When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
- KJV When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
- NKJV When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
- NASB Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard about this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
- NLT As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.
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
Hearing of John's death, Jesus withdraws by boat to a solitary place, but crowds follow on foot. Even in grief, Jesus remains pursued by needy people.
Overview
On learning of John's death, Jesus seeks solitude by crossing the lake to a deserted place. The crowds, however, follow Him along the shore, drawn by their need. The verse shows Jesus' genuine human emotion alongside the relentless demand of the multitudes, setting the scene for the feeding of the five thousand that follows.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Luke 9:10–17Then the apostles returned and reported to Jesus all that they had done. Taking them away privately, He withdrew to a town called Bethsaida.
- Matt 14:1–2At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus
- Mark 6:30–44Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught.
- Matt 12:15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them all,
- John 6:1–15After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).
- Matt 10:23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
- Matt 15:32–38Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.”
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 14:13 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
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