Return of the Twelve and Retirement to the East Shore of Galilee.
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(Spring, A. D. 29.)Subdivision A.
RETURN OF THE TWELVE AND RETIREMENT
TO THE EAST SHORE OF GALILEE.
a MATT. 14:13; b MARK 6:30-32; c LUKE 9:10; d JOHN 6:1.
b 30 And the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus; c when they were returned, b and they told {c declared unto} b him all things, whatsoever they had done, and whatsoever they had taught. [They had fulfilled the mission on which Jesus had sent them, and on returning each pair made to him a full report of their work.]
31 And he saith unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place [an uninhabited place], and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. [Need of rest was one reason for retiring to the thinly settled shores east of the lake. Matthew proceeds to give us another reason for his retiring.]
d 1 After these things a when Jesus heard it
[Heard about John's death. The excitement caused by this event, and the efforts to use Jesus as a leader in revolt, as indicated at the close of the last section, constituted another reason why Jesus should withdraw from the multitude], c he took them [the apostles], and withdrew a thence c apartb 32 And they went away in the {a a} boat, d to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. c to a city called Bethsaida. b to a desert place apart.
[They sailed to the northeastern shore of the lake to a plain lying near the city of Bethsaida Julius.]