King James Version
What Does John 2:20 Mean?
“Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?”
Context
18
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20
Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21
But he spake of the temple of his body.
22
When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(20) They profess to seek a sign for evidence; they use it for cavil.
**Forty and six years was this temple in building.**—It is implied that it was not then finished. The date of the completion is given by Josephus (*Ant.* xx. 9, § 7) as A.D. 64. The same author gives the eighteenth year of the reign of Herod the Great (Nisan 734—Nisan 735, A.U.100) as the commencement of the renewal of the Temple of Zerubbabel (*Ant.* xv. 11, § 1). This would give A.U.C. 781-782, *i.e.,* A.D. 28-29, as the date of the cleansing. In another passage Josephus gives the month Kislev A.U.C. 734, as the date of the festival connected with the building of the Temple (*Ant.* xiv. 16, § 4). This would fix our present date as the Passover of A.U.C. 781, *i.e.,* A.D. 28. St. Luke furnishes us with an independent date for the commencement of the ministry of John the Baptist. If we count the “fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius (comp. Note on Luke 3:1) from the commencement of his first reign with Augustus (A.U.C. 765, *i.e.,* A.D. 12), this date will be A.U.C. 780, *i.e.,* A.D. 27. The present Passover was in the following year, *i.e.,* as before, A.D. 28. The sole reign of Tiberius commenced two years later (A.D. 14), so that while we have certainly no discrepancy between these independent dates, we have probably a very striking coincidence. Its bearing upon the authenticity of the present Gospel is evident.
**Rear it up** represents the same Greek word as “raise up,” in the previous verse; but the word fits the double meaning. It is the regular term for raising from the dead; but it is also used of rearing up a building, as, *e.g.,* in 3 Ezra 5:44; Ecclesiasticus 49:11.
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of John. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
John 2:20 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.