After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
Parallel translations
- WEB After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.
- KJV And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
- BSB After He had sent them away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone,
- NKJV And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
- NASB After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
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
Jesus goes up the mountain alone to pray, remaining there into the evening. Even the Son of God prioritized communion with the Father.
Overview
Having dismissed the crowds, Jesus withdraws to the mountain to pray in solitude. His practice of prayer, especially after demanding ministry, models dependence on the Father. The scene of Jesus alone with God in the evening sets a quiet backdrop against the disciples' coming struggle on the storm-tossed sea.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Luke 6:12In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.
- Mark 6:46After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.
- Matt 26:36Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.”
- John 6:15–17Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
- Matt 6:6But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
- Acts 6:4But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”
- Luke 9:28About eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 14:23 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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