When Jesus then lift up [his] eyes
Being before engaged in close conversation with his disciples, and looking wistly and intently on them, whilst he was discoursing with them:
and saw a great company come unto him;
who came on foot, over the bridge at Chammath, from Capernaum, and other cities of Galilee:
he saith unto Philip;
he directed his discourse to him particularly, because he was of Bethsaida, near to which place Christ now was, and therefore might be best able to answer the following question:
whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
This, according to the other evangelists, must be said after Christ came from the mountain, and the people were come to him, and he had received them kindly, and had instructed them about the kingdom of God, and had healed the diseased among them, and expressed great compassion for them; and after the disciples had desired him to dismiss them, that they might go to the adjacent towns, and provide food for themselves; which Christ would not admit of and declared it unnecessary, and then put this question, with the following view.