The Jews therefore murmured about him, because he said, I am the bread which has come down out of heaven.

The Jews, therefore, were murmuring at him, because he said, 'I am the bread that came down out of the heaven;'

Now the Jews began to find fault about Him because of His claiming to be the bread which came down out of Heaven.

Now the Jews said bitter things about Jesus because of his words, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

The Jewish people therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, 'I am the bread which came down out of heaven.'

Therefore, the Jews murmured about him, because he had said: "I am the living bread, who descended from heaven."

The people began murmuring against Jesus for saying – 'I am the bread which came down from heaven.'

The Jews therefore murmured concerning him. The Evangelist explains the cause of the murmuring to have been, that the Jews were offended at the mean condition of Christ's human nature, [1] and did not perceive in him any thing Divine or heavenly. Yet he shows that they had a twofold obstruction. One they had framed for themselves out of a false opinion, when they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? Another arose from a wicked sentiment, that they did not think that Christ was the Son of God, because he came down to men clothed with our flesh. [2] But we are guilty of excessive malignity, if we despise the Lord of glory because on our account he emptied himself, and took upon him the form of a servant, (Philippians 2:7;) for this was rather an illustrious proof of his boundless love towards us, and of his wonderful grace. Besides, the Divine majesty of Christ was not so concealed under the mean and contemptible appearance of the flesh, as not to give out the rays of his brightness in a variety of ways; but those gross and stupid men wanted eyes to see his conspicuous glory. We, too, sin daily in both of these ways. First, it is a great hinderance to us, that it is only with carnal eyes that we behold Christ; and this is the reason why we perceive in him nothing magnificent, for by our sinful views we pervert all that belongs to him and to his doctrine, so unskilful are we to profit by them, or to view them in the proper light. [3] Secondly, not satisfied with this, we adopt many false imaginations, which produce a contempt of the Gospel. Nay, there are even many who frame for themselves monsters, that they may make them a pretense for hating the Gospel. In this manner the world deliberately drives away the grace of God. Now the Evangelist expressly names the Jews, in order to inform us that the murmuring proceeded from those who gloried in the title of faith and of the Church, that we may all learn to receive Christ with reverence, when he comes down to us, and that, in proportion as he comes nearer to us, we may more cheerfully approach to him, that he may raise us to his heavenly glory.

Footnotes

1 - "De la petitesse de Christ, et de sa humaine condition;" -- "at the meanness of Christ, and of his human condition."

2 - "Prenant nostre chair."

3 - "Tant nous sommes mal adroits a faire nostre profit des choses, et les prendre de la sorte qu'il faut."

The Jews then murmured - Because the whole of his discourse event to prove that he was infinitely greater than Moses; and that he alone could give present peace and eternal glory to men.

(9) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
(9) Flesh cannot perceive spiritual things, and therefore the beginning of our salvation comes from God, who changes our nature, so that we, being inspired by him, may remain to be instructed and saved by Christ.

The Jews then murmured at him,.... When they found that he spoke of himself as the true bread, the bread of God, and bread of life, and as descending from heaven: and which was to be fed upon in a spiritual manner by faith, which they were ignorant of, and had no desire unto: and thus being disappointed of the delicious corporeal food they expected, they grew uneasy, and displeased,
because he said I am the bread which came down from heaven; for though, as yet, he had not said this in so many words, and in this direct form, as afterwards, in John 6:51; yet he had said what amounted to it, and which might be easily gathered from John 6:35 The Vulgate Latin reads, "I am the living bread"; and the Persic version, "I am the bread of life". And this last renders the first clause "mocked at him".

Jews murmured--muttered, not in our Lord's hearing, but He knew it (John 6:43; John 2:25).
he said, I am the bread, &c.--Missing the sense and glory of this, and having no relish for such sublimities, they harp upon the "Bread from heaven." "What can this mean? Do we not know all about Him--where, when, and of whom He was born? And yet He says He came down from heaven!"