John Gill

And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

“When they were filled,.... Had not only eaten, but had made a full meal, and were thoroughly satisfied, having eaten as much as they could, or chose to eat: he said unto his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost; this…”

So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

“Therefore they gathered them together,.... The several broken bits of bread, which lay about upon the grass, which the people had left, after they had been sufficiently refreshed: and filled twelve baskets; every disciple had a basket filled: with the fragments of the five barley…”

When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

“And when even was now come,.... The last of the evenings, when night was coming on; for the first of the evenings took place before they sat down to eat, when the above miracle was wrought; see Mat 14:15.”

A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.

“And the sea arose,.... Swelled, and was tumultuous and raging; the waves mounted up, and tossed the ship to and fro: by reason of a great wind that blew; which agitated the waters of the sea, and lifted up the waves; which storm seems to…”

Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

“Then they willingly received him into the ship,.... When they knew who he was; and especially he was the more welcome, as they were in distress; and he able, as they well knew, to help them: and immediately the ship was at the land whither…”

Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”

“Then said they unto him,.... Understanding by what he said, that they must labour and work, though not for perishing food, yet for durable food; and as they imagined, in order to obtain eternal life by working: what shall we do that we might work…”

So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?

“They said therefore unto him,.... Seeing he proposed believing in him as the grand work of God to be done, and what is most acceptable in his sight: what sign showest thou then, that we may see and believe thee?”

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

“For I came down from heaven,.... by change of place, or local motion; for Christ is the immense, infinite, and omnipresent God, and cannot be said properly to move from place to place; for he fills all places, even heaven and earth, with his presence…”

For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last…

“And this is the will of him that sent me,.... The Vulgate Latin adds, "of my Father"; and all the Oriental versions read only, "and this is the will of my Father"; this is his declared, his revealed will in the Gospel, which the sons…”

“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied.

“Jesus therefore answered and said unto them,.... Either overhearing what they said, or knowing, as God, their secret murmurs, and private cavils among themselves, thus addressed them, murmur not among yourselves: meaning neither about his descent from heaven, nor about coming to him, and believing…”

Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.

“Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness,.... All the while they were in the wilderness, for the space of forty years, till they came to the borders of the land of Canaan; this was their only food on which they lived, during their travels…”

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.

“Then Jesus said unto them,.... The Jews, who were litigating this point among themselves: verily, verily, I say unto you; or you may assure yourselves of the truth of what follows, except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood…”

Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

“These things said he in the synagogue,.... Openly and publicly, in the place of divine worship, where the Jews resorted for that purpose: as he taught in Capernaum; his own city, and where there was a synagogue, into which he often went and taught his…”

Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”

“And he said, therefore said I unto you,.... Referring to Joh 6:44, where the substance of what is here said, is there delivered; though the Ethiopic version reads, therefore I say unto you, what follows: that no man can come to me, except it be…”

Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”

“Jesus answered them,.... The disciples, taking Peter's answer to his question, as delivered in the name of them all, and as expressing their mind and sense: have not I chosen you twelve; not to grace and glory, to holiness and happiness; though this was true…”

He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus.

“He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon,.... These are the words of the evangelist, pointing out the person Christ intended, lest any other should be suspected: for he it was that should betray him: as it was determined and foretold, and which Christ…”

However, the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.

“Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. Which began on the fifteenth day of the month Tisri, which answers to part of our September; when the Jews erected tents or booths, in which they dwelt, and ate their meals during this festival; and…”

So Jesus’ brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples there may see the works You are doing.

“That is, the brethren of Jesus, as the Syriac and Persic versions express it; who were not James and Joses, and Simon and Judas, the sons of Alphaeus, the brother of Joseph, the husband of Mary, so called, Mat 13:55, for some of these were…”

So the Jews were looking for Him at the feast and asking, “Where is He?”

“Then the Jews sought him at the feast,.... Some to take him and kill him, and others to hear his doctrine, and see his miracles: for all expected him at the feast, knowing it was always his custom, as it was his duty, as an…”

Yet no one would speak publicly about Him for fear of the Jews.

“Howbeit, no man spoke openly of him,.... So loud as to be overheard, at least by many, but in a secret and whispering way; or did not speak with freedom, or all their mind, what they really thought of him, nor with courage and boldness…”

Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”

“Judge not according to the appearance,.... Or through respect of persons, and so as to please men, the Scribes and Pharisees; who had condemned the action of Christ, in curing the diseased man on the sabbath day, and sought to kill him for it: but…”

Yet here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying anything to Him. Have the rulers truly recognized that this is the Christ?

“But lo, he speaketh boldly,.... And with great freedom, and openly and publicly in the temple, as if he had a licence from the chief priests for so doing: and they say nothing to him; do not contradict him, or forbid him speaking; he goes…”

On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

“In the last day, that great day of the feast,.... That is, of tabernacles, as appears from Joh 7:2, which was usually called חג, "the feast", in distinction from the passover and Pentecost (q); and the eighth day of it was called הרגל האחרון, "the…”

He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.

“But this spake he of the Spirit,.... These are the words of the evangelist, explaining the figurative expressions of Christ; showing, that by rivers of living water, he meant the Spirit in his gifts and graces; and which is the plain sense of the passages…”

Others declared, “This is the Christ.” But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee?

“Others said, this is the Christ,.... The true Messiah, which they concluded, not only from the miracles, Joh 7:31, but from his speaking of rivers of living water flowing from him that believes in him; for the same prophecy that speaks of miracles to be…”