34. And Jesus, when he came out of the ship--having gone on shore.
      saw much people--a great multitude.
      and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd--At the sight of the multitudes who had followed Him by land and even got before Him, He was so moved, as was His wont in such cases, with compassion, because they were like shepherdless sheep, as to forego both privacy and rest that He might minister to them. Here we have an important piece of information from the Fourth Evangelist (Joh 6:4), "And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh"--rather, "Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was nigh." This accounts for the multitudes that now crowded around Him. They were on their way to keep that festival at Jerusalem. But Jesus did not go up to this festival, as John expressly tells us, (Joh 7:1) --remaining in Galilee, because the ruling Jews sought to kill Him.

JFB.