Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

John 6:22,23

John 6:22-24 form one sentence, in which John describes the observations made by the crowd the following morning and their consequent action. The observations they made are described under ἰδών, which never finds its verb, but is resumed in ὅτε οὖν εἴδεν of John 6:24; and their consequent action is described in the main verbs of the sentence ἐμέβησαν (John 6:24) καὶ ᾖλθον. With the unconscious but accurate observation of a fishing population in such matters, the crowd had noticed that there was only one boat lying on the beach at that point, and further that the disciples had gone away in it and had not taken Jesus with them. But in the morning, having presumably passed the night in the open air, and having gathered at the lake-side below the scene of the miracle, they found that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there. Apparently they expected that the disciples would have returned for Jesus, and that they might find both Him and them on the shore. Disappointed in this expectation, and concluding that Jesus had returned by land as He had come, or had left in one of the Tiberias boats, they themselves entered the boats from Tiberias, which had been driven ashore by the gale of the previous night, and crossed to Capernaum. This account of the movements and motives of the crowd seems to give each expression its proper force. The fact parenthetically introduced, John 6:23, that boats from Tiberias had put in on the east shore, is an incidental confirmation of the truth that a gale had been blowing the night before. What portion of the belated crowd went back to Capernaum in these Tiberias boats we do not know. εὑρόντες αὐτὸν πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης, having found Him on the other side of the lake, that is, on the Capernaum side, εἶπον … γέγονας, “they said to Him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?” “Quaestio de tempore includit quaestionem de modo” (Bengel). For this use of γέγονας cf. John 6:19; and Cebes, Tabula, πρὸς τὸν ἰατρὸν γινόμενος, and Lucian, Asinus, ἐπεὶ δὲ πλησίον τῆς πόλεως ἐγεγόνειμεν (Kypke). They came seeking Him, but were surprised to find Him. To their question Jesus makes no direct reply. He does not tell them of His walking on the water.

In John 6:26-65 we have the conversation arising out of the miracle. The first break in it is at John 6:41. From John 6:26-40 Jesus explains that He is the Bread of Life.

Continues after advertising

BibliaPlus

Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

John 6:22,23

Old Testament

New Testament