And when it was already late, His disciples came up to Him and said, “This place is secluded and it is already late;
Parallel translations
- WEB When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, “This place is deserted, and it is late in the day.
- KJV And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
- BSB By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late.
- NKJV When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.
- NLT Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
As evening neared, the disciples noted the late hour and remote location. Their concern sets up the problem the miracle will solve.
Overview
The disciples, thinking practically, recognized that the crowd was far from food and the day was ending. Their observation was reasonable but limited, framing the situation as an unsolvable logistical problem. It prepares the way for Jesus to display His power and provision in a manner the disciples could not anticipate.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Luke 9:12–17The day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”
- John 6:5–15Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?”
- Matt 14:15–21When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.”
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 6:35 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.