Bible Strands
John 6:4
Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator places the event in time as Jesus sits with His disciples on the mountain, immediately before He turns to the approaching crowd and Philip. The verse itself simply marks the calendar moment without introducing dialogue or action.
The words — The Greek phrase ἐγγὺς ἦν (engus ēn) literally means "was near," denoting the approaching temporal boundary of the Jewish feast. This phrasing establishes chronological proximity rather than ritual instruction.
The thread — The text notes this same temporal marker in John 2:13 and John 11:55, while the supplied Exodus 12:6 reference ties the timing to the prescribed slaughter period. The verse functions as a chronological anchor across the narrative.
Why it lands — The reader must acknowledge the appointed religious calendar that frames the subsequent miracle. The text demands attention to how the narrative sequence aligns with established ritual timing before any theological deduction.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
Cross-references
- John 2:13 When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
- John 11:55 Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.
- Exodus 12:6 You must keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.
- Deuteronomy 16:1 Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.
- John 5:1 Some time later there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
- Leviticus 23:5 The Passover to the LORD begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.
- Leviticus 23:7 On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any regular work.
- John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
- John 13:1 It was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end.