He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.
Parallel Translations
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He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.
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And he commaunded them to make them all syt doune by companyes apon the grene grasse.
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So he commanded them to make them all sit downe by companies vpon the greene grasse.
Cross-references (5)
Passages linked to Mark 6:39 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Matthew 15:35 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;
- 1 Corinthians 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.
- 1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
- 1 Kings 10:5 the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to Yahweh’s house; there was no more spirit in her.
- Esther 1:5-6 When these days were fulfilled, the king made a seven day feast for all the people who were present in Susa the palace, both great and small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. There were hangings of white and blue material, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and marble pillars. The couches were of gold and silver, on a pavement of red, white, yellow, and black marble.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (8 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Word for word, by banquets, after the manner of…
Word for word, by banquets, after the manner of the Hebrews, who have no distributives, as Mark 6:7. Now he calleth the rows of the sitters, banquets.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 39 And he commanded them to make all sit…
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
Ver. 39. {See Trapp on "Mat 14:17"} {See Trapp on "Joh 6:8"} {See Trapp on "Joh 6:9"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he commanded them to make all sit down,....…
And he commanded them to make all sit down,.... Christ ordered his disciples, without any more ado, to cause the whole multitude, men, women, and children, to sit, or lie down, as they used to do at table when about to take a meal: and as they had no table before them, nor beds, or couches to sit, or lie down upon, he directed them to place them
by companies upon the green grass; that there might be some order among them, as at a meal; and that their number might be the more easily known; and that all of them might more plainly see the miracle that was to be wrought: and the provision be more orderly distributed to them.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 39. by companies] Literally, drinking parties. The word alludes…
39. by companies] Literally, drinking parties. The word alludes to an orderly social grouping, catervatim. The words are repeated by a Hebraism in the original, like the “two and two” of Mar_6:7.
upon the green grass] St Mark alone mentions the green grass, “still fresh in the spring of the year, before it had faded away in the summer sun.” It was the season of the Passover, corresponding to our March or April, hence there was “much grass in the place;” comp. Joh_6:10.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (39) By companies.—The Greek expresses the distributive force of…
(39) By companies.—The Greek expresses the distributive force of the English by simple repetition, “companies and companies.” The “green grass” may be noted as an example of St. Mark’s vividness, and serves as an indirect note of time pointing to the same season as that specified by St. John, sc., a little before the Passover. (Comp. Joh_6:10.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain All were to sit down by companies (sumposia sumposia)…
All were to sit down by companies (sumposia sumposia) St. Luke (Luk_9:14) says that the companies were about fifty each (ana penthkonta)upon the green grass. St. John says (Joh_6:10) that "there was much grass in the place." This indicates the time of the year. The grass was growing, and it was green. It would not be green in that district after April. Thus St. Mark"s account of the state of the grass at that time (an account evidently repeated from an eye-witness) coincides with the account of St. John, who says that "the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was at hand". (Joh_6:4)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain The feeding:
The feeding:
v. 39. And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
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v 40. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.
v. 41. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He Looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all.
v. 42. And. they did. all eat and were filled.
v. 43. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
v. 44. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Nothing could be more expressive than the contrast afforded here between the helpless puttering of the disciples and the cool, majestic bearing of Christ in taking charge of the situation. He had the disciples give orders that all should recline on the grass in orderly groups, for just at this place there was a meadow near the shore of the lake. And they sat down in groups as in garden squares, as orderly as Rowers planted in rows a fine bit of vivid description. Then Jesus, taking the five loaves and the two fishes, and having looked up to heaven, spoke the blessing upon the food. Note: He broke the bread and passed it on for distribution; He divided the fishes and had them taken to all in a similar way; under His hands the amount of food grew. The miracle is mentioned by all four evangelists, and was one that could not be counterfeited, a secret supply being out of the question. It is a full proof for the divinity of Christ. All ate, and all had enough to eat. And not only that: when the fragments were gathered into the large carrying baskets used by the people of Palestine, twelve of these were filled. And the number of those that had eaten is expressly stated, it being so easy to count them as they sat in groups: five thousand men, without women and children.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 green grass
green grass
Describe the grass with the color word used in your language for healthy grass, which may or may not be the color green.
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groups of hundreds and fifties
This refers to the number of people in each of the groups. AT: "about fifty people in some groups and about a hundred people in other groups" (See: Numbers and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
looking up to heaven
This means that he looked up toward the sky, which is associated with the place where God lives.
he blessed
"he spoke a blessing" or "he gave thanks"
He also divided the two fish among them all
"he divided the two fish so that everyone could have some"
translationWords
command
heaven
disciple
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.