Passage

John 6.31-58

Book: John · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30. They said therefore unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee? what workest thou?"

"31. Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. 32. Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven. 33. For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34. They said therefore unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35. Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36. But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe not. 37. All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38. For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39. And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40. For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 41. The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven. 42. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come down out of heaven? 43. Jesus answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. 45. It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me. 46. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father. 47. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth hath eternal life. 48. I am the bread of life. 49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50. This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. 52. The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53. Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. 54. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 55. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. 57. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. 58. This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever."

"59. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60. Many therefore of his disciples, when the heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?" (John 6:29-60, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"29. Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30. They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do?"

"31. Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” 32. Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn’t Moses who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34. They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36. But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe. 37. All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. 38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39. This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. 40. This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” 41. The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” 42. They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’” 43. Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. 44. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. 45. It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me. 46. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. 47. Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. 48. I am the bread of life. 49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52. The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53. Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. 54. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. 57. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live because of me. 58. This is the bread which came down out of heaven, not as our fathers ate the manna, and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.”"

"59. He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60. Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?”" (John 6:29-60, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?"

"31. Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48. I am that bread of life. 49. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever."

"59. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" (John 6:29-60, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"29. Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that ye may believe in him whom He did send.' 30. They said therefore to him, 'What sign, then, dost thou, that we may see and may believe thee? what dost thou work?"

"31. our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, Bread out of the heaven He gave them to eat.' 32. Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread out of the heaven; but my Father doth give you the true bread out of the heaven; 33. for the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.' 34. They said, therefore, unto him, 'Sir, always give us this bread.' 35. And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of the life; he who is coming unto me may not hunger, and he who is believing in me may not thirst, at any time; 36. but I said to you, that ye also have seen me, and ye believe not; 37. all that the Father doth give to me will come unto me; and him who is coming unto me, I may in no wise cast without, 38. because I have come down out of the heaven, not that I may do my will, but the will of Him who sent me. 39. 'And this is the will of the Father who sent me, that all that He hath given to me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day; 40. and this is the will of Him who sent me, that every one who is beholding the Son, and is believing in him, may have life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day.' 41. The Jews, therefore, were murmuring at him, because he said, 'I am the bread that came down out of the heaven;' 42. and they said, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? how then saith this one, Out of the heaven I have come down?' 43. Jesus answered, therefore, and said to them, 'Murmur not one with another; 44. no one is able to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day; 45. it is having been written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God; every one therefore who heard from the Father, and learned, cometh to me; 46. not that any one hath seen the Father, except he who is from God, he hath seen the Father. 47. 'Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is believing in me, hath life age-during; 48. I am the bread of the life; 49. your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness, and they died; 50. this is the bread that out of the heaven is coming down, that any one may eat of it, and not die. 51. 'I am the living bread that came down out of the heaven; if any one may eat of this bread he shall live, to the age; and the bread also that I will give is my flesh, that I will give for the life of the world.' 52. The Jews, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us [his] flesh to eat?' 53. Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, If ye may not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and may not drink his blood, ye have no life in yourselves; 54. he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, hath life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day; 55. for my flesh truly is food, and my blood truly is drink; 56. he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, doth remain in me, and I in him. 57. 'According as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, he also who is eating me, even that one shall live because of me; 58. this is the bread that came down out of the heaven; not as your fathers did eat the manna, and died; he who is eating this bread shall live, to the age.'"

"59. These things he said in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum; 60. many, therefore, of his disciples having heard, said, 'This word is hard; who is able to hear it?'" (John 6:29-60, 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.

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TBD
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Quoted in

Jesus is Jacobs Ladder

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 (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
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 for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.