John 6 · Verse 10

John 6:10

And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
John 6:10, King James Version

John 6:10 in other translations

BSB“Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
WEBJesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
ASVJesus said, Make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
YLTAnd Jesus said, ‘Make the men to sit down;' and there was much grass in the place, the men then sat down, in number, as it were, five thousand,
DARBYAnd Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place: the men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand.
BBEJesus said, Let the people be seated. Now there was much grass in that place. And those seated on the grass were about five thousand.
WebsterAnd Jesus said, Make the men sit down. (Now there was much grass in the place.) So the men sat down in number about five thousand.

What does John 6:10 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 There was much grass in the place - Perhaps newly mown grass, or hay, is meant, (so the Vulgate faenum), and this circumstance marks out more particularly that the passover was at hand. In Palestine the grass is ready for mowing in March; and this miracle seems to have been wrought only a few days before the commencement of that festival: see Joh 6:4.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 6:1-14

John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the people. Even the common Jews expected the Messiah to come into the world, and to be a great Prophet. The Pharisees despised them as not knowing the law; but they knew most of Him who is the end of the law. Yet men may acknowledge Christ as that Prophet, and still turn a deaf…

Read the full comment on John 6:1-14 →

John 6:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἶπενeipenSaidG2036
ὁho<the>G3588
Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424
ποιήσατεpoiēsatedo makeG4160
τοὺςtoustheG3588
ἀνθρώπουςanthrōpousmenG444
ἀναπεσεῖν.anapeseinto recline.G377
ἦνēnThere wasG1510
δὲdenowG1161
χόρτοςchortosgrassG5528
πολὺςpolusmuchG4183
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
τόπῳ.topōplace.G5117
ἀνέπεσανanepesanReclinedG377
οὖνounthereforeG3767
οἱhoitheG3588
ἄνδρεςandresmenG435
τὸνtontheG3588
ἀριθμὸνarithmonnumberG706
ὡςhōsaboutG5613
πεντακισχίλιοι.pentakischilioifive thousand.G4000

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 6:10

  • Luke 9:14-16

    For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

  • Matthew 14:18-19

    He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

  • Mark 8:6-7

    And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

  • Matthew 15:35-36

    And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

  • Mark 6:39-41

    And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Make.
Mt 14:18,19; 15:35,36; Mr 6:39-41; 8:6,7; Lu 9:14-16
Now.No wonder, since it was the spring, being near the passover; and, from the plenty of grass, it would be a place much more suitable to the purpose. This circumstance, says Dr. Paley, is plainly the remark of an eye-witness.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 6:9

    There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

  • John 6:10

    And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

  • John 6:11

    And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

Read all of John 6

John 6:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Jesús dijo: Haced recostar la gente. Y había mucha hierba en aquel lugar: y recostáronse como número de cinco mil varones.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jésus dit: Faites asseoir les gens (or il y avait beaucoup d’herbe en ce lieu-là). Les hommes donc s’assirent, au nombre d’environ 5 000.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jesus aber sprach: Machet, daß die Leute sich lagern. Es war aber viel Gras an dem Orte. Es lagerten sich nun die Männer, an Zahl bei fünftausend.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit ergo Jesus: Facite homines discumbere. Erat autem fœnum multum in loco. Discubuerunt ergo viri, numero quasi quinque millia.