Matthew 14:23
in Matthew 14After He had sent them away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when even was come, he was there alone.
KJV
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
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This verse in Matthew 14
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThat He withdraws to pray alone, you should refer not to Him who fed five thousand on five loaves, but to Him who on hearing of the death of John withdrew into the desert; not that we would separate the Lord's person into two parts, but that His actions are divided between the God and the man. Also He ascends into the mountain alone because the multitude cannot follow Him aloft, until He has instructed it by the shore of the sea.
This site's exposition
constrained his disciples
on Matthew 14:22-23
Jesus straightway constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and John 6:15 explains the urgency Matthew leaves unstated here, the crowd meant to come and take him by force to make him a king, a popular acclaim built on bread rather than on who he was that he had to break up immediately. He went up into a mountain apart to pray, alone at last after a day that began in grief and ended in a miracle, the bench reading his need for solitary prayer as no mere example for disciples but as his own regular practice under the weight of public demand.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And when he had sent the multitudes away,.... Had ordered them at least to go away; for, it seems, according to Joh 6:22 that they did not in general disperse: there was a large body of them that continued upon the spot all night, expecting his return; in which being disappointed, they took shipping, and came to Capernaum. He went up into a mountain apart to pray; perhaps the same he went up to before, and from whence he came down, Joh 6:
That he was alone at prayer; that was his business in this solitude, to pray. Though Christ, as God, was Lord of all, and was prayed to, yet Christ, as Man, had the form of a servant, of a beggar, and prayed. Christ has herein set before us an example of secret prayer, and the performance of it secretly, according to the rule he gave, ch. vi.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
He went up into a mountain apart, to pray - He whom God has employed in a work of mercy had need to return, by prayer, as speedily, to his Maker, as he can, lest he should be tempted to value himself on account of that in which he has no merit - for the good that is done upon earth, the Lord doth it alone. Some make this part of our Lord’s conduct emblematic of the spirit and practice of prayer, and observe that the proper dispositions and circumstances for praying well are: 1. Retirement from the world.
on Matthew 14:22-36
The history contained in these verses is one of singular interest. The miracle here recorded brings out in strong light the character both of Christ and his people. The power and mercy of the Lord Jesus, and the mixture of faith and unbelief in his best disciples, are beautifully illustrated. We learn in the first place, from this miracle what absolute dominion our Saviour has over all created things. We see him “walking on the sea,” as if it was dry land.
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀπολύσας | apolusas | having dismissed | G630 → | 63 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄχλους | ochlous | crowds | G3793 → | 175 times |
| ἀνέβη | anebe | He went up | G305 → | 82 times |
| εἰς | eis | on | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄρος | oros | mountain | G3735 → | 62 times |
| κατ᾽ | kat᾽ | on | G2596 → | 468 times |
| ἰδίαν | idian | [his] own | G2398 → | 114 times |
| προσεύξασθαι.¶ | proseuxasthai | to pray. | G4336 → | 85 times |
| Ὀψίας | opsias | Evening | G3798 → | 15 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| γενομένης | genomenes | having arrived | G1096 → | 667 times |
| μόνος | monos | alone | G3441 → | 110 times |
| ἦν | en | He was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐκεῖ. | ekei | there. | G1563 → | 105 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀπολύσαςhaving dismissed
apolusasG630 →63 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ὄχλουςcrowds
ochlousG3793 →175 times
ἀνέβηHe went up
anebeG305 →82 times
εἰςon
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὄροςmountain
orosG3735 →62 times
κατ᾽on
kat᾽G2596 →468 times
ἰδίαν[his] own
idianG2398 →114 times
προσεύξασθαι.¶to pray.
proseuxasthaiG4336 →85 times
ὈψίαςEvening
opsiasG3798 →15 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
γενομένηςhaving arrived
genomenesG1096 →667 times
μόνοςalone
monosG3441 →110 times
ἦνHe was
enG1510 →2333 times
ἐκεῖ.there.
ekeiG1563 →105 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 6:6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 4:33
So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
- Isaiah 65:24
Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
- Psalms 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- Acts 9:40
Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
- Isaiah 26:20
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.
- 2 Kings 4:33
Through
Luke 6:12In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.
it leads to
- Mark 1:35
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His…
- Mark 1:35
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Matthew
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.