John 2:21

John 2:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he spake of the temple of his body.
• New International Version (NIV)But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

Context of John 2:21

19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20Then the Jews replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple which was His body. 22So when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered what He had said. And they believed and trusted in and relied on the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in His name [identifying themselves with Him] after seeing His signs (attesting miracles) which He was doing.

John 2:21 word by word

ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἔλεγεν περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• spakeλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• the templeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the templeναόςnaos · templeG3485
• ofσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for John 2:21

• John 1:14And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).
• Colossians 1:19For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son),
• Colossians 2:9For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of God].
• Hebrews 8:2a Minister (Officiating Priest) in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which is erected not by man, but by the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 3:16Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]?
• 1 Corinthians 6:19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]?
• 2 Corinthians 6:16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said: “I will dwell among them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
• Ephesians 2:20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone,
• 1 Peter 2:4Come to Him [the risen Lord] as to a living Stone which men rejected and threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God.

Commentaries on John 2:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Of the temple of his body - Rather, the temple, his body: his body had no particular temple: but it was the temple of his Divinity - the place in which, as in the ancient temple, his Godhead dwelt; See how the Jews perverted these words, Matthew 26:60; (note), and the notes there.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-22Verses 12-22 The first public work in which we find Christ engaged, was driving from the temple the traders whom the covetous priests and rulers encouraged to make a market-place of its courts. Those now make God's house a house of merchandise, whose minds are filled with cares about worldly business when attending religious exercises, or who perform Divine offices for love of gain. Christ, having thus cleansed the temple, gave a sign to those who…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-21Destroy this temple: Herod the Great started rebuilding the temple's grand structure in 20 BC. The work continued until AD 64. This is why Jesus amazed his audience when he claimed he could destroy and rebuild it in a few days. However, Jesus was speaking figuratively (using a word picture) about his own body. He described his body as the true temple, the place where God was present (see 1:14, 51). His body would be destroyed. Three days later, God would…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2218-22. What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?--Though the act and the words of Christ, taken together, were sign enough, they were unconvinced: yet they were awed, and though at His very next appearance at Jerusalem they "sought to kill Him" for speaking of "His Father" just as He did now (Joh 5:18), they, at this early stage, only ask a sign.Read the comment

Topics related to John 2:21

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• Fill
• Hour
• Propitiation
• Resurrection of Christ
• Scourge
• Syriac
• Temple
• Testify
• Body
• Jesus Christ

Commentaries on John 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings