John 3:8

John 3:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
• New International Version (NIV)The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
• New King James Version (NKJV)The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Context of John 3:8

6That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be possible?” 10Jesus replied, “You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]?

John 3:8 word by word

τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκούεις ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ οἶδας πόθεν ἔρχεται καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγει· οὕτως ἐστὶν πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• The windπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: breathG4151
• blowethπνέωpneō · to blowG4154
• whereὅπουhopou · where(-ever)G3699
• it listethθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• thou hearestἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• the soundφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: noiseG5456
• thereofαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• canstεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• notοὐou · noG3756
• whenceπόθενpothen · whenceG4159
• it comethἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• whitherποῦpou · where?G4226
• it goethὑπάγωhupagō · to goG5217
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• one that is bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537

Cross-references for John 3:8

• Job 37:10Ice is made by the breath of God, And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
• Psalms 107:25For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea.
• Ecclesiastes 11:4He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest].
• Ezekiel 37:9Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”
• Acts 2:2and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
• Acts 4:31And when they had prayed, the place where they were meeting together was shaken [a sign of God’s presence]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness and courage.
• 1 Corinthians 2:11For what person knows the thoughts and motives of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So also no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
• 1 Corinthians 12:11All these things [the gifts, the achievements, the abilities, the empowering] are brought about by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as He chooses.
• John 1:13who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].
• Isaiah 55:9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.
• Mark 4:26Then He said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who throws seed on the ground;
• Luke 6:43For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.
• 1 John 2:29If you know that He is absolutely righteous, you know [for certain] that everyone who practices righteousness [doing what is right and conforming to God’s will] has been born of Him.
• 1 John 3:8The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Commentaries on John 3:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The wind bloweth - Though the manner in which this new birth is effected by the Divine Spirit, be incomprehensible to us, yet we must not, on this ground, suppose it to be impossible. The wind blows in a variety of directions - we hear its sound, perceive its operation in the motion of the trees, etc., and feel it on ourselves - but we cannot discern the air itself; we only know that it exists by the effects which it produces: so is every one who is born…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The wind bloweth … - Nicodemus had objected to the doctrine because he did not understand how it could be. Jesus shows him that he ought not to reject it on that account, for he constantly believed things quite as difficult. It might appear incomprehensible, but it was to be judged of by its effects. As in this case of the wind, the effects were seen, the sound was heard, important changes were produced by it, trees and clouds were moved, yet the wind is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8In Greek, the word for wind is the same as for spirit (Greek pneuma). The wind is an appropriate image for the Spirit, who is sent from heaven and cannot be contained or controlled.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-86-8. That which is born, &c.--A great universal proposition; "That which is begotten carries within itself the nature of that which begat it" [Olshausen]. flesh--Not the mere material body, but all that comes into the world by birth, the entire man; yet not humanity simply, but in its corrupted, depraved condition, in complete subjection to the law of the fall (Ro 8:1-9). So that though a man "could enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born,"…Read the comment

Topics related to John 3:8

• Jesus, the Christ
• Life
• Man
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena
• Mysteries
• Nicodemus
• Regeneration
• Salvation
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Wind

In the dictionaries

• Birth
• 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