Mark 6:35

ἤδη ὥρας πολλῆς γενομένης. When it was already a late hour, but not yet ὀψία (Mark 6:47). The expression is found in Pol. Mark 6:8, “Philip arrived at a late hour (πολλῆς ὥρας) at Thermus”; and in Dion. Hal. Ant. ii. 54, “They fought till a late hour (ἄχρι πολλῆς ὥρας) contending vigorously, until night overtook them and separated them.” In Latin we have multus dies, for multa hora would be ambiguous; multo denique die Caesar cognovit (Caes. B.G. i. 22); multus sermo ad multum diem (Cic. Att. xiii. 9).

οἱ μαθηταί. The Synoptists represent the disciples as taking the initiative; in Jn, Christ does so by addressing a testing question to Philip. He thinks of their physical, as well as of their spiritual needs. Mt., as often, omits the imperf. ἔλεγον.