Luke 9:12

12 And when the day began to decline, then came the twelve, and said to him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country around, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

Luke 9:12 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 9:12

When the day began to wear away
Or "to decline", as the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions; or "to incline", as the Syriac; that is, as the Ethiopic version renders it, "when the sun was declining" towards the "horizon" and was almost set; or "when the evening time was come", as the Persic version:

then came the twelve;
that is, "the disciples", as the Persic version; or "his disciples", as the Syriac: and

said unto him, send the multitude away, that they may go into the
towns and country round about;
the place where they were, round about the city of Bethsaida, the several adjacent houses in the fields, villages, towns, and cities:

and lodge, and get victuals;
where they might have lodging for that night, it being too far for them to reach their habitations that evening; and also that they might provide themselves with proper and sufficient food, which was not to be had in the place where they were:

for we are here in a desert place;
which afforded no conveniency for lodging, nor any supply of food.

Luke 9:12 In-Context

10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place, belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

11 And the people, when they knew [it], followed him: and he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

12 And when the day began to decline, then came the twelve, and said to him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country around, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

13 But he said to them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy provisions for all this people.

14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.