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.
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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 9:10–17The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them, and withdrew apart to a deserted place of a city called Bethsaida.
- Matt 14:1–2At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
- Mark 6:30–44The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.
- Matt 12:15Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
- John 6:1–15After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias.
- Matt 10:23But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.
- Matt 15:32–38Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on 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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