Luke 5:16
New International Version
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

New Living Translation
But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

English Standard Version
But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Berean Standard Bible
Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.

Berean Literal Bible
And He Himself was withdrawing into the wilderness and praying.

King James Bible
And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

New King James Version
So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

New American Standard Bible
But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

NASB 1995
But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

NASB 1977
But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

Legacy Standard Bible
But He Himself would often slip away to the desolate regions and pray.

Amplified Bible
But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].

Christian Standard Bible
Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

American Standard Version
But he withdrew himself in the deserts, and prayed.

Contemporary English Version
But Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray.

English Revised Version
But he withdrew himself in the deserts, and prayed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But he would go away to places where he could be alone for prayer.

Good News Translation
But he would go away to lonely places, where he prayed.

International Standard Version
However, he continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying.

Majority Standard Bible
Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.

NET Bible
Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

New Heart English Bible
But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Weymouth New Testament
but Jesus Himself constantly withdrew into the Desert and there prayed.

World English Bible
But he withdrew himself into the desert and prayed.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and He was withdrawing Himself in the desolate places and was praying.

Berean Literal Bible
And He Himself was withdrawing into the wilderness and praying.

Young's Literal Translation
and he was withdrawing himself in the desert places and was praying.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he was retreating into the deserts, and praying.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he retired into the desert, and prayed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he withdrew into the desert and prayed.

New American Bible
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

New Revised Standard Version
But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But he departed into the wilderness, and prayed.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But he was departing to the wilderness and praying.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And he withdrew to the deserts and prayed.

Godbey New Testament
And He was out in the deserts, and praying.

Haweis New Testament
But he himself was in the desert for retirement and prayer.

Mace New Testament
so that he retired into places of solitude, for the convenience of prayer.

Weymouth New Testament
but Jesus Himself constantly withdrew into the Desert and there prayed.

Worrell New Testament
And He was wont to retire into the deserts, and pray.

Worsley New Testament
But He frequently retired into solitary places, and prayed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Leper's Prayer
15But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray. 17One day Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea, and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.…

Cross References
Mark 1:35
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.

Matthew 14:23
After He had dismissed them, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone,

Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Luke 6:12
In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.

Matthew 26:36
Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

Mark 6:46
After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray.

Luke 9:18
One day as Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?”

Luke 9:28
About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray.

Matthew 17:1
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

John 6:15
Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.

Psalm 55:16-17
But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. / Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.

Psalm 5:3
In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.

Isaiah 50:4
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

Psalm 109:4
In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.


Treasury of Scripture

And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

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 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…

Jump to Previous
Abroad Crowded Cured Desert Deserts Diseases Great Hear Jesus Lonely Multitudes Often Places Prayed Praying Report Slip Spread Waste Wilderness Withdrawing Withdrew
Jump to Next
Abroad Crowded Cured Desert Deserts Diseases Great Hear Jesus Lonely Multitudes Often Places Prayed Praying Report Slip Spread Waste Wilderness Withdrawing Withdrew
Luke 5
1. Jesus teaches the people out of Peter's ship;
4. shows how he will make them fishers of men;
12. cleanses the leper;
16. prays in the desert;
17. heals a paralytic;
27. calls Matthew the tax collector;
29. eats with sinners, as being the physician of souls;
33. foretells the fasting and afflictions of the apostles after his ascension;
36. and illustrates the matter by the parable of patches.














Yet He frequently withdrew
The phrase "Yet He frequently withdrew" indicates a habitual action of Jesus. The Greek word for "withdrew" is "ὑποχωρέω" (hypochōreō), which means to retreat or go back. This suggests a deliberate and repeated action by Jesus, emphasizing the importance He placed on solitude and reflection. In the context of His ministry, which was often bustling with crowds and demands, this withdrawal signifies a conscious choice to seek solitude. Historically, this practice of retreating for prayer was common among Jewish teachers and prophets, who often sought the wilderness as a place of divine encounter and reflection.

to the wilderness
The "wilderness" in the biblical context often refers to a desolate or uninhabited area. The Greek word used here is "ἔρημος" (erēmos), which can mean a solitary, lonely, or uninhabited place. The wilderness holds significant biblical symbolism, often representing a place of testing, revelation, and divine encounter. For instance, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and it was in the wilderness that John the Baptist preached. Jesus' choice of the wilderness underscores His desire to be away from distractions, in a place where He could focus solely on communion with God. This setting also reflects the humility and simplicity of Jesus' approach to prayer and spiritual discipline.

to pray
The act of prayer is central to this verse. The Greek word for "pray" is "προσεύχομαι" (proseuchomai), which means to offer prayers or to worship. Prayer, in the life of Jesus, was not merely a ritual but a vital connection with the Father. It was through prayer that Jesus sought guidance, strength, and communion with God. This practice highlights the importance of prayer in the Christian life, serving as a model for believers to prioritize communication with God amidst life's demands. Historically, prayer was a cornerstone of Jewish religious life, and Jesus' dedication to prayer reflects His deep commitment to His relationship with the Father, setting an example for His followers to emulate.

(16) He withdrew himself into the wilderness.--Literally, into the wildernesses, agreeing with St. Mark's "in desert places," now in one part, now in another, of the unenclosed, uncultivated country. The addition that he "was praying" there is peculiar to St. Luke, who, throughout his Gospel, lays stress on this feature in our Lord's life. (See Introduction.)



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Yet
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

He
αὐτὸς (autos)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

frequently
ἦν (ēn)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

withdrew
ὑποχωρῶν (hypochōrōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5298: To withdraw, retire, go back, retreat. From hupo and choreo; to vacate down, i.e. Retire quietly.

to
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
ταῖς (tais)
Article - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wilderness
ἐρήμοις (erēmois)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2048: Lonesome, i.e. waste.

to
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

pray.
προσευχόμενος (proseuchomenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4336: To pray, pray for, offer prayer. From pros and euchomai; to pray to God, i.e. Supplicate, worship.


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NT Gospels: Luke 5:16 But he withdrew himself into the desert (Luke Lu Lk)
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