King James Version
John 6
71 verses with commentary
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The Sea of Galilee, also called Tiberias (named after the Roman emperor), sets the stage for the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. John's mention of both names shows he writes for both Jewish and Gentile readers. This geographical note transitions from confrontation in Jerusalem to ministry in Galilee, where Jesus will demonstrate He is the Bread of Life through feeding thousands.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **After these things . . .**—Allowing an undefined interval, which is filled up by the earlier Gospels. We need not adopt the purely arbitrary supposition that a portion of the Gospel between John 5, 6 has been lost, nor yet connect them in immediate order of time. For St. John the discourse is that for which the whole is recorded. The exact sequence of events is by him left undetermined.
**We...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-24. Woman, &c.--**Here are three weighty pieces of information: (1) The point raised will very soon cease to be of any moment, for a total change of dispensation is about to come over the Church. (2) The Samaritans are wrong, not only as to the place, but the whole grounds and nature of their worship, while in all these respects the truth lies with the Jews. (3) As God is a Spirit, so He ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
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KJV Study Commentary
'And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.' The crowds' motivation reveals mixed faith—they followed for miracles, not for the Miracle-worker Himself. Their interest was pragmatic: healing and provision rather than truth and transformation. Jesus would later confront this shallow motivation (verse 26). Crowds that follow for benefits...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **A great multitude . . .**—This is explained by the facts (1) that the Baptist had been put to death, and that those who had followed him would now follow Christ; (2) that the Twelve had now returned from their ministry in the towns and villages of Galilee; (3) that the Passover was at hand, and that numbers would be flocking from Northern Palestine to Jerusalem.
**Followed** **. . . saw . . ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-26. I know Messias cometh ... when He is come, &c.--**If we take our Lord's immediate disclosure of Himself, in answer to this, as the proper key to its meaning to His ear, we can hardly doubt that the woman was already all but prepared for even this startling announcement, which indeed she seems (from Joh 4:29) to have already begun to suspect by His revealing her to herself. Thus quickl...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus' ascent to the mountain with His disciples created space for teaching away from crowds. Mountains in Scripture often serve as places of divine revelation and communion (Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, Transfiguration). His intentional positioning there before the miracle demonstrates sovereignty—He knows what He will do and prepares His disciples to witness it.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **A mountain.**—Better, *the mountain,* or, perhaps, the *hill-country* on the east shore of the sea. See the parallel passages.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-26. I know Messias cometh ... when He is come, &c.--**If we take our Lord's immediate disclosure of Himself, in answer to this, as the proper key to its meaning to His ear, we can hardly doubt that the woman was already all but prepared for even this startling announcement, which indeed she seems (from Joh 4:29) to have already begun to suspect by His revealing her to herself. Thus quickl...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
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KJV Study Commentary
The notation 'the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh' provides chronological context and theological significance. This miracle's proximity to Passover connects it to Israel's exodus deliverance and manna provision. Jesus will use this setting to present Himself as the true bread from heaven, superior to Moses' manna. God's redemptive acts occur within divinely appointed times.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **A feast.**—Better, *the feast.* Comp. John 5:1. This is added by St. John only, and is not simply a note of time, but gives a key of interpretation to the sign itself, and to the discourse which followed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27. marvelled that he talked with the woman--**It never probably occurred to them to marvel that He talked with themselves; yet in His eye, as the sequel shows, He was quite as nobly employed. How poor, if not false, are many of our most plausible estimates!
**no man said ... What? ... Why?--**awed by the spectacle, and thinking there must be something under it.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
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KJV Study Commentary
'When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?' Jesus takes initiative, asking Philip a question He already knows the answer to (verse 6). The question tests Philip's faith and understanding. Jesus sees both the crowd and the opportunity—not a problem to solve but a glory to reveal. His concern for th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) The converse with Philip is also peculiar to this Gospel. (Comp. John 14:8 *et seq.*) The impression of the immediate antecedents of the miracle is different from, but not opposed to, that of the other narratives. They all represent the request coming from the disciples as the first step. St. John does not say it was not so They represent what took place as seen from the outer circle; he, from...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28-30. left her water-pot--**How exquisitely natural! The presence of strangers made her feel that it was time for her to withdraw, and He who knew what was in her heart, and what she was going to the city to do, let her go without exchanging a word with her in the hearing of others. Their interview was too sacred, and the effect on the woman too overpowering (not to speak of His own deep emotio...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
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KJV Study Commentary
'And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.' John reveals Jesus' purpose—testing Philip's faith, not seeking information. The word 'prove' (peirazo) means to test, examine, or try. Jesus knew His plan; Philip needed to learn his limitation. Divine testing exposes what we truly believe. Philip's response (verse 7) showed calculation rather than faith—he saw the problem, no...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **And this he said to prove him.**—This gives us a glimpse into the educational method of the great Teacher. There is for Him no difficulty. He of Himself knows what He is about to do. But Philip had, we may think, been present at Cana of Galilee, and had seen the wine multiplied to supply the needs of all. Other signs had spoken to the eye, and a fuller teaching had spoken to the ear. How far...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28-30. left her water-pot--**How exquisitely natural! The presence of strangers made her feel that it was time for her to withdraw, and He who knew what was in her heart, and what she was going to the city to do, let her go without exchanging a word with her in the hearing of others. Their interview was too sacred, and the effect on the woman too overpowering (not to speak of His own deep emotio...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
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KJV Study Commentary
'Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.' Philip calculates rather than believes. Two hundred denarii equaled about eight months' wages—a huge sum, yet still insufficient. His answer is accurate but faithless. He sees the crowd, calculates the cost, and concludes 'not enough.' Faith would have turned to Jesus rather...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Philip answered him.**—The answer proves that Philip has not really learnt the lessons of the earlier teaching. The question does not suggest to him the true answer of divine sufficiency, but leads him to think of the human difficulty. He looks on the vast throng of people. At the lowest estimate, it would take the value of 200 denarii to feed them—in present money-value nearly £7; in actual...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28-30. left her water-pot--**How exquisitely natural! The presence of strangers made her feel that it was time for her to withdraw, and He who knew what was in her heart, and what she was going to the city to do, let her go without exchanging a word with her in the hearing of others. Their interview was too sacred, and the effect on the woman too overpowering (not to speak of His own deep emotio...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
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KJV Study Commentary
'One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him.' Andrew appears consistently as one who brings others to Jesus—his brother Peter (1:41-42), the boy with loaves (here), and Greek seekers (12:22). His role is connecting need with the Savior. Even here, he brings what's available despite apparent insufficiency. Bringing little to Jesus is better than having much without Him.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **One of his disciples.**—Within the inner circle around Him—and this, too, is told us only by St. John—is another of the early disciples. He was one of the two disciples of the Baptist who first followed Jesus, and John’s own companion (John 1:40). He is always named as one of the first group of the Twelve (comp. Note on Matthew 10:2), and in some way was specially connected with Philip (John...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31-38. meantime--**that is, while the woman was away.
**Master, eat--**Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
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KJV Study Commentary
'There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?' Andrew identifies a resource—a boy's lunch. Barley bread was poor people's food; the fish were small, probably pickled. The resource is meager, the need massive. Andrew's question expresses doubt yet still reports availability. This meal represents all we can offer Christ—insufficient by hu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) Again the account of the eye-witness is the more full and life-like. All tell of the five loaves and two fishes. John knows that they are barley loaves—the ordinary black bread of the Galilean peasant; and that the loaves and fishes are not the property of the disciples, but of a lad or slave who has followed the crowd, in the hope, it may be, of finding a purchaser for them.
The word for “lad...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31-38. meantime--**that is, while the woman was away.
**Master, eat--**Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
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KJV Study Commentary
'And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.' Jesus takes charge, organizing the crowd. Sitting down indicates expectation—they're preparing to receive. The detail 'much grass' places this in spring (Passover time) and confirms John's eyewitness memory. Five thousand men, plus women and children, could mean 15,00...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Much grass.**—This is an addition in this account. St. Mark, who also represents the impression of an eye-witness, tells us that the grass was green (John 6:39). We know from John 6:4 that it was at the time of the Passover—*i.e.,* about our April, when the hill-country on the west of the lake would naturally be clothed with verdure.
**So the men sat down.**—The word (ἄνδρες) means *men* as...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31-38. meantime--**that is, while the woman was away.
**Master, eat--**Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus gave thanks (Greek 'eucharisteo', from which we get Eucharist) before the miracle, modeling gratitude and acknowledging God as provider. The distribution 'to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down' establishes the pattern for church ministry: Christ gives to leaders who distribute to the people. The abundance ('as much as they would') contrasts with the wilderness manna'...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) The better MSS. omit “to the disciples, and the disciples to.” It is included in the sense, but is not here expressed in word.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31-38. meantime--**that is, while the woman was away.
**Master, eat--**Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
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KJV Study Commentary
'When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.' After abundant provision comes careful stewardship. 'Filled' (empiplemi) means completely satisfied—not merely tasted but fully fed. Yet Jesus commands gathering fragments. Divine abundance doesn't authorize waste. Each fragment matters. This principle applies to all God's gifts—abundanc...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Gather up the fragments.**—Again St. John connects immediately with our Lord what the other Evangelists relate of the disciples. It is from this passage only that we know that the gathering of the fragments followed His express command.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31-38. meantime--**that is, while the woman was away.
**Master, eat--**Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
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KJV Study Commentary
'Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.' Twelve baskets from five loaves—more remained than they started with. The 'kophinos' were Jewish wicker baskets for carrying kosher food. Each disciple carried proof of miraculous provision. The surplus demonstrates that Christ's s...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) Comp. Note on Matthew 14:20.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31-38. meantime--**that is, while the woman was away.
**Master, eat--**Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
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KJV Study Commentary
'Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.' The crowd recognizes Jesus as 'the prophet'—referencing Deuteronomy 18:15's prediction of a prophet like Moses. Moses gave manna; Jesus gives bread. The connection is accurate but incomplete—He's not merely a prophet but the Son of God. Partial recognition can pre...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Miracle.**—Better, *sign.* (Comp. John 2:11.)
**That Jesus did.**—Better, *that He did.* The example is instructive, as showing how words were added at the beginning of a portion read in church. See, among other examples in the Book of Common Prayer, the Gospels for St. John the Evangelist’s Day (John 21:19), Quinquagesima (Luke 18:31), the Third Sunday in Lent (Luke 11:14), the Fifth Sunda...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31-38. meantime--**that is, while the woman was away.
**Master, eat--**Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Five thousand miraculously fed.(1-14)
Jesus walks on the sea.(15-21)
He directs to spiritual food.(22-27)
His discourse with the multitude.(28-65)
Many of disciples go back.(66-71)
**Verses 1-14**
John relates the miracle of feeding the multitude, for its reference to the following discourse. Observe the effect this miracle had upon the peopl...
Read full commentary →When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
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KJV Study Commentary
'When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.' The crowd's response is political, not spiritual. They want a bread-providing king who will overthrow Rome and bring prosperity. Jesus withdraws—He won't be manipulated into a role contrary to His mission. His kingdom is not of this world (18:36). Politi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **When Jesus therefore perceived. . . .—**St. John has told us of the effect of the sign on the multitude. He knows also the reason of Christ’s retirement, while St. Matthew and St. Mark only state the fact that He retired to pray. They knew not that He wished to avoid that throng of people who thought of the Messiah as a temporal king, and would have borne Him with them to the great feast at...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31-38. meantime--**that is, while the woman was away.
**Master, eat--**Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-21**
Here were Christ's disciples in the way of duty, and Christ was praying for them; yet they were in distress. There may be perils and afflictions of this present time, where there is an interest in Christ. Clouds and darkness often surround the children of the light and of the day. They see Jesus walking on the sea. Even the approaches of comfort and deliverance often are so mi...
Read full commentary →Jesus Walks on Water
And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
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KJV Study Commentary
The disciples' evening descent to the sea sets up Jesus' walking on water miracle. The temporal marker 'when even was now come' indicates the day's end and gathering darkness, creating the setting for divine revelation in the midst of fear. God often reveals Himself powerfully when circumstances are darkest.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **And when even was now come.**—Comp. Note on Matthew 14:15.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-42. many ... believed, &c.--**The truth of Joh 4:35 begins to appear. These Samaritans were the foundation of the Church afterwards built up there. No miracle appears to have been wrought there (but unparalleled supernatural knowledge displayed): "we have heard Him ourselves" (Joh 4:42) sufficed to raise their faith to a point never attained by the Jews, and hardly as yet by the disciples...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-21**
Here were Christ's disciples in the way of duty, and Christ was praying for them; yet they were in distress. There may be perils and afflictions of this present time, where there is an interest in Christ. Clouds and darkness often surround the children of the light and of the day. They see Jesus walking on the sea. Even the approaches of comfort and deliverance often are so mi...
Read full commentary →And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
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KJV Study Commentary
The disciples 'entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum' while 'it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.' Their situation—night, absence of Jesus—parallels spiritual experiences of darkness and felt divine absence. Yet Jesus knows their situation and will come to them. His temporal absence doesn't indicate abandonment.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) For “a ship,” the received text has, with some of the best MSS., *the ship*—*i.e.,* the ship in which they first crossed. For “went over the sea,” read *were going over the sea.* The voyage is described as still continuing.
**Toward Capernaum.**—St. Matthew speaks more generally of the other (*i.e.,* the western) side. St. Mark of Bethsaida, which was distinct from Bethsaida Julias, which was...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-42. many ... believed, &c.--**The truth of Joh 4:35 begins to appear. These Samaritans were the foundation of the Church afterwards built up there. No miracle appears to have been wrought there (but unparalleled supernatural knowledge displayed): "we have heard Him ourselves" (Joh 4:42) sufficed to raise their faith to a point never attained by the Jews, and hardly as yet by the disciples...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-21**
Here were Christ's disciples in the way of duty, and Christ was praying for them; yet they were in distress. There may be perils and afflictions of this present time, where there is an interest in Christ. Clouds and darkness often surround the children of the light and of the day. They see Jesus walking on the sea. Even the approaches of comfort and deliverance often are so mi...
Read full commentary →And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
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KJV Study Commentary
The sea's rising 'by reason of a great wind that blew' introduces crisis into the disciples' journey. Natural forces threaten their safety, creating the setting for supernatural deliverance. God permits storms in our lives—not as punishment but as contexts for revealing His power and strengthening faith.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **And the sea arose.**—Better, *was rising.* The tense is still imperfect, describing the scene as it took place. The sea was then being agitated by the wind.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-42. many ... believed, &c.--**The truth of Joh 4:35 begins to appear. These Samaritans were the foundation of the Church afterwards built up there. No miracle appears to have been wrought there (but unparalleled supernatural knowledge displayed): "we have heard Him ourselves" (Joh 4:42) sufficed to raise their faith to a point never attained by the Jews, and hardly as yet by the disciples...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-21**
Here were Christ's disciples in the way of duty, and Christ was praying for them; yet they were in distress. There may be perils and afflictions of this present time, where there is an interest in Christ. Clouds and darkness often surround the children of the light and of the day. They see Jesus walking on the sea. Even the approaches of comfort and deliverance often are so mi...
Read full commentary →So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
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KJV Study Commentary
After rowing 'about five and twenty or thirty furlongs' (3-4 miles), they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching. Their fear is natural—a figure walking on stormy waters defies nature. This miracle demonstrates Christ's sovereignty over creation and His care for struggling disciples. He comes to us in our storms.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Five and twenty or thirty furlongs**—i.e., about half their voyage. Josephus describes the lake as forty furlongs wide (*Wars, iii.* 10, § 7). Comp. Matthew 14:25.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-42. many ... believed, &c.--**The truth of Joh 4:35 begins to appear. These Samaritans were the foundation of the Church afterwards built up there. No miracle appears to have been wrought there (but unparalleled supernatural knowledge displayed): "we have heard Him ourselves" (Joh 4:42) sufficed to raise their faith to a point never attained by the Jews, and hardly as yet by the disciples...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-21**
Here were Christ's disciples in the way of duty, and Christ was praying for them; yet they were in distress. There may be perils and afflictions of this present time, where there is an interest in Christ. Clouds and darkness often surround the children of the light and of the day. They see Jesus walking on the sea. Even the approaches of comfort and deliverance often are so mi...
Read full commentary →But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus' words 'It is I; be not afraid' (Greek: egō eimi) use the divine name (Exodus 3:14) while offering comfort. His self-identification transforms fear to peace. The command 'be not afraid' appears throughout Scripture when God reveals Himself—His presence is meant to comfort, not terrify, His people.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) See the same words in Mark 6:50. St. Matthew’s account is more full here, adding the trial of St. Peter’s faith.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Joh 4:43-54. Second Galilean Miracle--Healing of the Courtier's Son.
**43-44. after two days--**literally, the two days of His stay at Sychar.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-21**
Here were Christ's disciples in the way of duty, and Christ was praying for them; yet they were in distress. There may be perils and afflictions of this present time, where there is an interest in Christ. Clouds and darkness often surround the children of the light and of the day. They see Jesus walking on the sea. Even the approaches of comfort and deliverance often are so mi...
Read full commentary →Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
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KJV Study Commentary
The disciples 'willingly received him into the ship,' and immediately 'the ship was at the land whither they went.' Both Jesus' reception and the ship's sudden arrival suggest supernatural elements. Their willing reception contrasts with previous fear, showing how Christ's self-revelation produces faith and welcome. His presence brings immediate arrival at our destination.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **Then they willingly received him.**—This is doubtless correct as an interpretation, but it is too full for a translation. The Greek cannot mean more than, “Then they were willing to receive Him.” They are re-assured by His voice, and their fears cease. That they did receive Him into the ship is stated by St. Matthew and St. Mark, and is implied here. That the words may mean more than a “wis...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Joh 4:43-54. Second Galilean Miracle--Healing of the Courtier's Son.
**43-44. after two days--**literally, the two days of His stay at Sychar.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-21**
Here were Christ's disciples in the way of duty, and Christ was praying for them; yet they were in distress. There may be perils and afflictions of this present time, where there is an interest in Christ. Clouds and darkness often surround the children of the light and of the day. They see Jesus walking on the sea. Even the approaches of comfort and deliverance often are so mi...
Read full commentary →I Am the Bread of Life
The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
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KJV Study Commentary
The crowd's careful observation that there was only one boat and Jesus didn't enter it with the disciples sets up their confusion about His location. Their detailed attention to logistics shows natural reasoning attempting to track Jesus' movements. They cannot account for His presence in Capernaum through ordinary means.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **The people.**—Better, *the multitude.* It is the same word which in John 6:5 is rendered “company.”
**On the other side of the sea**—i.e., on the eastern side. The writer’s starting-point is now Capernaum. In John 6:25 the same words mean the western side, the starting-point of the multitude being the scene of the miracle.
**Save that one whereinto his disciples were entered.**—Better, *sav...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**45. received--**welcomed Him.
**having seen ... at the feast--**proud, perhaps, of their Countryman's wonderful works at Jerusalem, and possibly won by this circumstance to regard His claims as at least worthy of respectful investigation. Even this our Lord did not despise, for saving conversion often begins in less than this (so Zaccheus, Lu 19:3-10).
**for they also went--**that is, it was...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
Instead of answering the inquiry how he came there, Jesus blamed their asking. The utmost earnestness should be employed in seeking salvation, in the use of appointed means; yet it is to be sought only as the gift of the Son of man. Him the Father has sealed, proved to be God. He declared the Son of man to be the Son of God with power.
(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
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KJV Study Commentary
Other boats from Tiberias arrived near the feeding location, providing transportation for the crowd to pursue Jesus. John's detail that they came 'from Tiberias' and that this was 'nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks' emphasizes Jesus' role in the miracle through His thanksgiving. True provision flows from Christ's mediation.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **Howbeit there came other boats.**—This is a parenthesis to explain the fact that while on the previous evening they saw only one boat, there were now several. The multitude came in part from the west of the lake, and the boats crossed over in the morning for them. It is possible that a harbour or centre of merchandise is pointed out by “nigh unto the place.”
**The Lord had given thanks.**—T...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**46-47. nobleman--**courtier, king's servant, or one connected with a royal household; such as Chuza (Lu 8:3), or Manaen (Ac 13:1).
**heard that Jesus was come out of Judea--**"where he had doubtless seen or heard what things Jesus had done at Jerusalem" (Joh 4:45), [Bengel].
**come down--**for Capernaum was down on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
Instead of answering the inquiry how he came there, Jesus blamed their asking. The utmost earnestness should be employed in seeking salvation, in the use of appointed means; yet it is to be sought only as the gift of the Son of man. Him the Father has sealed, proved to be God. He declared the Son of man to be the Son of God with power.
When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
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KJV Study Commentary
The crowd's pursuit of Jesus to Capernaum demonstrates persistent seeking, albeit with mixed motives. They came seeking bread, not truth; provision, not the Provider. Their physical journey mirrors the spiritual journey many make—following Jesus for benefits rather than worship. Yet Christ graciously uses their lesser motivations to teach greater truths.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **When the people.**—Better, *the multitude,* as before. It is not necessary to suppose that the whole 5,000 crossed over. The crowd came probably in part from the eastern side, and many would continue their journey to Jerusalem (comp. John 6:2). If indeed we press the words of John 6:22, “the multitude which (still) stood on the other side of the sea,” they would include the remnant only.
**...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**46-47. nobleman--**courtier, king's servant, or one connected with a royal household; such as Chuza (Lu 8:3), or Manaen (Ac 13:1).
**heard that Jesus was come out of Judea--**"where he had doubtless seen or heard what things Jesus had done at Jerusalem" (Joh 4:45), [Bengel].
**come down--**for Capernaum was down on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
Instead of answering the inquiry how he came there, Jesus blamed their asking. The utmost earnestness should be employed in seeking salvation, in the use of appointed means; yet it is to be sought only as the gift of the Son of man. Him the Father has sealed, proved to be God. He declared the Son of man to be the Son of God with power.
And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
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KJV Study Commentary
The crowd's question 'Rabbi, when camest thou hither?' reveals their confusion about His arrival in Capernaum. They address Him as 'Rabbi' (teacher), showing respect but not yet understanding His divine nature. Their focus on 'when' shows preoccupation with logistics rather than significance. Jesus will redirect their curiosity toward spiritual truth.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Rabbi, when camest thou hither?**—This discourse took place in the synagogue at Capernaum (John 6:59). They are amazed to find Him here. When and how could He have come? He had not gone in the boat with the disciples, and no other boats had crossed but those in which they themselves came. On the title Rabbi, see Note on John 1:38.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**48-54. Except ye see signs, &c.--**He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
Instead of answering the inquiry how he came there, Jesus blamed their asking. The utmost earnestness should be employed in seeking salvation, in the use of appointed means; yet it is to be sought only as the gift of the Son of man. Him the Father has sealed, proved to be God. He declared the Son of man to be the Son of God with power.
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
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KJV Study Commentary
'Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.' Jesus exposes their motivation—they want provision, not the Provider. They saw miracles but missed their meaning. Physical satisfaction became their goal rather than spiritual truth. Jesus distinguishes between signs and their significa...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) Jesus does not answer their question. There is an earlier sign than that about which they now ask, the spiritual significance of which neither they nor the disciples have realised (Mark 6:52). He does not satisfy their curiosity, but with the solemn “Verily, verily,” begins to reveal this hidden truth.
**Not because ye saw the miracles.**—Better, *not because ye saw signs.* There is no articl...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**48-54. Except ye see signs, &c.--**He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
Instead of answering the inquiry how he came there, Jesus blamed their asking. The utmost earnestness should be employed in seeking salvation, in the use of appointed means; yet it is to be sought only as the gift of the Son of man. Him the Father has sealed, proved to be God. He declared the Son of man to be the Son of God with power.
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Labour not: or, Work not
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KJV Study Commentary
'Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.' Jesus redirects priorities—don't work for perishable food but for eternal sustenance. Physical bread satisfies temporarily; spiritual bread satisfies eternally. The Son of Man gives this food; the Father has authenticated (...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Labour not for the meat which perisheth.**—This is one of the instances in which the reader of the English Bible has in the margin a much better rendering than in the text. *Work not* shows the verbal connection with John 6:28-30, which is wholly lost in “labour not.” It will be instructive to compare the other passages in this Gospel where the word occurs: John 3:21 (*wrought* in God); Joh...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**48-54. Except ye see signs, &c.--**He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
Instead of answering the inquiry how he came there, Jesus blamed their asking. The utmost earnestness should be employed in seeking salvation, in the use of appointed means; yet it is to be sought only as the gift of the Son of man. Him the Father has sealed, proved to be God. He declared the Son of man to be the Son of God with power.
Then said they unto him, What shall we do , that we might work the works of God?
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KJV Study Commentary
'Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?' The crowd's question reveals works-based thinking. They want a list of actions to perform. 'Works of God' (plural) implies multiple requirements. This reflects religious mentality that seeks salvation through achievement. Jesus' answer (verse 29) will redirect from works to work, from doing to believing.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) This verse confirms the meaning given to the preceding words. They understand them in that sense. There are works for them to do which are appointed of God. What shall they do that they may work these works? They had seen Him doing mighty works, which clearly showed the power of God. Are there for them works of a like kind? What steps must they take that they too may work them?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**48-54. Except ye see signs, &c.--**He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 28-35**
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, no...
Read full commentary →Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
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KJV Study Commentary
'Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.' Singular 'work' replaces plural 'works.' Faith in the one God sent is the fundamental response God requires. This doesn't eliminate good works but establishes their foundation—faith in Christ. Believing is both gift and response, divine work and human act. All other obedience flows from this cen...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **This is the work of God.**—They speak of “works,” regarding life as an aggregate of individual deeds. He speaks of “work,” regarding separate acts as the outcome of principle. His own works (John 5:36) made one complete work (John 17:4). They had one great work to do, which indeed seemed not a work, but which when realised would be the living principle of every work, and would be as food ab...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**48-54. Except ye see signs, &c.--**He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 28-35**
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, no...
Read full commentary →They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
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KJV Study Commentary
The demand 'What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee?' is remarkable given yesterday's feeding of 5,000. Their question reveals that miracles alone don't produce lasting faith—they want new signs to maintain belief. This illustrates that sign-dependent faith is weak and temporary. True faith rests on Christ's person, not constant miraculous validation.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **What dost thou work?**—They feel that His words are an assertion that He is the Messiah, and they demand of Him Messianic signs and works. Do they demand a sign who had seen the thousands fed, and would then have made Him a king? It was but yesterday that He was obliged to withdraw from the enthusiasm of the multitude. Do they today need a further proof? The answer is to be found partly in ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**48-54. Except ye see signs, &c.--**He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 28-35**
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, no...
Read full commentary →Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
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KJV Study Commentary
The crowd cites 'our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat' (Psalm 78:24), implicitly challenging Jesus to match Moses' provision. Their appeal to Scripture and ancestry reveals how we can use biblical truth to resist present revelation. They cite manna but miss its fulfillment standing before them.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **Our fathers did eat manna.**—He claims to be the Messiah; but the Messiah was to be greater than Moses, and the sign He has shown is less. The Messiah was to cause manna again to fall from heaven, as their Rabbis taught. They had eaten food which, if miraculously multiplied, was still the food of earth—the common bread and common relish—and this on the grassy sward not far removed from the ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**48-54. Except ye see signs, &c.--**He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 28-35**
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, no...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus corrects their theology: 'Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.' This correction emphasizes that God, not Moses, provided manna, and that manna was merely typical, not ultimate. The present tense 'giveth' indicates current provision of something superior—Christ Himself as the true bread.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **Moses gave you not that bread.**—Again His solemn words bring to their thoughts the deeper reality which they are passing over. They had implied a contrast between their fathers and themselves, between Moses and Jesus. They expressed the glory of the Mosaic sign in the language of the Psalm; but there the gift is ascribed to God, and it is named to mark the darkness of their unbelief. The g...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 28-35**
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, no...
Read full commentary →For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus defines God's bread as 'he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.' This transitions from bread as commodity to bread as person—Christ Himself. The phrase 'giveth life unto the world' expands beyond Israel to universal scope. True bread doesn't merely sustain physical existence but imparts spiritual and eternal life.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **He which.**—Better, *that which.* The identification with Himself does not occur before John 6:35. This verse is a fuller expression of the last clause of John 6:32, to which each term answers.
“My Father giveth” . . . . . “the bread of God.”
“The (ideally) true bread” . . . . . “giveth life unto the world.”
“From heaven” . . . . . “which cometh down from heaven.”
The tenses are present. (C...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 5 Joh 5:1-47. The Impotent Man Healed--Discourse Occasioned by the Persecution Arising Thereupon.
**1. a feast of the Jews--**What feast? No question has more divided the Harmonists of the Gospels, and the duration of our Lord's ministry may be said to hinge on it. For if, as the majority have thought (until of late years) it was a Passover, His ministry lasted three and a half years; if ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 28-35**
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, no...
Read full commentary →Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
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KJV Study Commentary
The crowd's request 'Lord, evermore give us this bread' parallels the Samaritan woman's 'give me this water' (John 4:15)—both show initial interest based on misunderstanding. They still think materially while Jesus speaks spiritually. Their address 'Lord' (kyrie) and word 'evermore' show growing reverence, yet comprehension lags. God works through partial understanding toward full revelation.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **Lord, evermore give us. . . .—**Comp. Note on John 4:15. It would be better to read *Sir* for “Lord” here, as there. They, as the Samaritan woman, think of the satisfaction of physical need. They do not realise that man does not live by bread alone. The manna fell from heaven and gave life to their fathers; He has spoken of bread of God coming in the same way, and giving life. He has given ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-3. sheep market--**The supplement should be (as in Margin) "sheep [gate]," mentioned in Ne 3:1, 32.
**Bethesda--**that is, "house (place) of mercy," from the cures wrought there.
**five porches--**for shelter to the patients.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 28-35**
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, no...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse constitutes the first major 'I am' statement in John's Gospel. Jesus declares ego eimi ho artos tes zoes - employing the sacred formula ego eimi that echoes YHWH's self-revelation in Exodus 3:14. The metaphor of 'bread' would resonate powerfully following the feeding of five thousand (6:1-15), but Jesus transforms physical imagery into spiritual reality. The genitive construction 'bread...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(35) **I am the bread of life.**—Comp. again the conversation with the woman of Samaria. Here they have asked for “this bread,” the bread which giveth life, as distinct from that which perisheth. It is now present with them. He is that bread, whose characteristic is life. He is the Word of God, revealing God to man, teaching the eternal truths which are the life of the spirit just as bread is of t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-3. sheep market--**The supplement should be (as in Margin) "sheep [gate]," mentioned in Ne 3:1, 32.
**Bethesda--**that is, "house (place) of mercy," from the cures wrought there.
**five porches--**for shelter to the patients.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 28-35**
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, no...
Read full commentary →But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus' statement 'ye also have seen me, and believe not' diagnoses the problem—sight without faith. They witnessed miracles, heard teaching, yet didn't truly believe. This proves that evidence alone doesn't produce saving faith; the Spirit must work internally. External witness, however compelling, requires internal transformation to produce genuine conversion.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(36) **But I said unto you . . .**—There is no record of this saying. It was included in the thoughts of John 5:37-44, and was perhaps uttered then, or, more probably, to those whom He is now addressing. That there are many words of Christ which have not been preserved to us is certain. (Comp. Notes on John 20:30-31.) It is possible, but scarcely more than this, that the words refer to what He was...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. an angel, &c.--**This miracle differed in two points from all other miracles recorded in Scripture: (1) It was not one, but a succession of miracles periodically wrought: (2) As it was only wrought "when the waters were troubled," so only upon one patient at a time, and that the patient "who first stepped in after the troubling of the waters." But this only the more undeniably fixed its m...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse presents the dual movement of salvation: divine sovereignty and human response. The opening 'All that the Father giveth me' (pan ho didosin moi ho pater) emphasizes the Father's elective giving - souls are given as a gift to the Son. The promise 'shall come to me' indicates certainty, not mere possibility. The second clause 'him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out' employs the ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(37) **All that the Father giveth me.**—There is something startling in this power of the human will to reject the fullest evidence, and to remain unbelieving, after the proof which it has itself demanded as a foundation for its belief. In that assembly there are representatives of the differing stages of faith and non-faith in Him, which every age of Christianity has seen. Here are men in the pri...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-9. thirty and eight years--**but not all that time at the pool. This was probably the most pitiable of all the cases, and therefore selected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
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KJV Study Commentary
'For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.' Jesus' heavenly origin grounds His authority. His mission is pure submission—not self-will but the Father's will. This models the obedience He requires of followers. His 'coming down' asserts pre-existence; His obedience demonstrates perfect Sonship. The incarnation was not Jesus' personal project but the Fat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(38) **Not to do mine own will.**—Comp. John 5:30. He has spoken of the Father’s gift and of human action. He now once more identifies His own will with that of the Father, and yet states the fact of His possessing an independent will. It cannot be that He should cast out any one who comes. He knows, indeed, with the knowledge of human nature, how hard it is for men to read the spiritual through t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-9. thirty and eight years--**but not all that time at the pool. This was probably the most pitiable of all the cases, and therefore selected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
'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.' The Father's will is the Son's preserving of all given to Him. 'Lose nothing' is emphatic—complete preservation. Jesus guarantees resurrection for all the Father entrusts to Him. Divine election ('given me') meets human security ('lose nothing'...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(39) **And this is the Father’s will.**—Read, with best MSS., *And this is the will of Him that sent Me.* Comp. Note on John 6:40. These two verses further set forth the divine will in the mission of Christ, first in relation to the Father’s gift, and then in relation to man’s acceptance. Both verses make emphatic the expression of that will in the mission, *Him that sent Me;* both refer its fulfi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-9. thirty and eight years--**but not all that time at the pool. This was probably the most pitiable of all the cases, and therefore selected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
'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.' Seeing and believing are connected—spiritual perception leading to faith. Everyone who truly sees Jesus for who He is and believes receives eternal life. The promise of resurrection ('I will raise him up') is Jesus' personal commi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(40) **And this is the will of him that sent me.**—Read, *For this is the will of My Father.* (See John 6:39.) The common text has inserted the opening words of these verses. There can be no doubt that the change indicated gives the original reading, and it will be seen that the relation of “Father” and “Son” is thus preserved.
**Every one which seeth the Son.**—We pass here to the individuals who...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-9. thirty and eight years--**but not all that time at the pool. This was probably the most pitiable of all the cases, and therefore selected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Jews murmured about Jesus' claim to be bread from heaven, echoing their ancestors' murmuring against God in the wilderness (Exodus 16:2). Murmuring reveals unbelief and rebellion. Their offense at His claim shows how divine truth offends natural understanding. The Reformed doctrine affirms that natural man cannot receive spiritual truth apart from grace (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(41) **The Jews murmured at him.**—Better, *concerning Him,* as in John 7:12; John 7:32. Here, too, it was “among themselves” (John 6:43). With the true spirit of objectors, they do not regard what He has since said in explanation, but fasten upon what they do not understand in its most striking form. Perhaps they have not listened to what has followed; indeed, the words imply that they were for s...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-9. thirty and eight years--**but not all that time at the pool. This was probably the most pitiable of all the cases, and therefore selected.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →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?
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KJV Study Commentary
Their question 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?' shows familiarity breeding contempt. Knowing His earthly origins, they cannot fathom His heavenly origin. This illustrates how human reasoning based on natural knowledge can blind us to supernatural reality. The incarnation's scandal is precisely this: the eternal Word became flesh with identifiable human paren...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(42) **Is not this Jesus?**—Here is something definite. He has spoken of being the Bread of Life, and of the Bread from Heaven. Putting together John 6:33; John 6:35; John 6:38, they in effect quote His words. But His natural descent and birth was in its outer facts well known, though all its mysteries were still stored in the mother’s heart, and waiting for the human life’s completion before they...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-16. The Jews--**that is, those in authority. (See on Joh 1:19.)
**it is not lawful to carry thy bed--**a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! (And what a contrast does it, as all our Lord's miracles, present to the bungling miracles of the Church of Rome!) In ordinary circumstances, the rulers had the law on their side (Ne 13:1...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus' command 'Murmur not among yourselves' addresses their grumbling, which prevents reception of truth. Their whispering to each other rather than asking Jesus directly shows how group dynamics can reinforce unbelief. Christ calls for honest engagement with His claims rather than dismissive complaining.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(43) He does not meet their difficulty. It does not appear, indeed, that it was expressed to Him. He seeks to silence the interruption which their murmuring *among themselves* has caused, and resumes the discourse broken at John 6:40.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-16. The Jews--**that is, those in authority. (See on Joh 1:19.)
**it is not lawful to carry thy bed--**a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! (And what a contrast does it, as all our Lord's miracles, present to the bungling miracles of the Church of Rome!) In ordinary circumstances, the rulers had the law on their side (Ne 13:1...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
'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.' Human inability meets divine initiative. Coming to Christ requires the Father's drawing. 'Can' (dunatai) indicates ability, not permission—humanity cannot come unless drawn. This isn't mere invitation but effective attraction. Yet drawing doesn't force—those drawn come willingly because...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(44) **No man can come to me.**—The subject is still the mystery of the varying effects of His revelation on the minds of men. These depend upon their present mental state, which is itself the result of acceptance of, or rejection of, divine influence. The Father which sent Him had, by law, and prophets, and worship, been preparing them. The history of each individual life had been a succession, i...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-16. The Jews--**that is, those in authority. (See on Joh 1:19.)
**it is not lawful to carry thy bed--**a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! (And what a contrast does it, as all our Lord's miracles, present to the bungling miracles of the Church of Rome!) In ordinary circumstances, the rulers had the law on their side (Ne 13:1...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
'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 to me.' Jesus quotes Isaiah 54:13, pointing to divine teaching as the means of drawing. Those who truly hear and learn from the Father come to Christ. The Father's teaching leads to the Son. No one comes to Jesus by human wisdom alone but by divine instru...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(45) **It is written in the prophets** . .—*i.e.,* in the Book of the Prophets. (Comp. Matthew 2:23; Mark 1:2; Acts 7:42; Acts 13:40.) The immediate reference is to the LXX. translation of Isaiah 54:13, but the same thought runs through other passages of the prophets, as Jeremiah 31:34, and Joel 3:1 *et seq.*
The words bring out the meaning of the Father’s drawing referred to in John 6:44, and poi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-16. The Jews--**that is, those in authority. (See on Joh 1:19.)
**it is not lawful to carry thy bed--**a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! (And what a contrast does it, as all our Lord's miracles, present to the bungling miracles of the Church of Rome!) In ordinary circumstances, the rulers had the law on their side (Ne 13:1...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus clarifies 'Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father,' asserting His unique revelation of the Father. This guards against mysticism—no one comes to the Father independently—while affirming Christ's exclusive status. He alone has seen the Father because He alone is from the Father. Reformed theology emphasizes Christ as sole mediator.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(46) But this hearing and learning of the Father was the preparation for, not the substitute for, the fuller revelation in the person of the Son. Once again He declares that “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath been the interpreter.” (See Note on John 1:18; and comp. John 3:13; John 8:38.) Every man, in proportion as he had been taug...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-16. The Jews--**that is, those in authority. (See on Joh 1:19.)
**it is not lawful to carry thy bed--**a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! (And what a contrast does it, as all our Lord's miracles, present to the bungling miracles of the Church of Rome!) In ordinary circumstances, the rulers had the law on their side (Ne 13:1...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-46**
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart;...
Read full commentary →Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
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KJV Study Commentary
'Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.' Simple, emphatic declaration: belief equals possession of eternal life. Present tense 'hath' (echei) indicates current possession, not merely future hope. Eternal life begins at faith, continues through death, and culminates in resurrection. This is John's repeated theme—faith brings immediate, ongoing, and ultimate l...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(47) **He that believeth.**—This thought gives a new force to what He has said in John 6:40. He there declared the Father’s will, that every one seeing the Son and believing on Him may have eternal life. No man had ever seen the Father, but the Son was then standing in human form before them, and this will was being accomplished, and for the believer eternal life was not only of the future but of ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-16. The Jews--**that is, those in authority. (See on Joh 1:19.)
**it is not lawful to carry thy bed--**a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! (And what a contrast does it, as all our Lord's miracles, present to the bungling miracles of the Church of Rome!) In ordinary circumstances, the rulers had the law on their side (Ne 13:1...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 47-51**
The advantage of the manna was small, it only referred to this life; but the living Bread is so excellent, that the man who feedeth on it shall never die. This bread is Christ's human nature, which he took to present to the Father, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; to purchase all things pertaining to life and godliness, for sinners of every nation, who repent and beli...
Read full commentary →I am that bread of life.
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KJV Study Commentary
Christ repeats and reinforces 'I am that bread of life' for emphasis, developing the contrast with wilderness manna. This claim—to be the bread that gives eternal life—is either blasphemy or truth. The exclusive article 'that' indicates Christ alone satisfies spiritual need. This statement anticipates the Last Supper and develops John's incarnational theology: the Word made flesh becomes spiritual...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(48) **I am that bread of life.**—Better, *I am the bread of life.* The words, which seem to them so hard to fathom (John 6:41), are only an expression of this truth in the form of their own demand (John 6:31). The essence of life is unseen; bread is the visible form which contains and imparts it. The invisible God is the source of eternal life; the human nature of the Son of God is the visible fo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-16. The Jews--**that is, those in authority. (See on Joh 1:19.)
**it is not lawful to carry thy bed--**a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! (And what a contrast does it, as all our Lord's miracles, present to the bungling miracles of the Church of Rome!) In ordinary circumstances, the rulers had the law on their side (Ne 13:1...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 47-51**
The advantage of the manna was small, it only referred to this life; but the living Bread is so excellent, that the man who feedeth on it shall never die. This bread is Christ's human nature, which he took to present to the Father, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; to purchase all things pertaining to life and godliness, for sinners of every nation, who repent and beli...
Read full commentary →Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
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KJV Study Commentary
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. Jesus contrasts the temporary sustenance of physical manna with the eternal life He provides. The Greek word 'apethanon' (died) emphasizes the finality of physical death despite miraculous provision. The manna, though divinely given, could only sustain earthly life temporarily. This sets up the crucial distinction between types and their ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(49) **Your fathers . . . and are dead.**—Better, . . . *and died.*—The manna which their fathers ate (John 6:31) seemed to them a greater work than this which He has done. Its true relation to Him is shown in the fact that those who ate it afterwards died; whereas He is the true spiritual food for the world, and those who feed upon Him shall not afterwards die. That was manna, special in time and...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17-18. My Father worketh hitherto and I work--**The "I" is emphatic; "The creative and conservative activity of My Father has known no sabbath-cessation from the beginning until now, and that is the law of My working."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 47-51**
The advantage of the manna was small, it only referred to this life; but the living Bread is so excellent, that the man who feedeth on it shall never die. This bread is Christ's human nature, which he took to present to the Father, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; to purchase all things pertaining to life and godliness, for sinners of every nation, who repent and beli...
Read full commentary →This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof , and not die.
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KJV Study Commentary
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. The demonstrative 'houtos' (this) identifies Jesus Himself as the bread. The present tense 'katabainon' (coming down) indicates the ongoing reality of Christ's divine origin and mission. The purpose clause 'hina...mē apothanē' (that...not die) specifies the result: eating this bread prevents death—not physica...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17-18. My Father worketh hitherto and I work--**The "I" is emphatic; "The creative and conservative activity of My Father has known no sabbath-cessation from the beginning until now, and that is the law of My working."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 47-51**
The advantage of the manna was small, it only referred to this life; but the living Bread is so excellent, that the man who feedeth on it shall never die. This bread is Christ's human nature, which he took to present to the Father, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; to purchase all things pertaining to life and godliness, for sinners of every nation, who repent and beli...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus intensifies the bread of life discourse with the shocking declaration 'I am the living bread which came down from heaven' (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς). The definite article emphasizes exclusivity—THE living bread, not a bread among many. 'Living' (ζῶν/zōn) contrasts with the manna that sustained physical life temporarily; Jesus is bread that imparts eternal, spiritual li...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(51) **I am the living bread.**—The words are again repeated (comp. John 6:35; John 6:48), but with a new fulness of meaning. He spoke before of bread which was “of life,” characterised by life, producing life. He now speaks of this bread as “living,” containing the principle of life in itself. (Comp. John 4:13-14; John 5:26). Once again, too, He answers their demand for bread “from heaven” (John ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19-20. the Son can do nothing of himself--**that is, apart from and in rivalry of the Father, as they supposed. The meaning is, "The Son can have no separate interest or action from the Father."
**for what things, &c.--**On the contrary, "whatever the Father doeth that same doeth the Son,"
**likewise--**"in the like manner." What claim to absolute equality with the Father could exceed th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 47-51**
The advantage of the manna was small, it only referred to this life; but the living Bread is so excellent, that the man who feedeth on it shall never die. This bread is Christ's human nature, which he took to present to the Father, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; to purchase all things pertaining to life and godliness, for sinners of every nation, who repent and beli...
Read full commentary →The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
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KJV Study Commentary
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? The verb 'emachonto' (strove/contended) indicates intense, hostile debate. Their question 'pōs' (how) reveals they're taking Jesus literally, missing the spiritual reality. This interpretive blindness is typical of unregenerate thinking—spiritual truths seem foolish (1 Corinthians 2:14). Their offense at...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(52) **The Jews therefore strove among themselves.**—They have passed beyond the murmuring of John 6:41. They understand that He means, though His own words have not yet expressed it, that His flesh is to be eaten, and is thus to supply the principle of life. They contend one with another as to how this can really be.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19-20. the Son can do nothing of himself--**that is, apart from and in rivalry of the Father, as they supposed. The meaning is, "The Son can have no separate interest or action from the Father."
**for what things, &c.--**On the contrary, "whatever the Father doeth that same doeth the Son,"
**likewise--**"in the like manner." What claim to absolute equality with the Father could exceed th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 52-59**
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purcha...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
'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.' This shocking statement intensifies the discourse. 'Eat' and 'drink' are metaphors for appropriating Christ's sacrificial death. Without personally receiving what Christ offers through His death, there is no spiritual life. The language anticipates th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(53) **Then Jesus said unto them.**—This is hardly strong enough for the original. It is rather, *Jesus therefore said unto them.* The words follow upon those he has heard from them.
Some of them have spoken of eating His flesh. Others may even have pressed this to the *reductio ad horribile.* Eat His flesh! Shall we, then, drink His blood too? In no less than seven passages of the Pentateuch had ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-23. raiseth the dead and quickeneth them--**one act in two stages. This is His absolute prerogative as God.
**so the Son quickeneth them--**that is, raiseth up and quickeneth.
**whom he will--**not only doing the same divine act, but doing it as the result of His own will, even as the Father does it. This statement is of immense importance in relation to the miracles of Christ, distinguis...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 52-59**
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purcha...
Read full commentary →Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
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KJV Study Commentary
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. The present participle 'ho trōgōn' (the one eating/chewing) indicates ongoing, continuous action—not a one-time event but continual feeding on Christ. The verb 'trōgō' is visceral, meaning to chew or gnaw, emphasizing real, intimate appropriation. 'Drinking blood' compounds the offense to Jewi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(54) **Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood.**—The thought advances from the negative to the positive. The previous verse stated the condition without which they could not have life. This verse declares that they who thus eat and drink possess that life now, and that it is eternal. (Comp. Note on John 6:47.) The thought advances, too, from the “ye” of those immediately addressed to the “wh...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-23. raiseth the dead and quickeneth them--**one act in two stages. This is His absolute prerogative as God.
**so the Son quickeneth them--**that is, raiseth up and quickeneth.
**whom he will--**not only doing the same divine act, but doing it as the result of His own will, even as the Father does it. This statement is of immense importance in relation to the miracles of Christ, distinguis...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 52-59**
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purcha...
Read full commentary →For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
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KJV Study Commentary
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. The Greek 'alēthēs' (true/real) modifies both 'food' and 'drink,' contrasting true spiritual nourishment with all counterfeits. This is not metaphorical food but true food—Christ Himself is the real, substantial nourishment souls need. Physical food and drink merely sustain biological life temporarily; Christ sustains eternal life definiti...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(55) **For my flesh is meat indeed.**—Better, *for My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.* This verse further explains that he who eateth the flesh and drinketh the blood hath eternal life, for he has the true elements of life. It is an answer, too, to the question. How can this Man give us His flesh to eat? (John 6:52.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21-23. raiseth the dead and quickeneth them--**one act in two stages. This is His absolute prerogative as God.
**so the Son quickeneth them--**that is, raiseth up and quickeneth.
**whom he will--**not only doing the same divine act, but doing it as the result of His own will, even as the Father does it. This statement is of immense importance in relation to the miracles of Christ, distinguis...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 52-59**
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purcha...
Read full commentary →He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.</strong> This profound statement climaxes Jesus' Bread of Life discourse, using shocking imagery to describe spiritual union with Christ. The Greek <em>ho trōgōn</em> (ὁ τρώγων, "eateth") uses a vivid verb meaning to chew, gnaw, or munch—emphasizing active, personal appropriation rather than passive observation. ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(56) **Dwelleth in me, and I in him.**—*Abideth* gives the sense more fully. (Comp. John 14:2-23; John 15:4 *et seq.;* John 17:23; 1John 3:24; 1John 4:16.) It is one of those deeper thoughts which meet us only in the words of the beloved disciple. The union which results from the communication of life is not temporary, but is one that remaineth. By virtue of it we abide in Christ, and He in us. It...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24. believeth on him that sent me--**that is, believeth in Him as having sent Me. I have spoken of the Son's right not only to heal the sick but to raise from the dead, and quicken whom He will: And now I say unto you, That life-giving operation has already passed upon all who receive My words as the Sent of the Father on the great errand of mercy.
**hath everlasting life--**immediately on his...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 52-59**
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purcha...
Read full commentary →As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
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KJV Study Commentary
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This verse unveils Trinitarian relationality as the model for salvation. The 'living Father' (ho zōn patēr) possesses life inherently and eternally. The Son lives 'by' (dia) the Father—not that the Father causes the Son's existence (contra Arianism), but that the Son's mission and work proc...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(57) **I live by the Father . . . he shall live by me.**—The preposition “by” here is ambiguous, and it is better, therefore, to render the words, *I live by reason of the Father* . . . *he shall live by reason of Me.* For the thought of the Father as the original source of life, and as giving this principle of life to the Son, comp. Note on John 5:26. He that taketh the Son into his own being, in...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-29. The hour cometh--**in its whole fulness, at Pentecost.
**and now is--**in its beginnings.
**the dead--**the spiritually dead, as is clear from Joh 5:28. Here He rises from the calmer phrase "hearing his word" (Joh 5:24), to the grander expression, "hearing the voice of the Son of God," to signify that as it finds men in a dead condition, so it carries with it a resurrection-power.
*...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 52-59**
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purcha...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
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. Jesus concludes His bread discourse by contrasting temporal and eternal provision. The definitive article 'houtos' (this) identifies Christ alone as the true heavenly bread. The perfect tense 'katabas' (came down) emphasizes the completed historical fac...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(58) **This is that **(better, *the*) **bread which came down** . . . *i.e.,* of this nature, which He has expounded from John 6:32 onwards. The tense is now in the past, pointing to His historic coming, because He has asserted that He is the bread. (Comp. John 6:33; John 6:38.)
**Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are** **dead.**—Read, with the best MSS., *not as your fathers did eat, and are...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-29. The hour cometh--**in its whole fulness, at Pentecost.
**and now is--**in its beginnings.
**the dead--**the spiritually dead, as is clear from Joh 5:28. Here He rises from the calmer phrase "hearing his word" (Joh 5:24), to the grander expression, "hearing the voice of the Son of God," to signify that as it finds men in a dead condition, so it carries with it a resurrection-power.
*...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 52-59**
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purcha...
Read full commentary →These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
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KJV Study Commentary
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. This verse provides geographical and institutional context. The 'synagogue' (sunagōgē) was the center of Jewish religious life, where Torah was read and expounded. Jesus taught controversial Christology in Israel's official religious space, directly confronting religious authority. The verb 'didaskōn' (teaching) indicates authoritat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(59) **As he taught in Capernaum.**—If we accept the identification of Capernaum with *Tell-Hûm,* which is in every way probable (comp. Note on Matthew 4:13), we have good reason for believing that modern discovery has traced out the foundations of the synagogue in which this discourse was spoken. It was a gift to the Jews by a devout Gentile (Luke 7:5), and as such, of greater architectural beaut...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-29. The hour cometh--**in its whole fulness, at Pentecost.
**and now is--**in its beginnings.
**the dead--**the spiritually dead, as is clear from Joh 5:28. Here He rises from the calmer phrase "hearing his word" (Joh 5:24), to the grander expression, "hearing the voice of the Son of God," to signify that as it finds men in a dead condition, so it carries with it a resurrection-power.
*...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 52-59**
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purcha...
Read full commentary →Many Disciples Turn Back
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
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KJV Study Commentary
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? The phrase 'many...of his disciples' indicates not just the Twelve but a broader following. The adjective 'sklēros' (hard/harsh) means difficult, offensive, intolerable—not intellectually incomprehensible but morally repugnant. They understand what Jesus means (eating His flesh, drinking His b...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(60) **Many therefore of his disciples**—i.e., of the disciples in the wider sense; those who more or less fully were accepting His teaching, and were regarded as His followers. From John 6:64, the Apostles would seem to be included in the more general designation. In John 6:67 they are separately addressed.
**This is an hard saying; who can hear it?**—*i.e.,* not hard to be understood, but hard t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-29. The hour cometh--**in its whole fulness, at Pentecost.
**and now is--**in its beginnings.
**the dead--**the spiritually dead, as is clear from Joh 5:28. Here He rises from the calmer phrase "hearing his word" (Joh 5:24), to the grander expression, "hearing the voice of the Son of God," to signify that as it finds men in a dead condition, so it carries with it a resurrection-power.
*...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 60-65**
The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spi...
Read full commentary →When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? offend: or, scandalize, or, cause you to stumble
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KJV Study Commentary
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? Jesus's knowledge 'in himself' (en heautō) indicates either supernatural insight or perceptive observation—likely both. The verb 'eggonguousin' (murmured) echoes Israel's wilderness grumbling (Exodus 16:2, Numbers 14:2), creating an ominous parallel between these disciples and unfaithful Israel. ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(61) **When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured.**—The tenses in the original describe the scene in the present: Jesus as *knowing,* the disciples as *murmuring.* The knowledge is in Himself, uninformed by them, and His teaching is addressed to the thoughts of their hearts. They were placing themselves in the position of the Jews (John 6:41), and were making the stepping-stone of spi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-29. The hour cometh--**in its whole fulness, at Pentecost.
**and now is--**in its beginnings.
**the dead--**the spiritually dead, as is clear from Joh 5:28. Here He rises from the calmer phrase "hearing his word" (Joh 5:24), to the grander expression, "hearing the voice of the Son of God," to signify that as it finds men in a dead condition, so it carries with it a resurrection-power.
*...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 60-65**
The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spi...
Read full commentary →What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
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KJV Study Commentary
What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? This rhetorical question intensifies rather than resolves the offense. If eating His flesh offends them, witnessing His ascension to heaven will offend even more. The phrase 'where he was before' (hopou ēn to proteron) clearly asserts Christ's pre-existence—He existed before His incarnation. The 'Son of man' title, drawn from D...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(62) **What and if ye shall see** **. . .?—**Our version adds the word “what,” as will be seen from the italics, but it rightly expresses the sense. Literally, we should read, *If then ye should behold the Son of Man ascending up where He was before?* The Ascension would be the proof of the coming down from heaven (John 6:58), which is part of the teaching they cannot now accept. The margin refers...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**30-32. of mine own self do nothing--**that is, apart from the Father, or in any interest than My own. (See on Joh 5:19).
**as I hear--**that is, "My judgments are all anticipated in the bosom of My Father, to which I have immediate access, and by Me only responded to and reflected. They cannot therefore err, as I live for one end only, to carry into effect the will of Him that sent Me."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 60-65**
The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spi...
Read full commentary →It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
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KJV Study Commentary
After the hard teaching about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, Jesus clarifies: 'It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.' Spiritual understanding, not literal cannibalism, is His meaning. The Spirit gives life; physical elements (flesh, bread) have no saving power apart from spiritual reality. 'The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life' indi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(63) **It is the spirit that quickeneth.**—The word “quickeneth,” though it has almost passed from everyday use, will probably hold its place in theological use, and convey for the most part the true meaning. If it is retained here, it must, however, be noted that it is a compound of the word rendered “life” at the close of the verse. “It is the spirit that giveth life . . . the words . . . are sp...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**30-32. of mine own self do nothing--**that is, apart from the Father, or in any interest than My own. (See on Joh 5:19).
**as I hear--**that is, "My judgments are all anticipated in the bosom of My Father, to which I have immediate access, and by Me only responded to and reflected. They cannot therefore err, as I live for one end only, to carry into effect the will of Him that sent Me."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 60-65**
The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spi...
Read full commentary →But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
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KJV Study Commentary
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. This verse reveals the tragedy of false profession and the sovereignty of Christ's knowledge. 'Some of you' indicates not all claiming discipleship are genuine believers. The phrase 'from the beginning' (ex archēs) shows Jesus knew from the start—before calling ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(64) **There are some of you that believe not.**—Later, the word “disciple” became synonymous with the word “believer,” but there are those now following Him just as they would follow any Rabbi, and, regarding Him as a merely human teacher, they fall short of the faith which was the first qualification for true discipleship. They had heard, it may be, the Sermon on the Mount, and such teaching as ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**30-32. of mine own self do nothing--**that is, apart from the Father, or in any interest than My own. (See on Joh 5:19).
**as I hear--**that is, "My judgments are all anticipated in the bosom of My Father, to which I have immediate access, and by Me only responded to and reflected. They cannot therefore err, as I live for one end only, to carry into effect the will of Him that sent Me."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 60-65**
The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spi...
Read full commentary →And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
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KJV Study Commentary
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. Jesus grounds the apostasy in divine sovereignty and human inability. 'No man can' (oudeis dunatai) indicates absolute inability, not mere difficulty. 'Come unto me' (elthein pros me) is John's language for saving faith. The condition 'except it were given' (ean mē ē dedomenon) makes d...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(65) **No man can come unto me.**—Unless the fields had been prepared it was in vain to sow the seed. No effort on the sower’s part could make them receptive. The fact that they believed not, declared that their hearts were not prepared, but did not affect the goodness of the seed. This defection did not surprise Him. He had already used words which anticipated it. (Comp. Note on John 6:37; John 6...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**33-35. Ye sent unto John--**(See Joh 1:19, &c.).
**receive not testimony ... from man--**that is, depend not on human testimony.
**but ... that ye might be saved--**"I refer to him merely to aid your salvation."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 60-65**
The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spi...
Read full commentary →From that time many of his disciples went back , and walked no more with him.
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KJV Study Commentary
'From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.' The discourse produces departure. Many disciples—not merely curious crowds but those who had followed—abandon Jesus. His teaching is too hard (verse 60), too offensive, too demanding. This separates genuine from superficial followers. Following Jesus through difficulty proves more than following for benefits.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(66) **From that time.**—The addition of the word “time” has given a definite and questionable meaning to the Greek, which is indefinite. “From that” probably means on that account, because of the words He had spoken. The actual departure was the result of the teaching, which tested their faith and found it wanting, and was at that time, not gradually from that time onwards. (Comp. Note on John 19...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**33-35. Ye sent unto John--**(See Joh 1:19, &c.).
**receive not testimony ... from man--**that is, depend not on human testimony.
**but ... that ye might be saved--**"I refer to him merely to aid your salvation."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 66-71**
When we admit into our minds hard thoughts of the words and works of Jesus, we enter into temptation, which, if the Lord in mercy prevent not, will end in drawing back. The corrupt and wicked heart of man often makes that an occasion for offence, which is matter of the greatest comfort. Our Lord had, in the foregoing discourse, promised eternal life to his followers; the disci...
Read full commentary →Peter's Confession
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
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KJV Study Commentary
'Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?' Jesus offers the Twelve opportunity to leave. He doesn't beg them to stay or promise easier terms. The question tests their commitment and invites honest evaluation. Jesus wants willing followers, not trapped disciples. The 'also' acknowledges others' departure while asking if the Twelve share their response.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(67) **Will ye also go away?**—We have to think of the disciples grouped round Him, the Twelve—now a distinct body, and so well known that St. John names them for the first time without a note—being nearer to Him than the rest, and of these the first four (see Note on Matthew 10:2) the nearest. Many go away from Him. Men He had taught, borne with in all their weakness and darkness, watched as some...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**33-35. Ye sent unto John--**(See Joh 1:19, &c.).
**receive not testimony ... from man--**that is, depend not on human testimony.
**but ... that ye might be saved--**"I refer to him merely to aid your salvation."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 66-71**
When we admit into our minds hard thoughts of the words and works of Jesus, we enter into temptation, which, if the Lord in mercy prevent not, will end in drawing back. The corrupt and wicked heart of man often makes that an occasion for offence, which is matter of the greatest comfort. Our Lord had, in the foregoing discourse, promised eternal life to his followers; the disci...
Read full commentary →Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
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KJV Study Commentary
'Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.' Peter's response expresses both loyalty and logic. Where else could they go? Other teachers, philosophies, and religions offer less. Jesus alone has words of eternal life. Peter doesn't claim full understanding but recognizes exclusive sufficiency. There is no alternative that offers what Jesus provide...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(68) **Then Simon Peter answered.**—The look may have been directed to Peter, or here, as elsewhere, his natural character makes him spokesman for the Twelve. And striking is his speech. “Go away? To whom? They had left all to follow Him, and find all in Him. The Baptist is not living, and they know no other teacher. Go away? How could it be, when His words are spirit and eternal life?” (John 6:63...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36-38. I have greater witness--**rather, "The witness which I have is greater."
**the works ... bear witness of me--**not simply as miracles nor even as a miracle of mercy, but these miracles, as He did them, with a will and a power, a majesty and a grace manifestly His own.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 66-71**
When we admit into our minds hard thoughts of the words and works of Jesus, we enter into temptation, which, if the Lord in mercy prevent not, will end in drawing back. The corrupt and wicked heart of man often makes that an occasion for offence, which is matter of the greatest comfort. Our Lord had, in the foregoing discourse, promised eternal life to his followers; the disci...
Read full commentary →And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
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KJV Study Commentary
'And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.' Peter's confession parallels his later declaration at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:16). 'Believe and are sure' (perfect tenses) indicate settled conviction. 'The Christ' identifies Jesus as Messiah; 'Son of the living God' asserts His unique divine relationship. This confession grounds their staying when others le...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(69) **And we believe and are sure.**—Better, *We have believed and are sure.* (Comp. John 1:41-42.) Go away? The faith which first burned in their hearts has passed into the calm certainty of settled knowledge.
**Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God,** has found its way into this place from the confession of Matthew 16:16. The almost certain reading here is, *Thou art the Holy One of G...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36-38. I have greater witness--**rather, "The witness which I have is greater."
**the works ... bear witness of me--**not simply as miracles nor even as a miracle of mercy, but these miracles, as He did them, with a will and a power, a majesty and a grace manifestly His own.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 66-71**
When we admit into our minds hard thoughts of the words and works of Jesus, we enter into temptation, which, if the Lord in mercy prevent not, will end in drawing back. The corrupt and wicked heart of man often makes that an occasion for offence, which is matter of the greatest comfort. Our Lord had, in the foregoing discourse, promised eternal life to his followers; the disci...
Read full commentary →Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
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KJV Study Commentary
'Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?' Even the Twelve include a traitor. Jesus' choice doesn't guarantee faithfulness—Judas was chosen and will betray. Calling him 'a devil' (diabolos) identifies Judas with Satan (13:27). This sobering note warns against presumption. Proximity to Jesus doesn't ensure genuine faith. Jesus knew from the beginning who would b...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(70) **One of you is a devil.**—But even the brightness of His hope in them is not uncrossed by a shadow; and this shadow is seen in its fearful darkness by the light of the truth, which, like a flash of inspiration, has come to Peter’s heart, and has been spoken in the names of all. No human joy is for the Man of Sorrows unmarred. The very height to which these eleven have risen, through doubt an...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36-38. I have greater witness--**rather, "The witness which I have is greater."
**the works ... bear witness of me--**not simply as miracles nor even as a miracle of mercy, but these miracles, as He did them, with a will and a power, a majesty and a grace manifestly His own.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 66-71**
When we admit into our minds hard thoughts of the words and works of Jesus, we enter into temptation, which, if the Lord in mercy prevent not, will end in drawing back. The corrupt and wicked heart of man often makes that an occasion for offence, which is matter of the greatest comfort. Our Lord had, in the foregoing discourse, promised eternal life to his followers; the disci...
Read full commentary →He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
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KJV Study Commentary
He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. This parenthetical identification of the betrayer creates dramatic irony—the reader knows what the disciples don't yet comprehend. 'Judas Iscariot' distinguishes him from Judas the brother of James (Luke 6:16). 'Son of Simon' provides further identification. The phrase 'he it was that should...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(71) **Judas Iscariot the son of Simon.**—The best MSS. read, *Judas, the son of Simon Iscariotes.* On the name see the list of the Apostles in Matthew 10:4. If we accept the most probable interpretation of Iscariot as *Ish K’rīoth,* a man of *K’rīoth,*—and this is supported by the variation of MSS. in this place, some of which read “from Kariotes,” and the best of which, as we see, apply the titl...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-42. Search the scriptures, &c.--**"In the Scriptures ye find your charter of eternal life; go search them then, and you will find that I **am the Great Burden of their testimony; yet ye will not come to Me for that life eternal which you profess to find there, and of which they tell you I am the appointed Dispenser." (Compare Ac 17:11, 12). How touching and gracious are these last words! ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 66-71**
When we admit into our minds hard thoughts of the words and works of Jesus, we enter into temptation, which, if the Lord in mercy prevent not, will end in drawing back. The corrupt and wicked heart of man often makes that an occasion for offence, which is matter of the greatest comfort. Our Lord had, in the foregoing discourse, promised eternal life to his followers; the disci...
Read full commentary →