"Make the people sit down," said Jesus. The ground was covered with thick grass; so they sat down, the adult men numbering about 5,000.

Jesus said, Let the people be seated. Now there was much grass in that place. And those seated on the grass were about five thousand.

Then Jesus said, "Have the men sit down to eat." Now, there was much grass in that place. And so the men, in number about five thousand, sat down to eat.

"Make the people sit down," said Jesus. It was a grassy spot; so the people, who numbered about five thousand, sat down,

Make the men sit down. That the disciples were not sooner prepared to cherish the hope which their Master held out, and did not remember to ascribe to his power all that was proper, was a degree of stupidity worthy of blame; but no small praise is due to their cheerful obedience in now complying with his injunction, though they know not what is his intention, or what advantage they will derive from what they are doing. The same readiness to obey is manifested by the people; for, while they are uncertain about the result, they all sit down as soon as a single word of command has been pronounced. And this is the trial of true faith, when God commands men to walk, as it were, in darkness. For this purpose let us learn not to be wise in ourselves, but, amidst great confusion, still to hope for a prosperous issue, when we follow the guidance of God, who never disappoints his own people.

There was much grass in the place - Perhaps newly mown grass, or hay, is meant, (so the Vulgate faenum), and this circumstance marks out more particularly that the passover was at hand. In Palestine the grass is ready for mowing in March; and this miracle seems to have been wrought only a few days before the commencement of that festival: see John 6:4.

Jesus said, make the men sit down,.... The Syriac version reads, "all the men"; and the Persic version, "all the people"; men, women, and children: Christ, without reproving his disciples for their unbelief, ordered them directly to place the people upon the ground, and seat them in rows by hundreds and by fifties, in a rank and company, as persons about to take a meal:
now there was much grass in the place; at the bottom of the mountain; and it was green, as one of the evangelists observes, it being the spring of the year, and was very commodious to sit down upon:
so the men sat down, in number about five thousand; besides women and children, Matthew 14:21, so that there was but one loaf for more than a thousand persons.