John 6:5

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

So Jesus, looking up and seeing a large crowd coming to Him, said to Philip [Note: He was one of the apostles, whose home town was at nearby Bethsaida. See 1:44], “Where are we going to buy [enough] bread, so that this crowd can eat?”

Cross References

Matthew 15:33

And the disciples said to Him, “Where will we get enough loaves of bread to feed a large crowd in [such] a deserted place [as this]?”

Mark 6:32

So, they [i.e., Jesus and His apostles] left by boat and went to a separate place [where they could be] alone.

Luke 9:10

When the apostles returned they told Jesus what they had done. Then Jesus took them and went away privately to a town called Bethsaida. [Note: This town was on the east side of Lake Galilee, and apparently was a different “Bethsaida” from the one mentioned in Mark 6:45].

John 1:43

[Then] on the next day He [i.e., Jesus, but some think it refers to Peter or Andrew] decided to travel into Galilee, [and there] He found Philip. Jesus said to Philip, “Become my follower.”

John 1:44

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew’s and Peter’s home town. [Note: This town was on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee, a few miles from Capernaum].

John 1:45

[Then] Philip found Nathaniel [i.e., the same as Bartholomew. See Matt. 10:3] and said to him, “We have found Him, the one Moses wrote about in the Law; and the prophets [also wrote about Him]. [He is] Jesus from Nazareth, the [step-] son of Joseph.”

John 1:46

Nathaniel replied to him, “Can anything worthwhile come from Nazareth?” [Note: Nazareth had a bad reputation and Jewish writings made no prediction of a prophet coming from that area. See John 7:52]. Philip answered him, “Come and see.”

John 1:48

Nathaniel asked Jesus, “How did you know me?” Jesus answered him, “I saw you when you were under that fig tree, [even] before Philip called you.”

John 4:35

Are you not [always] saying, ‘There are still four months before harvest time comes’? Look, I am telling you [disciples], lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white and ripe for harvest [i.e., people are ready to make a spiritual response].