And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ran flocking thither foot from all the cities, and were there before them.
και ειδον αυτους υπαγοντας και επεγνωσαν αυτον πολλοι και πεζη απο πασων των πολεων συνεδραμον εκει και προηλθον αυτους και συνηλθον προς αυτον
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Even in this situation, He did not conceal Himself from those seeking Him. In fact, the crowd was so focused on the Lord's concealment that they went ahead of the apostles to the location where Jesus intended to rest. Therefore, you should also move ahead of Jesus: do not wait for Him to summon you, but instead, rush forward to prepare His way.
As the crowds journeyed from various towns to Jerusalem for the upcoming feast, their awareness and respect for Jesus grew, particularly following the passing of John. More individuals gathered to Him daily, drawn by the widespread preaching about His ministry. The Lord, however, had no plans to enter Jerusalem at that time, for His hour had not yet arrived (John 7:6, 8). Therefore, in response to the news of Herod's intentions and to provide comfort for His disciples, He chose to retreat with them to a quiet place—Bethsaida, situated across the Lake of Galilee. This town, located in the region of Gavaonitis, was under the governance of His brother Philip rather than Herod Antipas (Luke 9:10).
As they crossed the lake, the multitude trailed along the shoreline. Realizing that their attempt to avoid the crowd was futile, the Lord began to teach the people about the kingdom of heaven and generously healed the sick among them. Although the day was waning, the people remained with Him, having gone without food.
The crowd observed the departure of Jesus and the apostles. They hastily made their way on foot from various towns, though their pursuit was not for the apostles but for Jesus, who had set sail with them. As documented by Luke, Jesus and the apostles journeyed towards Bethsaida. While the Evangelists do not specify the duration of this voyage, Mark's account suggests that the throngs left on the shore hurried along the lakeside, heading in the direction of the boat carrying Jesus and the apostles. Along the route, they were joined by others emerging from the towns, ultimately advancing ahead of the vessel and providing warnings to them.
Despite their attempts to leave quietly, their departure did not go unnoticed, and it quickly became known to others. The remote and deserted shoreline they had chosen was only a short distance of ten versts from Capernaum by the lake. The boat, seemingly hindered by unfavorable winds, proceeded slowly along the coast, and upon arrival, it was evident that their goal had not been achieved. Some people had already arrived ahead of them and were gathering at the wharf when the boat landed on the rocky shore. In the distance, a group of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the upcoming Passover festival added to the crowd, drawn by the increasing renown of the great prophet. They diverted from their direct route to join the throng of listeners.
The crowd became aware of their departure and, it seems, determined their location as they hurried along on foot. In their eagerness, they called out to them, and when the Lord and His disciples emerged from the boat—having taken some time to rest during the journey, away from the throng—they were encountered by the people. In His compassion, He felt deep sympathy for them (refer to Matthew 9:36), and despite the need for respite, He resumed His teaching, imparting valuable lessons to them.
The essence of the thoughts conveyed in these verses can be articulated as follows:
“Then He instructed them to go away by themselves into a solitary area to rest briefly, for there was much movement resulting in their inability to eat.” They proceeded to a secluded location by special boat. "The crowds observed their departure and recognized Him, leading many to rush on foot from various towns to Him, informing the apostles and gathering around Him.”
The term "come" translates into a concept of movement on the ground, indicating a general action of traveling, whether by land or water, on foot, or with animals. Our usage of “tread” encompasses this idea of travel broadly. The word “go” does not apply to traveling by water; thus, one cannot say “go by steamer” or “go by boat,” as "go" suggests mere removal rather than general travel. The phrase “by themselves,” translates to “αὐτοὶ,” while “specially” translates to “κατ᾿ ἰδίαν,” which implies their own way. It is essential to avoid translating this expression as “alone” since it might mislead the understanding; for instance, when we say “The Lord went apart from the apostles,” it does not imply solitary travel but means He could take someone else with Him except for the apostles.
In verse 33, the critical distinction between the Slavonic-Russian versions and our interpretation lies in a single word: “and the many recognized Him,” as opposed to “them.” Instead of using the plural form, we adopt the singular based on various revised Greek editions from the 16th to the 19th centuries, which indicate the singular “αὐτὸν,” rather than the plural “αὐτοὺς,” with the context favoring the singular. The phrase “Many recognized them and ran there” raises a question: to whom did they run? The text clarifies that they warned the apostles, indicating they ran not towards them but to the Lord, thus supporting that their recognition was of Him, not the apostles. If they had intended to reach the location where the apostles were sent to rest, it would contradict the Lord’s intent.
Moreover, the phrase “and were gathered unto Him” clearly states that the recognition was of Him, not them, as the crowd did not gather toward the apostles, but to the Lord. Despite not finding printed Greek editions where the plural “αὐτοὺς” is present, it is reasonable to conclude such an edition exists, as seen in the Codex Sinaiticus which endorses the plural form.
The discrepancy in understanding arises because the Codex Sinaiticus presents the plural version while omitting the conclusion of the verses stating “and they gathered to Him.” This omission creates potential for changing the singular to the plural, given the surrounding context does not hint at a singular interpretation. However, in two examined Greek editions, the singular is maintained in verse 32: “and departed (the Saviour) in a special boat.”
Examining the narratives in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke reveals a seemingly subtle contradiction. In Matthew (14:13), we read, “When Jesus heard of John the Baptist’s death, He departed by boat into a secluded area by Himself; the crowds followed Him on foot from the cities.” Here, the term “alone” aligns more with “specially” as suggested in Mark, which states He went to a desert place alone in a boat. In Luke, we find that He took the apostles with Him to a solitary place near Bethsaida, demonstrating distinct perspectives among the evangelists.
Ultimately, the apparent discrepancies vanish in our understanding. The Lord carried the apostles with Him in a specially designated boat, leading to the observation from Luke that He departed “specially,” and Matthew’s phrasing indicates, “in a boat.” Meanwhile, Mark’s account supports that the apostles separated from the Lord but within the context that they traveled under His command.
The narrative unfolds after the apostles returned to the Lord to report their ministry efforts, alongside the news of John the Baptist’s death (Mark 6:30; Luke 9:10; Matthew 14:12). The Lord, accompanied by the apostles, set sail in a distinct boat, indicating He would head into the wilderness near Bethsaida, instructing the apostles to find another secluded spot to rest. However, the populace, aware of the Savior’s destination, rushed to Him at that new location, before the apostles had the opportunity to rest, leading them to “warn” the apostles of the situation.
The apostles returned from their ministry, reporting to Christ the Savior all that they had preached and accomplished. After their strenuous efforts, they sought rest, but the throngs of people eager to see and hear the Lord were so numerous that they barely had time even to eat. Christ decided to send the disciples alone to a quiet place, intending to accompany them himself. The immediate cause for this retreat was the news of the martyrdom of His Forerunner. Since His hour had not yet arrived (John 7:5) and to avoid any potential threat from Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, Jesus chose to withdraw to the territory of His brother Philip, near Bethsaida. This city was located at the northeastern edge of the Sea of Galilee, not far from where the Jordan River flows into it.
Distinct from the Galilean village that shared its name and served as the home of the fishermen apostles, this Bethsaida was referred to as Bethsaida of Julia, named in honor of the daughter of Emperor Augustus. The boat carrying Jesus and the apostles headed towards the unpopulated areas of this city. However, the crowd spotted their departure; many recognized them and spread the word, prompting people on foot from various towns to race along the shoreline, striving to keep pace with the vessel. Upon disembarking, Jesus was met by a multitude eagerly awaiting Him. Moved with compassion for them, as they were like sheep without a shepherd, He began to teach them about the kingdom of God and heal the sick among them. Later, He ascended a mountain with His disciples and sat down, while the people continued to approach Him. As time passed, the day began to wane towards evening.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 18 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS