Luke 9:10-17 Meaning: Why Jesus Took the Apostles to a Deserted Place
10The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them and withdrew apart to a desert region of a city called Bethsaida.
11But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing.
12The day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms and lodge and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”
13But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.”
14For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15They did so, and made them all sit down.
16He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
10And the apostles, when they were 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.
11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
12And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
13But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
10And the apostles, when they were returned, declared unto him what things they had done. And he took them, and withdrew apart to a city called Bethsaida.
11But the multitudes perceiving it followed him: and he welcomed them, and spake to them of the kingdom of God, and them that had need of healing he cured.
12And the day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages and country round about, and lodge, and get provisions: for we are here in a desert place.
13But he said unto 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 food for all this people.
14For they were about five thousand men. And he said unto his disciples, Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.
15And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake; and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17And they ate, and were all filled: and there was taken up that which remained over to them of broken pieces, twelve baskets.
10And the apostles having turned back, declared to him how great things they did, and having taken them, he withdrew by himself to a desert place of a city called Bethsaida,
11and the multitudes having known did follow him, and having received them, he was speaking to them concerning the reign of God, and those having need of service he cured.
12And the day began to decline, and the twelve having come near, said to him, `Let away the multitude, that having gone to the villages and the fields round about, they may lodge and may find provision, because here we are in a desert place.'
13And he said unto them, `Give ye them to eat;' and they said, `We have no more than five loaves, and two fishes: except, having gone, we may buy for all this people victuals;'
14for they were about five thousand men. And he said unto his disciples, `Cause them to recline in companies, in each fifty;'
15and they did so, and made all to recline;
16and having taken the five loaves, and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and was giving to the disciples to set before the multitude;
17and they did eat, and were all filled, and there was taken up what was over to them of broken pieces, twelve baskets.
10And the apostles having returned related to him whatever they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart into [a desert place of] a city called Bethsaida.
11But the crowds knowing [it] followed him; and he received them and spake to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those that had need of healing.
12But the day began to decline, and the twelve came and said to him, Send away the crowd that they may go into the villages around, and [into] the fields, and lodge and find victuals, for here we are in a desert place.
13And he said to them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have not more than five loaves and two fishes, unless we should go and buy food for all this people;
14for they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down in companies by fifties.
15And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, looking up to heaven he blessed them, and broke and gave to the disciples to set before the crowd.
17And they all ate and were filled; and there was taken up of what had remained over and above to them in fragments twelve hand-baskets.
Meaning in one sentence
After the apostles returned from their mission, Jesus withdrew with them to Bethsaida for rest.
Context
Luke places this miracle just after the apostles return from their first mission. They have been preaching and healing, and Jesus wants to give them a chance to rest. He takes them to a quiet spot near Bethsaida. But the crowds find out and follow. Instead of sending them away, Jesus welcomes them. He speaks about the Kingdom of God and cures those who need healing. As evening comes, the disciples worry about food. Jesus tells them to feed the crowd themselves. What follows is a miracle that shows Jesus' authority over creation and his deep care for people. This story is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels, which tells us how important it is.
Key Words
The story begins with the apostles returning and telling Jesus all they had done. The Greek verb here, diēgēsanto, means to relate something thoroughly, to unfold a story from beginning to end. They held nothing back. Then Jesus welcomed the crowd, a word, apodexamenos, that means to receive gladly, even enthusiastically. He did not see them as an interruption. And when everyone had eaten, they were filled, echortasthēsan, which in the original pictures animals being fed until they are satisfied. Not a scrap left wanting. These words show us the flow of this day: honest sharing, open welcome, and generous provision.
How Christians Read This Verse
Anglican commentators like the Cambridge Bible note that this miracle is the only one recorded by all four Evangelists, underlining its importance. Baptist expositor John Gill sees Jesus' command “Give ye them to eat” as a test of the disciples’ faith. Wesleyan scholar Adam Clarke highlights the five effects of divine grace: the people follow, Jesus receives, he instructs, he heals, and he feeds. Reformed commentator Matthew Henry emphasizes Jesus’ compassion in not sending the crowd away hungry. Across traditions, readers agree that this story shows Jesus caring for both spiritual and physical needs, and that he takes our small offerings and uses them for his purposes.
A common misunderstanding
Some read Jesus’ words to the disciples, “You give them something to eat,” as a harsh rebuke. In fact, he was drawing them into the work. He could have fed the crowd without them, but he chose to use their hands. The same is true now: Jesus takes what little we have, blesses it, and uses us to distribute his provision.
Living This Out
This week, you may face a situation where you feel you have little to offer, a strained relationship, a friend in crisis, a task beyond your energy. Jesus says to you, as he did to the disciples, “You give them something to eat.” He is not mocking you. He is inviting you to hand over what you have. Bring it to him. Ask him to bless it. Then start passing it out. You may find that it lasts longer than you expected, and there may even be leftovers.
Main takeaway: Jesus takes our small offerings, blesses them, and uses them to satisfy far more people than we can see.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus and his friends were tired. They wanted to rest. But many people came. Jesus helped them. He gave them food to eat. A little food became enough for everyone. Jesus cares about us when we are tired and when we are hungry.
For ages 9, 12
Jesus knew his disciples needed a break after their first mission. But the crowd followed. Jesus did not turn them away. He taught and healed them. Then the disciples worried there was not enough food. Jesus told them to give what they had. He took five rolls and two fish, thanked God, broke them, and gave them out. Everyone ate until full. There were twelve baskets left over. This shows that when we give Jesus what little we have, he can do amazing things with it.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus take the apostles to a deserted place?
Jesus wanted to give the apostles rest after their mission. They had been busy preaching and healing. He also wanted time alone with them. But the crowd found them anyway, and Jesus responded with compassion.
What does the feeding of the five thousand teach us about Jesus?
It shows his divine power over creation, his compassion for people's physical needs, and his desire to include his followers in his work. He took a small gift and multiplied it far beyond what anyone expected.
Why were there twelve baskets of leftovers?
The number twelve often reminds us of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. It shows that Jesus provides abundantly, not just enough. There was more left over than what they started with, which points to the generosity of God's kingdom.
Is this miracle connected to the Eucharist?
Many Christians have noted the similarity between Jesus' actions here, taking, blessing, breaking, giving, and his actions at the Last Supper. Some see it as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist. Others focus on the miracle itself as a sign of Jesus' identity and care.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study