SIL Translator’s Notes on John 6:24

6:24a

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there: This verse tells the result of what the people realized in verse 22. The result is indicated by the word So. The people realized (6:22a) that neither Jesus nor his disciples had remained in that place. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as saw is the same word that was used in verse 22. Again it means “realized” or “understood.”

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

So when the many people understood that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples
-or-
So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there (NET Bible)

6:24b

they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him: The people in the crowd entered the fishing boats from Tiberias. The word they probably does not refer to every person from the crowd, but to many of them. Perhaps it refers to all that the boats could hold.

the boats: This phrase refers to the “boats from Tiberias” mentioned in 6:23a. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

those boats (Good News Translation)

went to Capernaum: This involved a journey by boat, which means that the people sailed or rowed [pulled long wooden oars/paddles in the water to push the boat forward]. So it may be natural to say:

sailed/rowed to Capernaum

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