Luke 5 · Verse 16

Luke 5:16

And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
Luke 5:16, King James Version

Luke 5:16 in other translations

BSBYet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.
WEBBut he withdrew himself into the desert and prayed.
ASVBut he withdrew himself in the deserts, and prayed.
YLTand he was withdrawing himself in the desert places and was praying.
DARBYAnd he withdrew himself, and was about in the desert places and praying.
BBEBut he went away by himself to a waste place for prayer.
WebsterAnd he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

What does Luke 5:16 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 16. No entry from BARNES for this verse.

(n) "And he withdrew" Mt 14:23, Mk 3:7, Jn 6:2

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness - Or rather, He frequently withdrew into the desert. This I believe to be the import of the original words, ην ὑποχωρων. He made it a frequent custom to withdraw from the multitudes for a time, and pray, teaching hereby the ministers of the Gospel that they are to receive fresh supplies of light and power from God by prayer, that they may be the more successful in their work; and that they ought to seek frequent opportunities of being in private with God and their books. A man can give nothing unless he first receive it; and no man can be successful in the ministry who does not constantly depend upon God, for the excellence of the power is all from him. Why is there so much preaching, and so little good done? Is it not because the preachers mix too much with the world, keep too long in the crowd, and are so seldom in private with God? Reader! Art thou a herald for the Lord of hosts? Make full proof of thy ministry! Let it never be said of thee, "He forsook all to follow Christ, and to preach his Gospel, but there was little or no fruit of his labor; for he ceased to be a man of prayer, and got into the spirit of the world." Alas! alas! is this luminous star, that was once held in the right hand of Jesus, fallen from the firmament of heaven, down to the Earth!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 5:12-16

This man is said to be full of leprosy; he had that distemper in a high degree, which represents our natural pollution by sin; we are full of that leprosy; from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundness in us. Strong confidence and deep humility are united in the words of this leper. And if any sinner, from a deep sense of vileness, says, I know the Lord can cleanse, but will he look upon…

Read the full comment on Luke 5:12-16 →

Luke 5:16 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.

αὐτὸςautosHe HimselfG846
δὲdenowG1161
ἦνēnwasG1510
ὑποχωρῶνhupochōrōnwithdrawingG5298
ἐνenintoG1722
ταῖςtaistheG3588
ἐρήμοιςerēmoiswildernessG2048
καὶkaiandG2532
προσευχόμενος.¶proseuchomenospraying.G4336

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

Cross references for Luke 5:16

  • Mark 1:35-36

    And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

  • Luke 6:12

    And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

  • Matthew 14:23

    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.

  • Mark 6:46

    And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

  • John 6:15

    When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:12; Mt 14:23; Mr 1:35,36; 6:46; Joh 6:15

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

Context

  • Luke 5:15

    But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

  • Luke 5:16

    And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

  • Luke 5:17

    And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Read all of Luke 5

Luke 5:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas él se apartaba á los desiertos, y oraba.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		mais lui, se tenait retiré dans les déserts et priait.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er aber zog sich zurück und war in den Wüsteneien und betete.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ipse autem secedebat in desertum, et orabat.