John 3:13

John 3:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
• New International Version (NIV)No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
• English Standard Version (ESV)No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
• New King James Version (NKJV)No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

Context of John 3:13

11I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony. 12If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things? No one has gone up into heaven, but there is One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man [Himself—whose home is in heaven]. 14Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever].

John 3:13 word by word

καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπουRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• no manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• hath ascended upἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• ·εἰei · if: notG1487
• butμήmē · notG3361
• came downκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• which isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722

Cross-references for John 3:13

• John 1:18No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].
• John 6:46Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He [who was with the Father and] who is from God; He [alone] has seen the Father.
• Deuteronomy 30:12It is not [a secret hidden] in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and obey it?’
• Proverbs 30:4Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name? Certainly you know!
• Acts 2:34For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says, ‘The Lord [the Father] said to my Lord [the Son], “Sit at My right hand,
• Romans 10:6But the righteousness based on faith [which produces a right relationship with Him] says the following: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into Heaven?’ that is, to bring Christ down;
• Ephesians 4:9(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth?
• John 6:33For the Bread of God is He who comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”
• John 8:42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father [but He is not], you would love and recognize Me, for I came from God [out of His very presence] and have arrived here. For I have not even come on My own initiative [as self-appointed], but He [is the One who] sent Me.
• John 13:3that Jesus, knowing that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God,
• John 16:28I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
• John 17:5Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory and majesty that I had with You before the world existed.
• 1 Corinthians 15:47The first man [Adam] is from the earth, earthy [made of dust]; the second Man [Christ, the Lord] is from heaven.
• Matthew 28:20teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
• Mark 16:19So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
• Acts 20:28Take care and be on guard for yourselves and for the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd (tend, feed, guide) the church of God which He bought with His own blood.

Commentaries on John 3:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13No man hath ascended - This seems a figurative expression for, No man hath known the mysteries of the kingdom of God; as in Deuteronomy 30:12; Psalm 73:17; Proverbs 30:4; Romans 11:34. And the expression is founded upon this generally received maxim: That to be perfectly acquainted with the concerns of a place, it is necessary for a person to be on the spot. But our Lord probably spoke to correct a false notion among the Jews, viz. that Moses had ascended…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13And no man hath ascended into heavens - No man, therefore, is qualified to speak of heavenly things, John 3:12. To speak of those things requires intimate acquaintance with them - demands that we have seen them; and as no one has ascended into heaven and returned, so no one is qualified to speak of them but He who came down from heaven. This does not mean that no one had Gone to heaven or had been saved, for Enoch and Elijah had been borne there (Genesis…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13There is a great distance between this world and heaven (see 1:51; 3:31; 6:38, 42). Heaven represents God’s dwelling place. This world represents human life under sin and weakness. Jesus came down from heaven to this world. He made a way for people to know God. He proved that he came from God when he defeated death. After rising from the dead, he returned to the Father in heaven (16:5–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1311-13. We speak that we know, and ... have seen--that is, by absolute knowledge and immediate vision of God, which "the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father" claims as exclusively His own (Joh 1:18). The "we" and "our" are here used, though Himself only is intended, in emphatic contrast, probably, with the opening words of Nicodemus, "Rabbi, we know.", &c. ye receive not, &c.--referring to the class to which Nicodemus belonged, but from which he…Read the comment

Topics related to John 3:13

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Life

In the dictionaries

• Son of man
• Born
• Condemn
• Condemnation
• Darkness
• Decrease
• Increase
• Love
• Nicodemus
• Testify

Commentaries on John 3

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings