψαντες (hupostrepsantes) has been taken temporally.
  3. Luke 9:10 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  4. Luke 9:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  5. Luke 9:10 tc There is a seeming myriad of variants for this text. Many mss read εἰς τόπον ἔρημον (eis topon erēmon, “to a deserted place”; א*,2 [1241]) or εἰς τόπον ἔρημον πόλεως καλουμένης Βηθσαϊδά (eis topon erēmon poleōs kaloumenēs Bēthsaida, “to a deserted place of a town called Bethsaida”; [A] C W Ξmg1,13] [565] M) here, while others have εἰς κώμην λεγομένην Βηδσαϊδά (eis kōmēn legomenēn Bēdsaida, “to a village called Bedsaida”; D), εἰς κώμην καλουμένην Βηθσαϊδά εἰς τόπον ἔρημον (eis kōmēn kaloumenēn Bēthsaida eis topon erēmon, “to a village called Bethsaida to a deserted place”; Θ), or εἰς τόπον καλουμένον Βηθσαϊδά (eis topon kaloumenon Bēthsaida, “to a place called Bethsaida”; Ψ). The Greek behind the translation (εἰς πόλιν καλουμένην Βηθσαϊδά, eis polin kaloumenēn Bēthsaida) is supported by (P75) א1 B L Ξ* 33 2542 co. The variants can be grouped generally into those that speak of a “deserted place” and those that speak of a place/city/town called Bethsaida. The Byzantine reading is evidently a conflation of the earlier texts, and should be dismissed as secondary. The variants that speak of a deserted place are an assimilation to Mark 6:32, as well a harmonization with v. 12, and should also be regarded as secondary. The reading that best explains the rise of the others—both internally and externally—is the one that stands behind the translation and is found in the text of NA28.tn Or “city.”
  6. Luke 9:10 sn Bethsaida was a town on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee. Probably this should be understood to mean a place in the vicinity of the town. It represents an attempt to reconcile the location with the place of the miraculous feeding that follows.
  7. Luke 9:11 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  8. Luke 9:11 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
  9. Luke 9:11 sn Again the combination of word (spoke to them) and healing (cured, compassionate deed) is what summarizes Jesus’ ministry: See Luke 4:38-44; 6:17-19; 7:22 (as also the disciples, 9:6).
  10. Luke 9:12 tn Grk “the day began to decline,” looking to the approach of sunset.
  11. Luke 9:12 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that the disciples’ request was related to the approach of sunset.
  12. Luke 9:12 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. Luke 9:12 tn That is, find someone to show them hospitality. L&N 34.61 has “find lodging,” using this verse as an example.
  14. Luke 9:12 tn Or “in a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation). Here ὧδε (hōde) has not been translated.