# John 3.2

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [John](/codex/john-the-apostle/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
>
> **2. the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him.**
>
> 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.</span> 4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (John 3:1-4, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
>
> **2. The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”**
>
> 3. Jesus answered him, <span class="rl-speech">“Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”</span> 4. Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John 3:1-4, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
>
> **2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.**
>
> 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. <sup>again: or, from above</sup></span> 4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (John 3:1-4, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 1. And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus his name, a ruler of the Jews,
>
> **2. this one came unto him by night, and said to him, 'Rabbi, we have known that from God thou hast come, a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him.'**
>
> 3. Jesus answered and said to him, <span class="rl-speech">'Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;'</span> 4. Nicodemus saith unto him, 'How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?' (John 3:1-4, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Argument from Transformed Lives](/codex/argument-from-transformed-lives/), via [John 3.1-8](/codex/john-3-1-8/)

**Concepts:**

- [Psychology of Lowered Defenses](/codex/psychology-of-lowered-defenses/), via [John 3.1-10](/codex/john-3-1-10/)

**Lexicon:**

- [H3820 - lev](/codex/h3820-lev/), via [John 3.1-15](/codex/john-3-1-15/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.