John 6:10
 John 6:10 
New International Version (©2011)
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).

New Living Translation (©2007)
"Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.)

English Standard Version (©2001)
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Then Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was plenty of grass in that area, so they sat down, numbering about 5,000 men.

NET Bible (©2006)
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
Yeshua said to them: “Have all the people be seated.” And there was much grass in that place and they were seated, the number of men being five thousand.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." The people had plenty of grass to sit on. (There were about 5,000 men in the crowd.)

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
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.

American King James Version
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.

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

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then 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.

Darby Bible Translation
And 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.

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

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
"Make the people sit down," said Jesus. The ground was covered with thick grass; so they sat down, the adult men numbering about 5,000.

World English Bible
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

Young's Literal Translation
And 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,

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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 ear to him.


Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. - Jesus said (the omission of δὲ rather augments the vivid force of the statement), Make the people (ἀνθρώπους here. contrasted with the ἄνδρες of the next clause) recline. Now there was much grass in the place. As already said, this is in harmony with the note of time conveyed in ver. 4. The other evangelist (Mark 6:39) speaks of the people sitting down "upon the green grass" - a vivid touch this of an eyewitness; Matthew (Matthew 14:19) also speaks of the grass; and Mark and Luke add another rememberable feature which John omits. The men (ἄνδρες were distinguished from ἄνθρωποι, which last term may have included the "women and children" (Matthew 14:21), who in no great numbers probably formed, according to Eastern custom, a company by themselves). The men sat down (reclined), in number - the matter of the "number" is here put into the "accusative of closer definition" (Meyer) - about five thousand. Luke says, "in groups of fifty." Mark first declares that Jesus ordered them to sit down (συμπόσια συμπόσια) in parties, and describes the result as having the appearance of garden beds (πρασιαί πρασιαί), of fifty or of a hundred each. The πρασιά is area, forus (Gartenbett; Homer, "Od.," 7:127; 24:247). "Πρασιαί," says Theophylact, "are the different divisions in gardens, in which different herbs are often planted." The image of the garden plots, with different divisions between them, forced itself on the eyewitness (see Trench, "Miracles," p. 205).


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Jesus said, make the men sit down,.... The Syriac version reads, "all the men"; and the Persic version, "all the people"; men, women, and children: Christ, without reproving his disciples for their unbelief, ordered them directly to place the people upon the ground, and seat them in rows by hundreds and by fifties, in a rank and company, as persons about to take a meal:

now there was much grass in the place; at the bottom of the mountain; and it was green, as one of the evangelists observes, it being the spring of the year, and was very commodious to sit down upon:

so the men sat down, in number about five thousand; besides women and children, Matthew 14:21, so that there was but one loaf for more than a thousand persons.


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The Feeding of the Five Thousand
9There is a lad here, which has five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10And 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. 11And 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. …

Matthew 14:21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Mark 6:39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.