John 6:5

Lifting up his eyes (epara tou opqalmou). First aorist active participle of epairw. See the same phrase in Matthew 4:35 where it is also followed by qeaomai; Matthew 11:41 ; Matthew 17:1 ; Luke 6:20 . Here it is particularly expressive as Jesus looked down from the mountain on the approaching multitude. Cometh unto him (ercetai pro auton). Present middle indicative, "is coming to him." The same oclo polu (here polu oclo) of verse Luke 2 that had followed Jesus around the head of the lake. Whence are we to buy? (Poqen agoraswmen;). Deliberative subjunctive (aorist active). John passes by the earlier teaching and healing of the Synoptics ( Mark 6:34 ; Matthew 14:14 ; Luke 9:11 ) till mid-afternoon. In John also Jesus takes up the matter of feeding the multitude with Philip (from the other Bethsaida, Luke 1:44 ) whereas in the Synoptics the disciples raise the problem with Jesus. So the disciples raise the problem in the feeding of the four thousand ( Mark 8:4 ; Matthew 15:33 ). See Numbers 11:13-22 (about Moses) and 2 Kings 4:42 . (about Elisha). Bread (artou). "Loaves" (plural) as in Matthew 4:3 . That these may eat (ina pagwsin outoi). Purpose clause with ina and the second aorist active subjunctive of esqiw (defective verb).