Amplified Bible
John 7:38
38He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’ ”
John 7:38 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
- New International Version (NIV)Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Context of John 7:38
36What does this statement of His mean, ‘You will look for Me, and will not [be able to] find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?” 37Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out [in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’ ” 39But He was speaking of the [Holy] Spirit, whom those who believed in Him [as Savior] were to receive afterward. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor). 40Listening to these words, some of the people said, “This is certainly the Prophet!”
Read all of John 7John 7:38 word by word
ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- He that believethπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- onεἰςeis · towardG1519
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
- the scriptureγραφήgraphē · a writingG1124
- hath saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- bellyκοιλίαkoilia · belly/womb/stomachG2836
- shall flowῥέωrheō · to flowG4482
- riversποταμόςpotamos · riverG4215
- ofὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- livingζάωzaō · to liveG2198
Cross-references for John 7:38
- Deuteronomy 18:15“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your countrymen (brothers, brethren). You shall listen to him.
- John 4:14But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.”
- Job 32:18For I am full of words; The spirit within me constrains me.
- Proverbs 10:11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.
- Proverbs 18:4The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom]; The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].
- Isaiah 12:3Therefore with joy you will draw water From the springs of salvation.
- Isaiah 44:3For I will pour out water on him who is thirsty, And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;
- Isaiah 58:11And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
- Isaiah 59:21“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you [writing the law of God on the heart], and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouths of your [true, spiritual] children, nor from the mouth of your children’s children,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”
- Ezekiel 47:1Then he [my guide] brought me back to the door of the house [the temple of the Lord]; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house (temple) toward the east, for the front of the temple was facing east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar.
- Zechariah 14:8And in that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea (Dead Sea) and half of them to the western sea (the Mediterranean); it will be in summer as well as in winter.
- Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- Ephesians 5:9(for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
Commentaries on John 7:38
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said - He who receives me as the Messiah, according to what the Scripture has said concerning me; my person, birth, conduct, preaching, and miracles, being compared with what is written there as ascertaining the true Messiah. Out of his belly - from his heart and soul; for in his soul shall this Spirit dwell. Living water - As a true spring is ever supplied with water from the great deep, with which it has…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 37-39Verses 37-39 On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-38Living water: See 4:10–14. A water ceremony was held each day during the Feast of Tabernacles, with prayer for God to send rain in the late autumn. The final day, called the great day, was the feast's most important moment. On this day, they repeated the ceremony seven times. They poured water over the altar while Levites sang Isaiah 12:3 (see Zechariah 14:8; see also Mishnah Sukkah chapter 4). If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink: Jesus…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-3937-39. the last day, that great day of the feast--the eighth (Le 23:39). It was a sabbath, the last feast day of the year, and distinguished by very remarkable ceremonies. "The generally joyous character of this feast broke out on this day into loud jubilation, particularly at the solemn moment when the priest, as was done on every day of this festival, brought forth, in golden vessels, water from the stream of Siloah, which flowed under the…Read the comment
Topics related to John 7:38
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 7
- 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
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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