John 6 - NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
6:1 Sea of Tiberias. For the city of Tiberias (for which the lake is here named), see note on v. 23.
6:2 Many people in antiquity flocked to healing shrines, to hot springs for health (where available), and to prophetic figures who promised deliverance.
6:4 Passover Festival. Commemorated the deliverance through Moses. The feeding of 5,000 in the wilderness will show that the God of Moses remains active (cf. vv. 31–32).
6:7 more than half a year’s wages . . . for each one to have a bite. This might be a reasonable estimate in view of the crowd’s size (v. 10); but it is unlikely that surrounding villages had enough bread even had there been money to pay for it. Many villages had only a few hundred residents; a town might have a few thousand, but they would not be expecting so many buyers. Even if barley had already been harvested (see note on 4:35), bread still had to be prepared.
6:9 barley loaves. Recalls the loaves Elisha multiplied in 2Ki 4:42–44, even though there it was just 20 loaves for 200 people. Ironically, Andrew does not realize that his protest echoes that of Elisha’s servant in that passage, where he asked, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” (2Ki 4:43). Cf. Moses’ astonishment in Nu 11:21–22. Barley harvest fell in March, so barley was probably plentiful at this time.
6:10 plenty of grass. Fits Passover season (v. 4). five thousand men. Often ancient figures included only “men” (as with the Greek term here), so the total number present exceeds 5,000—far more than the average Galilean town. Even the theater at Sepphoris, one of Galilee’s two major cities, seated only 3,000 (though it is thought that theaters sometimes seated only 10 percent of a city’s residents).
6:11 gave thanks. If somewhat later tradition is an indication, a typical blessing before meals was something like, “Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” as much as they wanted. God had multiplied food for prophets (1Ki 17:16; 2Ki 4:42–44) and provided manna for 40 years in the wilderness.
6:12 left over. Gracious hosts served more than enough. This demonstrates the generous hospitality of God in the face of need. Sometimes food was left over after a miraculous feeding (2Ki 4:44).
6:13 twelve baskets. They filled as many baskets as the 12 could carry—all leftovers from an original five loaves!
6:14 the Prophet. The promised prophet like Moses (Dt 18:15–18) who, not coincidentally, also was associated with miraculously feeding crowds.
6:15 make him king. Various Jewish writers viewed Moses as a king. At Passover season (v. 4), when Jewish people commemorated deliverance from oppression, the crowd’s reaction is not surprising. During the first century some prophetic figures who promised deliverance drew thousands of Jewish or Samaritan followers; most of these movements ended disastrously, with Romans slaughtering many of the followers.
6:18 Wind rushing down from the mountains can create unexpected squalls on this lake.
6:19 rowed. Fishing boats normally had oars. about three or four miles. About 5 or 6 kilometers, nearly half the east-west distance across the widest part of the lake (though perhaps a quarter of the north-south distance); probably it was more than half the distance from the place of the feeding to Capernaum.
6:20 It is I. Lit. “I am.” Although this can mean “It is I,” the activity in the context supports an allusion to Jesus’ deity (cf. Ex 3:14), especially given John’s usage elsewhere (Jn 8:58). In the OT God used prophets to part waters, but only God walked on them (Job 9:8; cf. Ps 77:19; see notes on Mk 6:48, 50).
6:23 Tiberias. Tiberias was one of the two sizeable cities in Galilee. Herod Antipas had named it after the emperor and had it constructed over a cemetery. Because Jewish people deemed grave areas impure, religiously strict Jews stayed away (as Antipas undoubtedly wished) and the city was heavily Hellenized. Nevertheless, Josephus shows that Jewish residents strictly observed the Sabbath. Given the Gospels’ reports of Jesus’ travels in Galilee it appears that he, like most Galileans, spent little or no time in Tiberias. He apparently spent little time or (so far as we can be certain) no time in the other major Galilean city, Sepphoris, though it was not far from Nazareth.
6:24 went to Capernaum. Capernaum was fewer than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Tiberias. Nevertheless, those wishing to voyage in the boats would presumably need to pay for their fare even if the boats had deposited their cargo and might need to stop near Capernaum for other merchandise.
6:26 Israel ate the manna in the wilderness without always obeying God. Emperors kept Rome pacified with free food and entertainment; Jesus had a different mission.
6:30 What sign then will you give . . . ? People were expecting a new prophet like Moses; several prophetic figures arose in this period (slightly after Jesus) promising (though failing to produce) signs like Moses or Joshua. Disbelief despite signs was blameworthy (Nu 14:11), but Jesus invites faith even beyond signs.
6:31 The crowd (presumably through its leading spokespersons) quotes Ex 16:4, Ne 9:15 or Ps 78:24 or a blending of these passages. Jewish debate and exposition often paraphrased and elaborated on the cited text, and this is what happens in the following discourse.
6:32 not Moses . . . but it is my Father. Rabbis often corrected misinterpretations by returning to the wording of the text in question. The Biblical texts attribute the manna directly to God, not to Moses.
6:34 give us this bread. Like many of Jesus’ other interlocutors in this Gospel, the crowd misunderstands Jesus’ point. In ancient sources, such misunderstandings allowed the main speaker to clarify the point.
6:35 never go hungry . . . never be thirsty. A range of ancient Jewish sources compared both manna and water to God’s provision of spiritual nourishment, depicted as wisdom, word, or the law. Wisdom invited her hearers to come and eat of her (Sirach 24:19) and promised that those who ate and drank of her would yearn for still more (Sirach 24:21). As the Word (Jn 1:1–18), Jesus portrays himself as like divine Wisdom—what Jewish literature presented as closest to God without being the Father. Jesus, however, promises that those who consume him will be satisfied.
6:37 those the Father gives me. Jewish people believed that God was sovereign; a regular Jewish prayer acknowledged that God grants repentance. Most accepted both the idea that God controlled the essentials of the future and that God had provided humans choice and responsibility. See note on v. 44.
6:39 raise them up at the last day. Many Palestinian Jews believed in a resurrection at the end of the age (explicit in Da 12:2 and many other Jewish sources).
6:40 This verse repeats and elaborates much of the thought of v. 39; repetition in different words was a common ancient way of emphasizing a point.
6:41 Jews there began to grumble. In the wilderness Israel grumbled about their hunger, so God provided manna (Ex 16:2–4); they continued to grumble afterward (Ex 17:3; Nu 14:2; 16:41), leading to judgment (Nu 14:29; Ps 106:24–27). Here they grumble about God’s provision of spiritual manna.
6:44 unless the Father . . . draws them. See note on v. 37. In the OT, God is said to have “drawn” his people to himself (Jer 31:3). The language expresses God’s love and that human desire for him comes from God.
6:45 Jesus cites Isa 54:13; it was common to cite a passage from the Prophets when explaining a passage from the Pentateuch.
6:46 No one has seen the Father. Moses recognized that no mere human could see all of God’s glory (Ex 33:20). See note on Jn 1:14–18,
6:52 How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Mediterranean peoples found cannibalism revolting (but see note on v. 53).
6:53 eat the flesh . . . drink his blood. Figuratively, Jesus could be identified with the Passover lamb (cf. v. 4; Ex 12:8; see note on Jn 1:29). Because the law forbade drinking blood, including that of the Passover lamb (Lev 17:10), a stronger analogy is with divine Wisdom (see note on Jn 6:35).
6:54 raise them up at the last day. See note on v. 39. Throughout this context Jesus speaks in riddles, as sages often did (e.g., Pr 1:6; 30:4). He also repeats some points at length; ancients often repeated and elaborated points where they wished to place heavy emphasis.
6:59 synagogue in Capernaum. Capernaum was a fishing town; some estimate its population at about 1,500. Archaeologists have found some of this synagogue beneath a later one constructed on the same site. Jewish people gathered in synagogues on the Sabbath to pray and study Scripture; the building could be used for other community purposes during the week.
6:61 grumbling. See note on v. 41. Does this offend you? Some radical teachers used heavy demands or difficult sayings to weed out less committed disciples.
6:63 Spirit gives life. The Spirit gives resurrection life in Eze 37:14; cf. note on Jn 20:22. For the Spirit teaching truth about God, cf. Ne 9:20; the Spirit was associated most commonly with prophetic inspiration, including of Scripture. the flesh counts for nothing. Jesus explains that he is not endorsing literal cannibalism (v. 52), but speaking of imbibing the Spirit.
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