The Meaning of Luke 9:10 Explained

Luke 9:10

KJV: And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

YLT: And the apostles having turned back, declared to him how great things they did, and having taken them, he withdrew by himself to a desert place of a city called Bethsaida,

Darby: And the apostles having returned related to him whatever they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart into a desert place of a city called Bethsaida.

ASV: And the apostles, when they were returned, declared unto him what things they had done. And he took them, and withdrew apart to a city called Bethsaida.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the apostles,  when they were returned,  told  him  all that  they had done.  And  he took  them,  and went aside  privately  into  a desert  place  belonging to the city  called  Bethsaida. 

What does Luke 9:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This transitional verse marks the end of the special mission of the Twelve ( Luke 9:1-6). Luke now called them "apostles" (missionaries) again (cf. Luke 6:13) probably in anticipation of their ministry in Acts as Jesus" authorized representatives. They reported to Jesus as their authority (cf. Acts 14:26-28). Jesus then took them privately to the region of Bethsaida Julius for rest ( Mark 6:31) and further instruction. This town stood near the northeast shore of Lake Galilee, just east of the Jordan River.
"As the popular speaker Vance Havner used to say, "If we don"t come apart and rest, we"ll just come apart."" [1]

Context Summary

Luke 9:1-10 - Working Through His Followers
The Galilean ministry was coming to a close. The light that had shone there was to move southward and set behind the Cross. Before finally leaving the district our Lord made one last effort on its behalf. Calling together the Apostles He laid His plans before them, divided the district into sections and sent them out in pairs. He gave them no outward investiture, but the inward power of casting out evil spirits. Nothing was to distract them from the great object of heralding the kingdom of God.
Here we seem to encounter the origin of medical missions: their object in healing body and mind; their authority in the command of our Savior; their claims for support. George Eliot once said wisely: "The tale of divine pity was never yet believed from lips that had not first been moved by human pity."
Notice how Herod's conscience tormented him! He had begun to feel that scourge, which has never failed to find and follow out the murderer, from Cain onward. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 9

1  Jesus sends his apostles to work miracles, and to preach
7  Herod desires to see Jesus
10  The apostles return
12  Jesus feeds five thousand;
18  inquires what opinion the world had of him; foretells his passion;
23  proposes to all the pattern of his patience
28  The transfiguration
37  He heals the lunatic;
43  again forewarns his disciples of his passion;
46  commends humility;
51  bids them to show mildness toward all, without desire of revenge
57  Many would follow him, but upon conditions

Greek Commentary for Luke 9:10

Declared [διηγησαντο]
First aorist middle of διηγεομαι — diēgeomai to carry a narrative through to the end. Jesus listened to it all. [source]
They had done [εποιησαν]
Aorist active indicative, they did.He took them (παραλαβων αυτους — paralabōn autous). Second aorist active participle of παραλαμβανω — paralambanō Very common verb.Bethsaida Peculiar to Luke. Bethsaida Julias is the territory of Philip, for it is on the other side of the Sea of Galilee (John 6:1). [source]
He took them [παραλαβων αυτους]
Second aorist active participle of παραλαμβανω — paralambanō Very common verb. [source]
Bethsaida [ητσαιδα]
Peculiar to Luke. Bethsaida Julias is the territory of Philip, for it is on the other side of the Sea of Galilee (John 6:1). [source]
Declared [διηγήσαντο]
Related everything throughout ( διά ). See on Luke 8:39; and Luke 1:1. [source]
Bethsaida []
Peculiar to Luke. It means Fishing-place. [source]
Healed [θεραπείας]
See on sa40" translation="">Luke 5:15.sa40 [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 9:10

Mark 6:30 All things whatsoever they had done and whatsoever they had taught [παντα οσα εποιησαν και οσα εδιδαχαν]
Not past perfect in the Greek, just the aorist indicative, constative aorist that summed it all up, the story of this their first tour without Jesus. And Jesus listened to it all (Luke 9:10). He was deeply concerned in the outcome. [source]
Mark 6:45 To Bethsaida [προς ητσαιδαν]
This is Bethsaida on the Western side, not Bethsaida Julias on the Eastern side where they had just been (Luke 9:10). [source]
John 1:44 From Bethsaida [απο ητσαιδα]
Same expression in John 12:21 with the added words “of Galilee,” which locates it in Galilee, not in Iturea. There were two Bethsaidas, one called Bethsaida Julias in Iturea (that in Luke 9:10) or the Eastern Bethsaida, the other the Western Bethsaida in Galilee (Mark 6:45), perhaps somewhere near Capernaum. This is the town of Andrew and Peter and Philip. Hence Philip would be inclined to follow the example of his townsmen. [source]
John 12:21 To Philip which was of Bethsaida of Galilee [Πιλιππωι τωι απο ητσαιδα της Γαλιλαιας]
He had a Greek name and the Greeks may have seen Philip in Galilee where there were many Greeks, probably (Mark 6:45) the Western Bethsaida in Galilee, not Bethsaida Julias on the Eastern side (Luke 9:10). Asked Imperfect active, probably inchoative, “began to ask,” in contrast with the aorist tense just before Sir Most respectfully and courteously. We would see Jesus “We desire to see Jesus.” This is not abrupt like our “we wish” or “we want,” but perfectly polite. However, they could easily “see” Jesus, had already done so, no doubt. They wish an interview with Jesus. [source]
John 6:1 After these things [μετα ταυτα]
A common, but indefinite, note of time in John (John 3:22; John 5:1; John 6:1; John 7:1). The phrase does not mean immediate sequence of events. As a matter of fact, a whole year may intervene between the events of chapter 5 in Jerusalem and those in chapter 6 in Galilee. There is no sufficient reason for believing that chapter 6 originally preceded chapter 5. The feeding of the five thousand is the only event before the last visit to Jerusalem recorded in all Four Gospels (Mark 6:30-44; Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13). The disciples have returned from the tour of Galilee and report to Jesus. It was the passover time (John 6:4) just a year before the end. To the other side of the Sea of Galilee The name given in Mark and Matthew. It is called Gennesaret in Luke 5:1 and “Sea of Tiberias” in John 21:1. Here “of Tiberias” (της Τιβεριαδος — tēs Tiberiados) is added as further description. Herod Antipas a.d. 22 built Tiberias to the west of the Sea of Galilee and made it his capital. See John 6:23 for this city. Luke (Luke 9:10) explains that it was the eastern Bethsaida (Julias) to which Jesus took the disciples, not the western Bethsaida of Mark 6:45 in Galilee. [source]
1 Timothy 6:1 Their own [τοὺς ἰδίους]
Lit. private, personal, peculiar, as 1 Corinthians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 7:7. Sometimes strange, eccentric. Contrasted with δημόσιος publicor κοινός commonSee Acts 4:32. Sometimes without emphasis, substantially = possessive pronoun, just as Lat. proprius passes into suus or ejus, or οἰκεῖος belongingto one's house into the simple one's own. See on Galatians 6:10, and comp. Matthew 22:5; Matthew 25:14. In lxx commonly with the emphatic sense. Very often in the phrase κατ ' ἰδίαν privatelyas Mark 4:34; Luke 9:10; Galatians 2:2, but nowhere in Pastorals. [source]
Hebrews 11:32 To tell [διηγούμενον]
Lit. the time will fail me telling: if I tell. See on Mark 9:9, and comp. Mark 5:16; Luke 8:39; Luke 9:10; Acts 9:27, and διήγησις narrative(A.V. declaration ), Luke 1:1. Gideon, etc. These names of the four judges are not enumerated in chronological order. Samuel is closely connected with David as in the history, but with τε καὶ as introducing the new order of the prophets. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 9:10 mean?

And having returned the apostles related to Him whatever they had done having taken them He withdrew by Himself into a town called Bethsaida
Καὶ ὑποστρέψαντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι διηγήσαντο αὐτῷ ὅσα ἐποίησαν παραλαβὼν αὐτοὺς ὑπεχώρησεν κατ’ ἰδίαν εἰς πόλιν καλουμένην Βηθσαϊδά

ὑποστρέψαντες  having  returned 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ὑποστρέφω  
Sense: to turn back.
ἀπόστολοι  apostles 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀπόστολος  
Sense: a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders.
διηγήσαντο  related 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: διηγέομαι  
Sense: to lead or carry a narration through to the end.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὅσα  whatever 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ὅσος  
Sense: as great as, as far as, how much, how many, whoever.
ἐποίησαν  they  had  done 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
παραλαβὼν  having  taken 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: παραλαμβάνω  
Sense: to take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self.
ὑπεχώρησεν  He  withdrew 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ὑποχωρέω  
Sense: to go back.
ἰδίαν  Himself 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἴδιος  
Sense: pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
πόλιν  a  town 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πόλις  
Sense: a city.
καλουμένην  called 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: καλέω  
Sense: to call.
Βηθσαϊδά  Bethsaida 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Βηθσαϊδά 
Sense: a small fishing village on the west shore of Lake Gennesaret, home of Andrew, Peter, Philip and John.