Matthew 14:23

After He had dismissed them, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrative describes Jesus’ actions after He sends the disciples into a boat and dismisses the crowds (Matt 14:22). He retreats alone to a mountain to pray as evening approaches.

The words — ἀπολῦσας (apolysas) means "having dismissed," and ἀνέβη (anebē) means "He went up." These verbs mark a deliberate sequence of withdrawal from public ministry into solitary prayer.

The thread — This mountain retreat recurs in Luke 6:12, Mark 6:46, and Matthew 26:36. Each instance follows public ministry and precedes a moment of divine direction or impending trial.

Why it lands — The text states Jesus withdrew from crowds and disciples to pray alone until evening. It requires readers to acknowledge His factual solitude as a narrative step before the disciples face the storm.

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

ΚαὶKaiAnd ἀπολύσαςapolusashaving dismissed τοὺςtousthe ὄχλουςochlouscrowds ἀνέβηanebēHe went up εἰςeison τὸtothe ὄροςorosmountain κατ᾽kat᾽on ἰδίανidian[his] own προσεύξασθαι.¶proseuxasthaito pray.ὈψίαςOpsiasEvening δὲdenow γενομένηςgenomenēshaving arrived μόνοςmonosalone ἦνēnHe was ἐκεῖ.ekeithere.

King James Version

And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

Cross-references

Luke 6:12 In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.
Mark 6:46 After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray.
Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
John 6:15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Acts 6:4 and will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Luke 9:28 About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray.