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Luke 9:12
ESV Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.”
NIV Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, 'Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.'
NASB Now the day was ending, and the twelve came up and said to Him, 'Dismiss the crowd, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; because here, we are in a secluded place.'
CSB Late in the day, the Twelve approached and said to him, "Send the crowd away, so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here."
NLT Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, 'Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.'
KJV And 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.

What does Luke 9:12 mean?

Jesus suggested a restful retreat for the disciples after their first evangelistic tour without Him (Mark 6:30-31). That idea is undone when a great crowd sees them enter the boat. The group runs so fast they beat the boat to its destination. Jesus has compassion for the people, "because they [are] like sheep without a shepherd" (Mark 6:34), so He welcomes them, healing many and teaching them about God's kingdom (Luke 9:11). With evening coming, the people are getting hungry, so Jesus tests the disciples.

What will the disciples do? There are five thousand men, plus women and children (Matthew 14:21). Some of the disciples saw Jesus fill Andrew and Peter's fishing nets to overflowing (Luke 5:1–7). They have seen their own needs met while traveling to teach about the kingdom (Luke 9:1–6). This is an opportunity to transfer that experience to a new situation. They will not do that here, however, not when there is a more practical solution available.

In John's account, Jesus initiates the conversation. That slight difference is still consistent with the other three Gospels. It may be the disciples are discussing the situation, with people talking over one other, and none of the writers recorded the entire conversation. John emphasizes that Jesus knew what He was going to do but gave the disciples an opportunity to work through the issue (John 6:5–6), a point Luke infers as well (Luke 9:13).

How far are they from food? In the feeding of the four thousand, the crowd has been with Jesus for three days, and He does not want to send them away lest they faint. The disciples point out that the area is too uninhabited for anyone to find food (Mark 8:2–4). Here, whether because the crowd has been with them for less than a day or because they are close to Bethsaida and the surrounding farms, the disciples believe there is enough food nearby.

Some critics believe the feeding of the five thousand and feeding of the four thousand are two accounts of the same event. The text doesn't support this; the four accounts of the feeding of the five thousand are too exact, and the feeding of the four thousand has different details.

The feeding of the five thousand occurs outside of Bethsaida on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee. The people are largely Jews from Galilee and Bethsaida. The boy offers five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:9). When the people have eaten, the disciples pick up twelve baskets of leftovers (Luke 9:17). After the meal, the disciples take the boat, intending to return to Capernaum (John 6:16–17). They row through a storm at night while Jesus goes to the mountain to pray, then catches up with them by walking on water (Mark 6:45–52).

Matthew 15:32–39 and Mark 8:1–10 record the feeding of the four thousand. This second event occurs in Decapolis, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 7:31) where Jesus had told the man with a legion of demons to spread the news of how God had rescued him (Luke 8:26–39). The people in the crowd are mostly Gentiles. The disciples have seven loaves of bread and a few small fish (Matthew 15:34). When everyone has eaten, the disciples collect seven baskets of leftovers (Matthew 15:37).
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