The Meaning of Luke 9:12 Explained

Luke 9:12

KJV: And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

YLT: And the day began to decline, and the twelve having come near, said to him, 'Let away the multitude, that having gone to the villages and the fields round about, they may lodge and may find provision, because here we are in a desert place.'

Darby: But the day began to decline, and the twelve came and said to him, Send away the crowd that they may go into the villages around, and into the fields, and lodge and find victuals, for here we are in a desert place.

ASV: And the day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages and country round about, and lodge, and get provisions: for we are here in a desert place.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when the day  began  to wear away,  then  came  the twelve,  and said  unto him,  Send  the multitude  away,  that  they may go  into  the towns  and  country  round about,  and lodge,  and  get  victuals:  for  we are  here  in  a desert  place. 

What does Luke 9:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 9:11-17 - "give Ye Them To Eat"
Christ feeds the world by His Church. The disciples passed the bread from His hands to those of the hungry crowds. What an honor that though we are least of saints we should have this opportunity of co-operation! But how often are we prepared for our work by being compelled to study the inadequacy of our resources. The only thing for us to do is to place them at His disposal.
But the bread of life is sufficient for all mankind. "They"¦ were all filled." There is a universal adaptation between hunger and bread. Other foods are confined to special countries and districts, but bread is for the educated and ignorant, the rich and poor, the old and young. So with Jesus Christ. To every soul on earth His living, dying love makes its appeal, and is enough to satisfy.
The fragments feed the distributers. More was left over than had been possessed at first. To impart to others is to gain for oneself. Fling the seed broadcast. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you! [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 9:12

To wear away [κλινειν]
Old verb usually transitive, to bend or bow down. Many compounds as in English decline, incline, recline, clinic (κλινη — klinē bed), etc. Luke alone in the N.T. uses it intransitively as here. The sun was turning down towards setting. [source]
Lodge [καταλυσωσιν]
First aorist active subjunctive of καταλυω — kataluō a common verb, to dissolve, destroy, overthrow, and then of travellers to break a journey, to lodge Only here and Luke 19:7 in the N.T. in this sense.Get victuals (ευρωσιν επισιτισμον — heurōsin episitismon). Ingressive aorist active of ευρισκω — heuriskō very common verb.Victuals See notes on Mark 6:32-44; notes on Matthew 14:13-21 for discussion of details. [source]
Get victuals [ευρωσιν επισιτισμον]
Ingressive aorist active of ευρισκω — heuriskō very common verb. [source]
Victuals [επισιτισμον]
See notes on Mark 6:32-44; notes on Matthew 14:13-21 for discussion of details. [source]
And when the day began to wear away []
Omit when. Render, and the day began, etc. To wear away ( κλίνειν )Lit., to decline. Wyc., very literally, to bow down. [source]
Only here in New Testament. Properly a stock of provisions. Thus Xenophon. “Cyrus hastened the whole journey, except when he halted in order to furnish himself with supplies ” [ἔρημῳ]
See on Matthew 14:15. [source]
Lodge [καταλύσωσιν]
Peculiar to Luke. Primarily the verb means to break up or dissolve. Hence often in New Testament to destroy (Matthew 5:17; Mark 13:2). Intransitively, to take up one's quarters; lodge; either because the harness of the travellers' horses is loosed, or because the fastenings of their garments are untied. The kindred word κατάλυμα , a guest-chamber, occurs, Mark 14:14; or inn, Luke 2:7. [source]
Victuals [ἐπισιτισμόν]
Only here in New Testament. Properly a stock of provisions. Thus Xenophon. “Cyrus hastened the whole journey, except when he halted in order to furnish himself with supplies ” ( ἐπισιτισμοῦ ἕνεκα )Desert ( ἔρημῳ )See on Matthew 14:15. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 9:12

Mark 6:35 When the day was now far spent [ηδη ωρας πολλης γενομενης]
Genitive absolute. ωρα — Hōra used here for day-time (so Matthew 14:15) as in Polybius and late Greek. Much day-time already gone. Luke 9:12 has it began to incline (κλινειν — klinein) or wear away. It was after 3 p.m., the first evening. Note second evening or sunset in Mark 6:47; Matthew 14:23; John 6:16. The turn of the afternoon had come and sunset was approaching. The idiom is repeated at the close of the verse. See note on Matthew 14:15. [source]
Luke 19:7 To be guest [καταλῦσαι]
More correctly, Rev., lodge. See on Luke 9:12. [source]
John 2:18 Destroy this temple [λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον]
Destroy, Literally, loosen. Wyc., undo. See on Mark 13:2; see on Luke 9:12; see on Acts 5:38. Notice that the word for temple is ναὸν , sanctuary (see on John 2:14). This temple points to the literal temple, which is truly a temple only as it is the abode of God, hence sanctuary, but with a typical reference to Jesus' own person as the holy dwelling-place of God who “was in Christ.” Compare 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:17. Christ's death was therefore the pulling down of the temple, and His resurrection its rebuilding. The imperative in destroy is of the nature of a challenge. Compare fill ye up, Matthew 23:32. [source]
Romans 15:19 Round about [κύκλῳ]
Not, in a circuitous track to Illyricum, but Jerusalem and the regions round it. For the phrase, see Mark 3:34; Mark 6:6, Mark 6:36; Luke 9:12; Revelation 4:6. For the facts, Acts href="/desk/?q=ac+20:1-3&sr=1">Acts 20:1-3. [source]
2 Corinthians 5:1 Dissolved [καταλυθῇ]
Lit., loosened down. Appropriate to taking down a tent. See on Mark 13:2; see on Luke 9:12; see on Acts 5:38; and compare 2 Peter 3:11, 2 Peter 3:12, and the figure of the parting of the silver cord on which the lamp is suspended, Ecclesiastes 12:6. Also Job 4:21, where the correct rendering is: Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? So Rev. O.T. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 9:12 mean?

- And the day began to decline having come then the Twelve said to Him Dismiss the crowd that having gone into the surrounding villages and countryside they might lodge might find provisions for here in a desolate place we are
δὲ ἡμέρα ἤρξατο κλίνειν προσελθόντες δὲ οἱ δώδεκα εἶπαν αὐτῷ Ἀπόλυσον τὸν ὄχλον ἵνα πορευθέντες εἰς τὰς κύκλῳ κώμας καὶ ἀγροὺς καταλύσωσιν εὕρωσιν ἐπισιτισμόν ὅτι ὧδε ἐν ἐρήμῳ τόπῳ ἐσμέν

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἡμέρα  the  day 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
ἤρξατο  began 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἄρχω  
Sense: to be the first to do (anything), to begin.
κλίνειν  to  decline 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: κλίνω  
Sense: transitively.
προσελθόντες  having  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: προσέρχομαι  
Sense: to come to, approach.
δώδεκα  Twelve 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: δώδεκα  
Sense: twelve.
εἶπαν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἀπόλυσον  Dismiss 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολύω  
Sense: to set free.
ὄχλον  crowd 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὄχλος  
Sense: a crowd.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
πορευθέντες  having  gone 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: πορεύομαι  
Sense: to lead over, carry over, transfer.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
κύκλῳ  surrounding 
Parse: Adverb
Root: κύκλῳ  
Sense: in a circle, around, round about, on all sides.
κώμας  villages 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: κώμη  
Sense: the common sleeping place to which labourers in the field return, a village.
ἀγροὺς  countryside 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀγρός  
Sense: land.
καταλύσωσιν  they  might  lodge 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: καταλύω  
Sense: to dissolve, disunite.
εὕρωσιν  might  find 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.
ἐπισιτισμόν  provisions 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐπισιτισμός  
Sense: foraging, providing food.
ὧδε  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὧδε  
Sense: here, to this place, etc.
ἐρήμῳ  a  desolate 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἔρημος  
Sense: solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited.
τόπῳ  place 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: τόπος 
Sense: place, any portion or space marked off, as it were from surrounding space.
ἐσμέν  we  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.