# John 5.39

<!-- 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/))
> 37. <span class="rl-speech">And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not.</span>
>
> **39. <span class="rl-speech">Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me;</span>**
>
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.</span> 41. <span class="rl-speech">I receive not glory from men.</span> (John 5:37-41, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 37. <span class="rl-speech">The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">You don’t have his word living in you; because you don’t believe him whom he sent.</span>
>
> **39. <span class="rl-speech">“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.</span>**
>
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.</span> 41. <span class="rl-speech">I don’t receive glory from men.</span> (John 5:37-41, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 37. <span class="rl-speech">And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.</span>
>
> **39. <span class="rl-speech">Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.</span>**
>
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.</span> 41. <span class="rl-speech">I receive not honour from men.</span> (John 5:37-41, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 37. <span class="rl-speech">'And the Father who sent me Himself hath testified concerning me; ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor His appearance have ye seen;</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">and His word ye have not remaining in you, because whom He sent, him ye do not believe.</span>
>
> **39. <span class="rl-speech">'Ye search the Writings, because ye think in them to have life age-during, and these are they that are testifying concerning me;</span>**
>
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">and ye do not will to come unto me, that ye may have life;</span> 41. <span class="rl-speech">glory from man I do not receive,</span> (John 5:37-41, 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_

<!-- BACKLINKS:START -->
## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Christians Not Under Mosaic Law](/codex/christians-not-under-mosaic-law/)
- [Cumulative Case for the Deity of Christ](/codex/cumulative-case-for-the-deity-of-christ/)
- [Sabbath Breaking Stoning Objection Defeater](/codex/sabbath-breaking-stoning-objection-defeater/), via [John 5.39-47](/codex/john-5-39-47/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [John 5](/codex/john-5/)
- [Mosaic Law](/codex/mosaic-law/)
- [Old Testament Witness to the Deity of Christ](/codex/old-testament-witness-to-the-deity-of-christ/)

**Passages:**

- [Luke 24.27](/codex/luke-24-27/)
- [Luke 24.44](/codex/luke-24-44/)

<!-- BACKLINKS:END -->
---

_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.