After these things, ‘ISA1 went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick. 3‘ISA went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5‘ISA therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” 6This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
7Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone of them may receive a little.”
8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?”
10‘ISA said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11‘ISA took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired. 12When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. 14When therefore the people saw the sign which ‘ISA did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” 15‘ISA therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17and they entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and ‘ISA had not come to them. 18The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing. 19When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia2, they saw ‘ISA walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid. 20But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” 21They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
22On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that ‘ISA hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone. 23However boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24When the multitude therefore saw that ‘ISA wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking ‘ISA. 25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
26‘ISA answered them, “Most assuredly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the SON OF MAN3 will give to you. For God4 the Father has sealed him.”
28They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29‘ISA answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
30They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written,
‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’ 5 “
32‘ISA therefore said to them, “Most assuredly, I tell you, it wasn’t Musa who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”
34They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
35‘ISA said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you do not believe. 37All those who the Father gives me will come to me. Him who comes to me I will never throw out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. 40This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
41The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” 42They said, “Isn’t this ‘Isa Ibn Yusuf, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?'”
43Therefore ‘ISA answered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets,
‘They will all be taught by GOD.’ 6
“Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. 47Most assuredly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53‘ISA therefore said to them, “Most assuredly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the SON OF MAN and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live because of me. 58This is the bread which came down out of heaven– not as our fathers ate the manna, and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59These things he said in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?”
61But ‘ISA knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62Then what if you would see the SON OF MAN ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” For ‘ISA knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him. 65He said, “For this reason have I said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”
66At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67‘ISA said therefore to the twelve, “Are you going to leave too?”
68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are AL-MASIH7, SON OF THE LIVING GOD.”
70‘ISA answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71Now he spoke of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve.
- 6:1 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 6:19 25 to 30 stadia is about 5 to 6 kilometers or about 3 to 4 miles. ↩︎
- 6:27 SON OF MAN, a title for the Messiah, ‘ISA AL-MASIH, derived from the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like a SON OF MAN coming with the clouds of the sky, and he came to the ANCIENT OF DAYS, and they brought him near before him. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” The title SON OF MAN was Prophet ‘ISA Ibn Maryam’s most common way of referring to himself. ↩︎
- 6:27 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 6:31 Quoting the Zabur 78:24 which says, “He rained down manna on them to eat, He gave them bread out of heaven.” ↩︎
- 6:45 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 54:13 which says, “Your children will all be taught by YAHWEH; and great shall be the peace of your children.” ↩︎
- 6:69 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎