John 6:17 kjv
And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
John 6:17 nkjv
got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
John 6:17 niv
where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.
John 6:17 esv
got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
John 6:17 nlt
But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum.
John 6 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 14:22-23 | Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat... when he had dismissed... he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. | Jesus deliberately sends them off alone to pray. |
| Mark 6:45-47 | Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat... and go ahead to Bethsaida... while he dismissed... It was already late... and he was alone. | Parallel account of disciples sailing without Jesus. |
| John 1:5 | The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. | Theological theme of light overcoming darkness. |
| John 3:19 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light. | Humanity's preference for darkness. |
| 1 John 1:5 | God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. | Nature of God as pure light. |
| Eph 5:8 | For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. | Call to live as children of light, departing darkness. |
| Is 9:2 | The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. | Prophecy of the Messiah bringing light. |
| Ps 107:23-30 | Some went down to the sea in ships... they mounted up to heaven; they went down again... they cried to the Lord in their trouble... he brought them out. | God's sovereignty over seas and rescue in distress. |
| Matt 8:23-27 | And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm... He said to them, “Why are you so afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds. | Jesus calming a storm with his physical presence. |
| Mark 4:35-41 | On that day, when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.”... a great storm of wind arose... he woke them and said, "Teacher, do you not care...?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind. | Similar scenario of storm and Jesus' authority. |
| Lk 8:22-25 | One day he got into a boat... a gale swept down... And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he rose and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. | Luke's account of Jesus calming the storm. |
| Ps 69:1-2 | Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck... I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. | Metaphorical deep waters representing distress. |
| Heb 11:6 | And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. | Importance of faith, especially during trials. |
| 2 Cor 5:7 | For we walk by faith, not by sight. | Relying on faith beyond physical perception. |
| James 1:2-4 | Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds... for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. | Perseverance through trials for spiritual growth. |
| Matt 28:20 | Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. | Christ's perpetual spiritual presence with His disciples. |
| Ps 139:7-12 | Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?... If I take the wings of the morning... even there your hand shall lead me. | God's omnipresence, no escaping His presence. |
| Is 43:2 | When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. | God's promise of presence through difficult "waters." |
| John 2:12 | After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. | Capernaum as Jesus' base of operations. |
| Matt 4:13 | And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. | Jesus making Capernaum his home in Galilee. |
| John 16:22 | So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. | Jesus' promise of future reunion after His absence. |
| John 14:18 | “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” | Jesus' promise not to abandon His disciples. |
| Luke 4:31 | And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath. | Jesus' teaching ministry in Capernaum. |
| Zech 14:7 | And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. | Prophecy of divine intervention and light at evening. |
| Gen 1:2-3 | The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. | Primordial darkness and God's sovereign command. |
John 6 verses
John 6 17 Meaning
John 6:17 describes the disciples' journey across the Sea of Galilee towards Capernaum during evening. The significant detail is that darkness had already fallen, and Jesus was not physically present with them. This verse establishes the setting for the subsequent miracle of Jesus walking on water, emphasizing a time of physical peril (darkness on the open sea, often prone to sudden storms) and apparent divine absence, which highlights the profound need for Christ's intervention.
John 6 17 Context
This verse immediately follows the miraculous feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-15). After the crowd attempted to make Jesus king by force, Jesus intentionally withdrew to a mountain by Himself to pray, sending His disciples ahead by boat. John 6:17 sets the stage for the dramatic event of Jesus walking on the water, highlighting the circumstances the disciples faced: they were in the middle of a perilous journey, under cover of darkness, and critically, without the visible presence of their Lord. Historically, the Sea of Galilee was notorious for sudden, violent storms due to winds funneling through the surrounding hills. This detail underscores the vulnerability and potential danger the disciples were in.
John 6 17 Word analysis
- and going aboard (καὶ ἀναβάντες, kai anabantes): "And having gone up into." Implies the act of boarding a vessel. The prefix ana- often indicates movement upwards, fitting for getting into a boat. It is a straightforward description of their action, following Jesus' command.
- a boat (εἰς πλοῖον, eis ploion): A small fishing vessel typical for the Sea of Galilee. These boats were often small, exposing occupants to the elements.
- they started across (ἤρχοντο πέραν, ērchonto peran): Imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing action – they were going across. This implies the journey was already underway, they were committed to the crossing, not just about to depart. Peran means "to the other side."
- the sea (τῆς θαλάσσης, tēs thalassēs): Specifically, the Sea of Galilee, a significant body of water in Jesus' ministry. In biblical imagery, "sea" can often represent chaos, distress, or unknown danger, making Jesus' dominion over it profound.
- to Capernaum (εἰς Καπερναούμ, eis Kapharnaoum): This was Jesus' adopted home in Galilee, a focal point for much of His teaching and healing ministry (Mk 2:1, Mt 4:13). Their destination anchors the scene to a known geographical location within Jesus' area of influence.
- It was now dark (σκοτία ἐγεγόνει, skotia egegōnei): Pluperfect tense, meaning "darkness had already come into being" or "it had become dark." This detail is crucial. Natural darkness increases physical danger on the water, but in John's Gospel, "darkness" also carries profound theological significance, often symbolizing spiritual ignorance, opposition to God, or absence of divine truth/light (Jn 1:5; 3:19). The disciples were in a place of both physical and potentially spiritual "darkness."
- and Jesus had not yet come to them (καὶ οὔπω ἐληλύθει πρὸς αὐτούς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, kai oupō elēlythei pros autous ho Iēsous): The phrase oupō ("not yet") emphasizes His continuing absence. The pluperfect tense of elēlythei ("He had come") highlights that up to that point, He remained absent. This is the central tension of the verse. Jesus' physical absence is deliberately orchestrated to highlight a lesson in divine presence and reliance, leading to His miraculous appearance. This sets up a profound contrast with "light" (Jesus) not yet being in "darkness."
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "and going aboard a boat, they started across the sea to Capernaum." This phrase describes the disciples' obedience to Jesus' command (implicitly given from parallel accounts) and their physical action. It sets the geographical scene for the next phase of the narrative, moving them from the immediate vicinity of the fed multitudes.
- "It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them." This second part introduces the two critical conditions of the narrative: physical darkness and the deliberate, prolonged absence of Jesus. These conditions create tension and highlight the disciples' vulnerability. The physical darkness parallels the "spiritual" darkness often described in John, which only Jesus, as the Light of the World, can dispel. His absence creates the scenario for His supernatural arrival and demonstrates His divine power to be with them in unforeseen ways. It's a test of faith and dependence.
John 6 17 Bonus section
This verse uniquely frames the disciples' journey in terms of Christ's physical absence during the dark hours, intensifying the anticipation for the subsequent miraculous walking on water, a detail often underscored in scholarly discourse. While Matthew and Mark include the detail of the storm, John foregrounds the darkness and Jesus' specific absence, adding a symbolic layer that speaks to the deeper theological implications of light and darkness, a pervasive theme in his Gospel (e.g., John 1:4-9; 8:12; 12:46). The Greek word for "dark" (σκοτία, skotia) chosen by John reinforces this symbolism, as opposed to simply referring to night (νύξ, nyx), thereby enriching the spiritual significance of the context. This setup also highlights the "delay" of Jesus, a common motif in Scripture (e.g., Lazarus' death), where divine timing is critical for demonstrating greater glory or a deeper lesson. It's a pedagogical moment designed to refine the disciples' understanding of Jesus not merely as a prophet or king, but as the transcendent Son of God, truly in control over creation, even when seemingly distant.
John 6 17 Commentary
John 6:17 is a succinct yet profoundly significant verse that establishes the immediate crisis the disciples faced after the feeding of the five thousand. By stating "It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them," John masterfully crafts a scene of increasing physical vulnerability and apparent spiritual void. The literal darkness of night on the open, storm-prone Sea of Galilee parallels a theological darkness, emphasizing human limitations and the need for divine intervention. Jesus' deliberate absence is not a neglect, but a prelude to revealing His full identity and power as Lord over creation and provider in the most dire circumstances. This verse underscores the teaching that when human resources and visible divine presence seem exhausted, Christ’s true nature and miraculous care are about to be manifested, reinforcing the theme of faith over sight. The verse encapsulates a common spiritual journey where followers of Christ often experience periods of "darkness" or perceived "absence," which are designed by God to draw them into deeper reliance on Him.