Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples.
Jesus went up on the mountainside to be alone with His disciples who had just returned from their mission throughout the towns of Galilee (Mark 6:30-32; Luke 9:10). He had just heard that Herod Antipas had beheaded John the Baptist (Matthew 14:12-13). The crowd soon found Him, and He healed many of the people and taught them (Matthew 14:14; Mark 6:33-34; Luke 9:11). Only John mentioned that this happened on a mountainside. Perhaps he did this so his readers would see a parallel with what happened on Mt. Sinai (John 6:31-32; cf. Exodus 16:21). Possibly it is just a detail that he as an eyewitness observed.