John 6:5

When Jesus then, &c. Better, Jesus therefore having lifted up His eyes and seen that a great multitude cometh.

he saith unto Philip Why Philip? Because he was nearest to Him; or because his forward spirit (John 14:8) needed to be convinced of its own helplessness; or because, as living on the lake (John 1:44) he would know the neighbourhood. Any or all of these suggestions may be correct. As Judas kept the bag it is not likely that Philip commonly provided food for the party. A more important question remains: "we notice that the impulse to the performance of the miracle comes in the Synoptists from the disciples; in S. John, solely from our Lord Himself." This is difference, but not contradiction: S. John's narrative does not preclude the possibility of the disciples having spontaneously applied to Christ for help either before or after this conversation with Philip. "For the rest the superiority in distinctness and precision is all on the side of S. John. He knows to whom the question was put; he knows exactly what Philip answered; and again the remark of Andrew, Simon Peter's brother … Some memories are essentially pictorial; and the Apostle's appears to have been one of these. It is wonderful with what precision every stroke is thrown in. Most minds would have become confused in reproducing events which had occurred so long ago; but there is no confusion here. The whole scene could be transferred to canvas without any difficulty." S. pp. 121 123.

Whence shall we buy Or, whence must we buy; the deliberative subjunctive.