After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "went back" isn't just about leaving; it carries the idea of returning to where they were before, essentially going back to their old lives and familiar ways they had left behind to follow Jesus. This shows their departure wasn't a neutral step aside, but a distinct turning away from their commitment and a regression to their former state.
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Jesus' challenging teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, which many found too difficult to accept, a significant portion of his followers turned away. This dramatic departure is presented immediately before Jesus directly addresses his twelve apostles, asking if they too intend to leave him.
Jesus wasn't offering a path of least resistance. His words often demanded a radical commitment that led many to turn back.
This verse marks a critical turning point in John's Gospel. After Jesus spoke some incredibly challenging truths about himself as the Bread of Life – truths that required a deep, supernatural connection to God and involved a literal eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood – many who had followed him as 'disciples' simply couldn't stomach it.
Not everyone who walked with Jesus was truly His. This verse highlights the crucial difference between outward association and inward transformation.
The disciples mentioned here were not the core twelve. They were part of the larger crowd who had been drawn to Jesus, perhaps by his miracles or teachings, but their commitment wasn't rooted in a deep, divinely-given faith.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
mathētai · Greek Noun
Followers or learners of a teacher; in the NT, those who identify with and follow the teachings and person of Jesus Christ.
periepatoun · Greek Verb
Refers to the act of following, living, and conducting one’s life in accordance with specific principles or a specific leader.
The verse highlights a critical moment where Jesus' radical teaching about Himself as the Bread of Life caused many followers, who were seeking earthly benefits, to abandon Him, forcing a clearer distinction between true disciples and mere followers.
c. AD 28-30
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus conducted a vibrant public ministry throughout Galilee and Judea, attracting large crowds with his teachings and miracles.
c. AD 30
Feeding of the Five Thousand
Jesus miraculously fed over five thousand men, plus women and children, a significant event that led many to follow Him with expectations of earthly provision.
c. AD 30
Jesus Walks on Water
Following the feeding miracle, Jesus walked on water to His disciples during a storm, further demonstrating His divine authority.
c. AD 30— this verse
The Bread of Life Discourse
In Capernaum, Jesus declared Himself the 'Bread of Life,' stating that true sustenance comes from believing in Him and consuming His flesh and blood, a teaching that deeply challenged many.
c. AD 30
Mass Defection of Disciples
Due to the challenging nature of the Bread of Life discourse, many who had followed Jesus turned away and ceased to walk with Him.
c. AD 30
Jesus Questions the Twelve
Jesus then turned to His twelve apostles, asking if they also intended to leave, to which Peter responded with a profound confession of faith in Jesus as the Son of God.
This passage speaks of those who shrink back from believing, contrasting them with those who have faith to the point of salvation. It directly addresses the spiritual danger of turning away from what one has come to believe in.
2 Peter 2:20-22These verses describe false teachers and their followers returning to sin, likening it to a dog returning to its vomit or a pig to its wallowing. This vividly illustrates the spiritual regression seen in those who abandon Christ.
Matthew 13:20-21Jesus' parable of the sower describes seed falling on rocky ground, which springs up quickly but withers under persecution because it has no root. This reflects the superficial faith of many disciples who couldn't endure the difficult teachings and turned back.
1 John 2:19This verse states that those who left the community 'did not really belong to us, for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us.' This reinforces the idea in John 6:66 that the disciples who left were never truly committed believers.
vincentJohn 6:66: "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."
From that time (ἐκ τούτου)Render, as Rev., upon this. As a result proceeding out of (ἐκ) this. Compare John 19:12.Went back (ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω)The Greek expresses more than the English. They went away (ἀπό) from Christ, Literally, to the things behind, to what they had left in order to follow the Lord.Walked (περιεπάτουν)Literally, walked about, with Jesus in His wanderings here and there.
calvinJohn 6:65-71: "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father."
- And he said, Therefore have I told you that no man can come to me, unless it be given to him by my Father. 66. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67. Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Do you also wish to go away? 68. Simon Peter therefore answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. 69.…
The phrase "went back" isn't just about leaving; it carries the idea of returning to where they were before, essentially going back to their old lives and familiar ways they had left behind to follow Jesus. This shows their departure wasn't a neutral step aside, but a distinct turning away from their commitment and a regression to their former state.
Following Jesus' challenging teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, which many found too difficult to accept, a significant portion of his followers turned away. This dramatic departure is presented immediately before Jesus directly addresses his twelve apostles, asking if they too intend to leave him.
Following Jesus' challenging teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, which many found too difficult to accept, a significant portion of his followers turned away. This dramatic departure is presented immediately before Jesus directly addresses his twelve apostles, asking if they too intend to leave him.
"After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him." — The phrase "went back" isn't just about leaving; it carries the idea of returning to where they were before, essentially going back to their old lives and familiar ways they had left behind to follow…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026