Bible Strands
Matthew 15:35
And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks after His disciples report possessing seven loaves and a few fish, directing the assembled crowd to prepare for a meal.
The words — The Greek παραγγείλας (parangeilas) denotes a formal command, and ἀναπεσεῖν (anapesein) literally means to sit down or recline. These terms specify that Jesus issued a direct order for the people to take a resting posture on the earth.
The thread — Similar commands to seat the crowds appear in Mark 6:39, Luke 9:14, and John 6:10 during parallel feeding narratives. These passages consistently record Jesus organizing large groups before distributing food.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to recognize the practical preparation necessary before a communal meal. It asks the reader to acknowledge that Jesus orders physical arrangement to facilitate the distribution of what He will provide.
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 he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
Cross-references
- Mark 6:39 Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass.
- Luke 9:14 (There were about five thousand men.) He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
- John 6:10 “Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
- Matthew 14:19 And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.