# John 6.39-40

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [John](/codex/john-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 37. <span class="rl-speech">All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.</span>
>
> **39. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span> 40. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span>**
>
> 41. The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, <span class="rl-speech">I am the bread which came down out of heaven.</span> 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? (John 6:37-42, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 37. <span class="rl-speech">All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.</span>
>
> **39. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span> 40. <span class="rl-speech">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.”</span>**
>
> 41. The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, <span class="rl-speech">“I am the bread which came down out of heaven.”</span> 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?’” (John 6:37-42, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 37. <span class="rl-speech">All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.</span>
>
> **39. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span> 40. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span>**
>
> 41. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, <span class="rl-speech">I am the bread which came down from heaven.</span> 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, <span class="rl-speech">I came down from heaven?</span> (John 6:37-42, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 37. <span class="rl-speech">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,</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">because I have come down out of the heaven, not that I may do my will, but the will of Him who sent me.</span>
>
> **39. <span class="rl-speech">'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;</span> 40. <span class="rl-speech">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.'</span>**
>
> 41. The Jews, therefore, were murmuring at him, because he said, <span class="rl-speech">'I am the bread that came down out of the heaven;'</span> 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?' (John 6:37-42, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** John the Apostle (traditionally) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** later Christian audience (high-Christological emphasis; against early gnosticism)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Ephesus (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 26-33 AD (3-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85-95

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [G0166 - aionios](/codex/g0166-aionios/), *aionios* (Strong's G166). Also appears in: [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/), [Matthew 25.46](/codex/matthew-25-46/), [Mark 3.20-30](/codex/mark-3-20-30/).
- [G2222 - zoe](/codex/g2222-zoe/), *zoe* (Strong's G2222). Also appears in: [Matthew 7.13-14](/codex/matthew-7-13-14/), [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/), [Matthew 25.46](/codex/matthew-25-46/).
- [G3956 - pas](/codex/g3956-pas/), *pas* (Strong's G3956). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 2.1-6](/codex/matthew-2-1-6/), [Matthew 2.16](/codex/matthew-2-16/).
- [G3962 - pater](/codex/g3962-pater/), *pater* (Strong's G3962). Also appears in: [Matthew 5.48](/codex/matthew-5-48/), [Matthew 6.25-26](/codex/matthew-6-25-26/), [Matthew 6.25-34](/codex/matthew-6-25-34/).
- [G4100 - pisteuo](/codex/g4100-pisteuo/), *pisteuo* (Strong's G4100). Also appears in: [Matthew 18.6](/codex/matthew-18-6/), [Mark 15](/codex/mark-15/), [Mark 16.16-18](/codex/mark-16-16-18/).
- [G5207 - huios](/codex/g5207-huios/), *huios* (Strong's G5207). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.1](/codex/matthew-1-1/), [Matthew 1.20](/codex/matthew-1-20/), [Matthew 1.21](/codex/matthew-1-21/).

## 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.

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## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [John 6.26-65](/codex/john-6-26-65/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G0166 - aionios](/codex/g0166-aionios/), via [John 6.40](/codex/john-6-40/)
- [G0622 - apollymi](/codex/g0622-apollymi/), via [John 6.39](/codex/john-6-39/)
- [G1453 - egeiro](/codex/g1453-egeiro/)
- [G2222 - zoe](/codex/g2222-zoe/)

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