John 6:66

Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)

ܡܶܛܽܠ ܗܳܕ݂ܶܐ ܡܶܠܬ݂ܳܐ ܣܰܓ݁ܺܝܶܐܐ ܡܶܢ ܬ݁ܰܠܡܺܝܕ݂ܰܘܗ݈ܝ ܐܶܙܰܠܘ ܠܒ݂ܶܣܬ݁ܰܪܗܽܘܢ ܘܠܳܐ ܡܗܰܠܟ݂ܺܝܢ ܗ݈ܘܰܘ ܥܰܡܶܗ ܀

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

of his: John 6:60, John 8:31, Zephaniah 1:6, Matthew 12:40-45, Matthew 13:20, Matthew 13:21, Matthew 19:22, Matthew 21:8-11, Matthew 27:20-25, Luke 9:62, 2 Timothy 1:15, 2 Timothy 4:10, Hebrews 10:38, 2 Peter 2:20-22, 1 John 2:19

Reciprocal: Leviticus 11:29 - creeping things that creep Joshua 23:12 - go back Ruth 1:14 - but Ruth 2 Samuel 15:15 - Behold 2 Samuel 15:21 - surely 2 Samuel 20:2 - the men 2 Kings 5:11 - went away 2 Chronicles 10:16 - So all Israel Job 23:12 - Neither Psalms 80:18 - So will Isaiah 8:15 - stumble Isaiah 43:22 - thou hast been Ezekiel 18:24 - when Matthew 11:6 - whosoever Matthew 24:10 - shall many John 5:35 - and ye John 6:41 - murmured John 20:24 - was Romans 2:7 - patient

Gill's Notes on the Bible

From that [time] many of his disciples went back,.... Not any of the twelve apostles, for they are distinguished from these in the next verse; nor any of the seventy disciples, for their names were written in heaven, and could not apostatize totally and finally, as these did; but some of the multitude of the disciples, who followed Christ, heard him, and professed to believe in him, and were baptized in his name, but were not true disciples, only nominal ones: they had never heard and learned of the Father, otherwise they would have known what it was to come to Christ, as the Father's gift, and under the drawings of his grace; and would not have been offended at the words of our Lord, just now spoken by him, concerning that sort of coming to him: but from the time he spoke those words; "because of this word", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it; they withdrew themselves from his ministry, they dropped their profession of faith in him, and relinquished him as a Saviour and Redeemer: for finding that he would not be made king, nor set up for a temporal redeemer; and talking of himself as the bread of life, and of coming to him, in a sense they did not understand; they turned their backs on him; and as the words may be literally read, "returned to the things that were behind"; to the world, and to their old companions, to Satan and their own hearts lusts; like the dog to its vomit, and the swine to its wallowing in the mire: their true picture is drawn, in the parable of the unclean spirit going out of the man, and returning,

Matthew 12:43. And they returned to their quondam teachers, the Scribes and Pharisees, and to the law of works, and to seek for righteousness by it; setting up their own righteousness, and not submitting to the righteousness of Christ; and thus to look back and draw back, is a sad case indeed:

and walked no more with him; never returned to him more, or went with him from place to place as before: never more attended on his ministry, or had any intimacy and fellowship with him: and so it commonly is with apostates from the profession of Christ; they seldom or ever return, or are recovered; it is difficult, if not impossible, which is sometimes the case, to renew them again to repentance.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Many of his disciples - Many who had followed him professedly as his disciples and as desirous of learning of him. See the notes at John 6:60.

Went back - Turned away from him and left him. From this we may learn,

1. Not to wonder at the apostasy of many who profess to be followers of Christ. Many are induced to become his professed followers by the prospect of some temporal benefit, or under some public excitement, as these were; and when that temporal benefit is not obtained, or that excitement is over, they fall away.
2. Many may be expected to be offended by the doctrines of the gospel. Having no spirituality of mind, and really understanding nothing of the gospel, they may be expected to take offence and turn back. The best way to understand the doctrines of the Bible is to be a sincere Christian, and aim to do the will of God, John 7:17.
3. We should examine ourselves. We should honestly inquire whether we have been led to make a profession of religion by the hope of any temporal advantage, by any selfish principle, or by mere excited animal feeling. If we have it will profit us nothing, and we shall either fall away of ourselves, or be cast away in the great day of judgment.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 66. Many of his disciples went back — They no longer associated with him, nor professed to acknowledge him as the Messiah. None of these were of the twelve. Christ had many others who generally attended his ministry, and acknowledged him for the Messiah.