John 6:17
Context6:17 got into a boat, and started to cross the lake 1 to Capernaum. 2 (It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.) 3
John 6:19
Context6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, 4 they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, 5 approaching the boat, and they were frightened.
John 6:25
Context6:25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, 6 they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 7
1 tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in the previous verse.
2 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
3 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
4 tn Grk “about twenty-five or thirty stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).
sn About three or four miles. The Sea of Galilee was at its widest point 7 mi (11.6 km) by 12 mi (20 km). So at this point the disciples were in about the middle of the lake.
5 tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16. John uses the phrase ἐπί (epi, “on”) followed by the genitive (as in Mark, instead of Matthew’s ἐπί followed by the accusative) to describe Jesus walking “on the lake.”
6 tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.
7 sn John 6:25-31. The previous miracle of the multiplication of the bread had taken place near the town of Tiberias (cf. John 6:23). Jesus’ disciples set sail for Capernaum (6:17) and were joined by the Lord in the middle of the sea. The next day boats from Tiberias picked up a few of those who had seen the multiplication (certainly not the whole 5,000) and brought them to Capernaum. It was to this group that Jesus spoke in 6:26-27. But there were also people from Capernaum who had gathered to see Jesus, who had not witnessed the multiplication, and it was this group that asked Jesus for a miraculous sign like the manna (6:30-31). This would have seemed superfluous if it were the same crowd that had already seen the multiplication of the bread. But some from Capernaum had heard about it and wanted to see a similar miracle repeated.