Two-and-a-Half Stories

Below is a rough translation and some preliminary comments about John 6:1-21, the Revised Common Lectionary gospel reading for the 10^thweek after Pentecost.  

[By the way, I've begun blogging some thoughts about the Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" on my other blog. If you are interested, you can find it here.]

¹Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Γαλιλαίας τῆς Τιβεριάδος. 

With these things Jesus departed beyond the sea of Galilee of Tiberias. 

ἀπῆλθεν: AAI 3s, ἀπέρχομαι,1) to go away, depart 

1. While it literally reads “the sea of Galilee of Tiberias,” most translations interpret this as an explanation, “which is the sea of Tiberias.” 

2. It is worth noting that John feels the need to explain this to the reader, raising the question of how familiar the reader might be with Galilean geography. See notes for vv.4 and 8 below. 

² ἠκολούθει δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς, ὅτι ἐθεώρουν τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων. 

Yet a large crowd was following him, because they were beholding the signs which he was doing among those who were enfeebled. 

ἠκολούθει: IAI 3s, ἀκολουθέω,1) to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant,  accompany him

ἐθεώρουν: IAI 3p, θεωρέω,1) to be a spectator, look at, behold

ἐποίει: IAI 3s, ποιέω,1) to make  1a) with the names of things made, to produce, construct,  form, fashion, etc. 

ἀσθενούντων: PAPart gpm, ἀσθενέω,1) to be weak, feeble, to be without strength, powerless  

1. John notes that the crowd is following Jesus because of “the signs,” (τὰ σημεῖα) that he was doing. Signs are a significant (so to speak) matter in John, one of the key differences between John and the synoptics. The word σημεῖα will arise three more times in this chapter alone (vv. 14, 26, and 30), and they are not incidental references. Many scholars feel that the heart of this gospel (cc. 2-12) was originally an independent work that they call the “Book of Signs.” 

2. As significant as the signs are in telling this story, there seems to be some ambivalence toward them throughout the gospel. At times, they seem to be the one thing that one cannot argue with (3:2, 6:14, 9:16), or maybe one can (12:37).  Jesus says, at one point, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe” (4:48), but later says to the crowd, “You are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (6:26). As late as the original ending of John (20:30), the narrator refers to the book with reference to the “signs,” but in the other ending (c.21), the point of the Thomas story seems to be that those who have not seen can still believe (although there is no mention of “signs” in c.21).  

³ ἀνῆλθεν δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐκάθητο μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ.

Yet Jesus went up into the mountain, and there was sitting with his disciples. 

ἀνῆλθεν: AAI 3s, ἀνέρχομαι,1) to go up 

ἐκάθητο:IMI 3s, κάθημαι,1) to sit down, seat one's self  

⁴ ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς τὸ πάσχα, ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. 

Yet the pascha was near, the festival of the Judeans. 

ἦν: IAI 3s, εἰμί,1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present  

1. It is worth noting that John feels the need to explain what the πάσχα is to the reader, raising the question of how familiar the reader might be with Jewish holy days. See. v.1 above and v.8 below. 

⁵ ἐπάρας οὖν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι πολὺς ὄχλος ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγει πρὸς Φίλιππον, Πόθεν ἀγοράσωμεν ἄρτους ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι; 

Therefore having lifted the eyes and beholding that a large crowd was coming to him Jesus says to Philip, “Where shall we purchase bread in order that these may eat?” 

ἐπάρας: AAPart nsm, ἐπαίρω,1) to lift up, raise up, raise on high  2) metaph. to be lifted up with pride, to exalt one's self 

θεασάμενος: AMPart nsm, θεάομαι,1) to behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate (often  used of public shows)

ἔρχεται: PMI 3s, ἔρχομαι,1) to come

λέγει: PAI 3s, λέγω,1) to say, to speak

ἀγοράσωμεν: AASubj 1p, ἀγοράζω,1) to be in the market place, to attend it 

φάγωσιν: AASubj 3p, ἐσθίω,1) to eat  

1. Having never written a gospel myself, I don’t want to seem overly critical, but this story seems to be taking its time getting out of the chute. This is the second reference to the large crowd gathering where Jesus is, which is on the other side of the sea of Galilee and now up a mountain. 

2. Unlike other accounts of the feeding story, Jesus anticipates the need even before the crowd has grown hungry and weary. 

3. One of the unique features of John is the centrality of Philip in many of the stories. The disciple named Philip is only mentioned in the synoptic gospels when they are listing the twelve. In John there are numerous references to him. See below. 

⁶ τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγενπειράζων αὐτόν, αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλενποιεῖν. 

Yet he was saying this testing him, for he knew what he was about to do. 

ἔλεγεν: IAI 3s, λέγω,1) to say, to speak

πειράζων: PAPart nsm, πειράζω,1) to try whether a thing can be done 

ᾔδει: PluperfectAI 3s,

ἔμελλεν: IAI 3s, μέλλω,1) to be about  1a) to be on the point of doing or suffering something  1b) to intend, have in mind, think to

ποιεῖν: PAInf, ποιέω,1) to make  

1. The southern vernacular of my childhood would interpret this nicely, “he knew what he was fixing to do.” 

2. An impression that I get reading John which I do not get reading the synoptics is that Jesus seems to have everything figured out ahead of time. 

⁷ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ [ὁ] Φίλιππος, Διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἵνα ἕκαστος βραχύ [τι] λάβῃ. 

Philip answered him, “Loaves of two hundred denarii are not sufficient in order that each would take a little.”  

ἀπεκρίθη: API 3s, ἀποκρίνομαι,1) to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer 

ἀρκοῦσιν: PAI 3p, ἀρκέω,1) to be possessed of unfailing strength  1a) to be strong, to suffice, to be enough 

λάβῃ: AASubj 3s, λαμβάνω,1) to take 

1. The word “loaves” is in the nominative case, so I am trying to keep it prominent. In a refined translation I would do what all the others do, “Two hundred dollars worth of bread …” 

2. I have no idea what to do with the [τι] that shows up in some of the later manuscripts. 

⁸ λέγει αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου, 

One out of his disciples says to him, Andrew the brother of Simon Peter, 

λέγει: PAI 3s, λέγω,1) to say, to speak 

1.It is worth noting that John feels the need to explain this to the reader, raising the question of how familiar the reader might be with the twelve. See. vv.1 and 4 above. 

⁹ Ἔστιν παιδάριον ὧδε ὃς ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους καὶ δύο ὀψάρια: ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους; 

“A child is here who has five barley loaves and two little fish; but what is this into so many?”

Ἔστιν: PAI 3s, εἰμί,1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present

ἔχει: PAI 3s, ἔχω,1) to have,

ἐστιν: PAI 3s, εἰμί,1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present

1. Because the verb ‘to be’ (εἰμί) can take a nominative as a predicate, this could be “Here is a child” or, treating the verb substantively, “There is a child here.”  

2. I am tempted to use “sardines” to translate , because it has this definition, per thebible.org: “a little fish (diminutive of ὄψον; whatever is eaten with bread, which later came to be applied particularly to fish).” This is the same kind of fish that Jesus cooks and serves in c.21. 

3. It is a little curious that Andrew would know this, unless perhaps the child were a nephew or something. 

¹⁰ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ποιήσατε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπεσεῖν. ἦν δὲ χόρτος πολὺς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. ἀνέπεσαν οὖν οἱ ἄνδρες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὡς πεντακισχίλιοι. 

Jesus said, “Make the people to sit.” Yet there was a lot of grass in the place. Therefore the men sat down the number about five thousand.  

εἶπεν: AAI 3s, λέγω,1) to say, to speak

Ποιήσατε: AAImpv 2-, ποιέω, 1) to make 

ἀναπεσεῖν: AAInf, ἀναπίπτω,1) to lie back, lie down  2) to recline at a table, to sit back

ἦν: IAI 3s, εἰμί,1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present

ἀνέπεσαν: AAI 3p, ἀναπίπτω,1) to lie back, lie down  2) to recline at a table, to sit back 

1. The last sentence seems to come out as a run-on sentence. Sorry. 

2. I don’t know why we have shifted the language from ἀνθρώπους (which I hear as ‘people’) to ἄνδρες (which I hear as ‘men.’) 

¹¹ ἔλαβενοὖν τοὺς ἄρτους ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εὐχαριστήσας διέδωκεν τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις, ὁμοίως καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὅσον ἤθελον. 

Therefore Jesus took the loaves and having given thanks distributed to the ones who were sitting and out of the little fish as they wanted. 

ἔλαβεν: AAI 3s, λαμβάνω,1) to take

εὐχαριστήσας: AAPart nsm, εὐχαριστέω,1) to be grateful, feel thankful  2) give thanks

διέδωκεν: AAI 3s, διαδίδωμι, 1) to distribute, 2) to give or deliver through, as through various hands, from one to another; deal out.

ἀνακειμένοις: PMPart dpm, ἀνάκειμαι,1) to lie at a table, eat together, dine

ἤθελον: IAI 3p, θέλω,1) to will, have in mind, intend 

¹² ὡς δὲ ἐνεπλήσθησανλέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, Συναγάγετε τὰ περισσεύσαντα κλάσματα, ἵνα μή τι ἀπόληται. 

Yet as they were filled he says to his disciples, “Gather up the pieces having been leftover, in order that nothing may be lost. 

ἐνεπλήσθησαν: API 3p, ἐμπίπλημι,1) Passive to be filled (as with food)  

λέγει: PAI 3s, λέγω,1) to say, to speak

Συναγάγετε: AAImpv 2p, συνάγω,1) to gather together, to gather

περισσεύσαντα: AAPart apn, περισσεύω,1) to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and  above a certain number or measure  

ἀπόληται: AMS 3s, ἀπόλλυμι,1) to destroy (perish) 

¹³ συνήγαγον οὖν, καὶ ἐγέμισαν δώδεκα κοφίνους κλασμάτων ἐκ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων ἃ ἐπερίσσευσαν τοῖς βεβρωκόσιν. 

Therefore they gathered, and filled twelve baskets of fragments out of the five barley loaves which were left over by the ones who had eaten. 

συνήγαγον: AAI 3p, συνάγω,1) to gather together, to gather 

ἐγέμισαν: AAI 3p, γεμίζω,1) to fill, fill full

ἐπερίσσευσαν: AAI 3p, περισσεύω,1) to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and  above a certain number or measure 

βεβρωκόσιν: PerfAPart, dpm, βιβρώσκω,1) to eat 

¹⁴ Οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ἔλεγον ὅτι Οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον.

Therefore the people having seen the sign which he did said, “This is truly the prophet who has come into the world.”  

ἰδόντες: AAPart npm, ὁράω,1) to see with the eyes, 2) to see with the mind, to perceive, know

ἐποίησεν: AAI 3s, ποιέω,1) to make

ἔλεγον: IAI 3p, λέγω,1) to say, to speak 

ἐρχόμενος: PMPart nsm, ἔρχομαι,1) to come  

1. Here is an instance where seeing the sign leads to some sort of belief. 

¹⁵ Ἰησοῦς οὖν γνοὺς ὅτι μέλλουσινἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἁρπάζειν αὐτὸν ἵνα ποιήσωσιν βασιλέα ἀνεχώρησεν πάλιν εἰς τὸ ὄρος αὐτὸς μόνος.

Therefore Jesus knowing that they were about to come sieze him in order to make a king withdrew again into the mountain himself alone. 

γνοὺς: APPart nsm, γινώσκω,1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel

μέλλουσιν: PAI 3p, μέλλω,1) to be about  1a) to be on the point of doing or suffering something

ἔρχεσθαι: PMInf, ἔρχομαι,1) to come

ἁρπάζειν: PAInf, ἁρπάζω,1) to seize, carry off by force  2) to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly  3) to snatch out or away 

ποιήσωσιν: AASubj 3p, ποιέω,1) to make 

ἀνεχώρησεν: AAI 3s, ἀναχωρέω,1) to go back, return  2) to withdraw 

1. Again, in John, Jesus seems to know what is about to happen, similar to v. 6, n.2 above. 

¹⁶ Ὡς δὲ ὀψία ἐγένετο κατέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν,

Yet as it began to become late his disciples went down to the sea, 

ἐγένετο: AMI 3s, γίνομαι,1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being

κατέβησαν: AAI 3p, καταβαίνω,1) to go down, come down, descend

¹⁷ καὶ ἐμβάντες εἰς πλοῖον ἤρχοντο πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς Καφαρναούμ. καὶ σκοτία ἤδη ἐγεγόνει καὶ οὔπω ἐληλύθει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, 

And having embarked into a boat began along the sea to Capernaum. And darkness now happening and Jesus had not yet come to them, 

ἐμβάντες: AAPart npm, ἐμβαίνω,1) to go into, step into

ἤρχοντο: IMI 3p, ἄρχω,1) to be chief, to lead, to rule

ἐγεγόνει: PluperfectAI 3s, γίνομαι,1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being 

ἐληλύθει: PluperfectAI 3s, ἔρχομαι,1) to come 

¹⁸ ἥ τε θάλασσα ἀνέμου μεγάλου πνέοντος διεγείρετο. 

The sea also a great blowing wind was being raised. 

πνέοντος: PAPart gsm, πνέω,1) to breathe, to blow  1a) of the wind

διεγείρετο: IPI 3s, διεγείρω,1) to wake up, awaken, arouse (from sleep) 

1. Again, this seems to be a run-on sentence, but the rough and literal translation does not have hyphens or commas to make it read better.

¹⁹ ἐληλακότες οὖν ὡς σταδίους εἴκοσι πέντε ἢ τριάκοντα θεωροῦσιν τὸν Ἰησοῦν περιπατοῦντα ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ἐγγὺς τοῦ πλοίου γινόμενον, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν. 

Therefore having rowed twenty-five or thirty stadia they were beholding Jesus walking on the sea having come near the boat, and they were afeared. 

ἐληλακότες: PerfAPart npm, ἐλαύνω,1) to drive  1a) of the wind driving ships or clouds

θεωροῦσιν: PAI 3p, θεωρέω,1) to be a spectator, look at, behold 

περιπατοῦντα: PAPart asm, περιπατέω,1) to walk 

γινόμενον: PMPart asm, γίνομαι,1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being 

ἐφοβήθησαν: API 3p, φοβέω, 1) to strike with fear, scare, frighten. Middle or passive as here, to be put in fear, take fright.

1. What I am translating phonetically as twenty-five or thirty stadia, modern translations call “three or four miles.” That’s a long way out from the shore and quite a bit of a walk for Jesus. 

2. And I know that this is a story, so I don’t want to make too much of it, but how, exactly, does one even walk on a sea that’s being wind-tossed? Jesus is amazing.

²⁰ ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε. 

Yet he says to them, “I am, do not be afeared.” 

λέγει: PAI 3s, λέγω,1) to say, to speak

εἰμι: PAI 1s, εἰμί,1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present

φοβεῖσθε: PMImpv 2p, φοβέω, 1) to strike with fear, scare, frighten. Middle or passive as here, to be put in fear, take fright. 

1. Both in v.19 and here I have used “afear” to translate the middle/passive use of φοβέω. I’m trying to capture a state of being that is a result of something from the outside, rather than just a disposition or something that happens to one. 

²¹ ἤθελον οὖν λαβεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ εὐθέως ἐγένετο τὸ πλοῖον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἰς ἣν ὑπῆγον.

Therefore they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat arrived at the shore to which they were going.  

ἤθελον: IAI 3p, θέλω,1) to will, have in mind, intend 

λαβεῖν: AAInf, λαμβάνω,1) to take  

ἐγένετο: AMI 3s, γίνομαι,1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being

ὑπῆγον: IAI 3p, ὑπάγω,1) to lead under, bring under 

1. The ESV has “they were glad to take him into the boat,” a stark change from being “afeared” just a moment before. 

The Feeding

John 6:1-21 contains two stories (feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on the water) and a half-story (the crowd’s reaction and potential action). The two stories would be familiar to readers of the Synoptic gospels, but John has some uniquely characteristic ways of telling them. In the feeding story, the narrator presents Jesus knowing from the beginning what he is going to do, rather than the story presenting the crisis first, with Jesus responding to it.  

Walking on Water

The story of Jesus walking on water is also a story that John shares with the Synoptics, without the details that the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost or with Simon Peter asking to get out of the boat with Jesus, then having to be rescued, or even Jesus speaking to the storm and calming it. In John, Jesus just walked a few miles on a boisterous sea before they took him into the boat and immediately landed it. There is no mention that the storm was perilous or that the disciples were bailing water, etc. They simply rowed out a long distance, which is probably a wise piece of seamanship. What frightened the disciples was Jesus walking on the water as he neared the boat – with no explanation. And, as far as the story goes, the storm might still be raging out there. 

Making Jesus a Prophet-King

What we ought not to miss is the moment in between these two fascinating stories, in vv.14-15, the people responded to the mass feeding by proclaiming Jesus as the prophet who is to come into the world. Jesus then perceives that they were about to seize him and make him king – which gives the expectation of a “prophet who is to come into the world” a LOT more meaning than one might have anticipated. 

I’ve interpreted the explanations in vv. 1, 4, and 8 as perhaps showing that the readers may not be familiar with the geography of Israel, Jewish festivals, or the persona of the disciples very well. One other possibility is that whoever wrote the “book of signs” in cc.2-12 did not knew the geography, festivals, and persona very well. The attempt to coronate a prophet might fit within that lack of familiarity, or it might demonstrate that there was far more to 1^stcentury messianic expectations than our traditional offices (prophet, priest, king) would let on. 

Philip

Philip and Lazarus are key players in John’s gospel, but not in the Synoptic gospels. Lazarus – the brother of Mary and Martha - is not mentioned in Matthew, Mark, or Luke, while Philip is only mentioned when the Synoptics are listing the twelve. Leaving Lazarus for another day, there are three other references to Philip the Disciple in John’s gospel and each of them is part of what strikes me as a key story. 

John1:43-48 is the story of Jesus calling Philip, who then goes and finds Nathanael and brings him to Jesus. 

John 12:20 -26 is a story of some Greek persons at the festival who came to Philip wishing to see Jesus. Philip told Andrew and together they go to tell Jesus, who marks the moment as the time that “the son of man is to be glorified.” Jesus then speaks of the seed that must fall into the ground and die before bearing fruit. This passage seems to be a critical disclosure, not unlike the texts in Mark 8, 9, and 10, when Jesus discloses his forthcoming suffering and death. 

John 14:1-14 is part of the “final discourse” that Jesus has with the disciples, which begins with the supper and washing the disciples’ feet in c.13, and ends with the prayer “that they may be one” in c.17. As that discourse begins in c.14, Jesus says, “If you know me you will know my Father also,” a key Christological argument in John’s gospel. In response (v.8), Philip replies, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” This seems to be one of the places where the disciples in John come close to being the befuddled, always-missing-the-point disciples of Mark’s gospel.