John 12:34

John 12:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
• New International Version (NIV)The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

Context of John 12:34

32and I, if I be lifted up out of the earth, will draw all to me. 33But this he said signifying by what death he was about to die. The crowd answered him, We have heard out of the law that the Christ abides for ever; and how sayest thou that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this, the Son of man? 35Jesus therefore said to them, Yet a little while is the light amongst you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness may not overtake you. And he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may become sons of light. Jesus said these things, and going away hid himself from them.

John 12:34 word by word

Ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος· ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου ὅτι ὁ χριστὸς μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ πῶς λέγεις σὺ ὅτι δεῖ ὑψωθῆναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου;¶Read the interlinear

• crowdὄχλοςochlos · crowdG3793
• answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
• heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• abidesμένωmenō · to stayG3306
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• liftedὑψόωhupsoō · to lift upG5312

Cross-references for John 12:34

• John 10:34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
• John 15:25But that the word written in their law might be fulfilled, They hated me without a cause.
• Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the things the law says, it speaks to those under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world be under judgment to God.
• Romans 5:18so then as [it was] by one offence towards all men to condemnation, so by one righteousness towards all men for justification of life.
• 2 Samuel 7:13It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
• Psalms 72:7In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon be no more.
• Psalms 89:36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me;
• Psalms 110:4Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.
• Isaiah 9:7Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.
• Isaiah 53:8He was taken from oppression and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
• Ezekiel 37:24And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: and they shall walk in mine ordinances, and keep my statutes, and do them.
• Daniel 2:44And in the days of these kings shall the God of the heavens set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the sovereignty thereof shall not be left to another people: it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, but itself shall stand for ever.
• Daniel 7:14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.
• Micah 4:7and I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation; and Jehovah shall reign over them in mount Zion, from henceforth even for ever.
• John 3:14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up,
• John 5:25Verily, verily, I say unto you, that an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that have heard shall live.

Commentaries on John 12:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34We have heard out of the law - That is, out of the sacred writings. The words here are quoted from Psalm 110:4; but the Jews called every part of the sacred writings by the name, The Law, in opposition to the words or sayings of the scribes. See on John 10:34; (note). That Christ abideth for ever - There was no part of the law nor of the Scripture that said the Messiah should not die; but there are several passages that say as expressly as they can that…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34We have heard out of the law - Out of the Old Testament; or rather we have been so taught by those who have interpreted the law to us. That Christ - That the Messiah. Abideth for ever - Will remain forever, or will live forever. The doctrine of many of them certainly was that the Messiah would not die; that he would reign as a prince forever over the people. This opinion was founded on such passages of Scripture as these: Psalm 110:4, “Thou art a priest…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 34-36Verses 34-36 The people drew false notions from the Scriptures, because they overlooked the prophecies that spoke of Christ's sufferings and death. Our Lord warned them that the light would not long continue with them, and exhorted them to walk in it, before the darkness overtook them. Those who would walk in the light must believe in it, and follow Christ's directions. But those who have not faith, cannot behold what is set forth in Jesus, lifted up on…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 34Many people in the time of Jesus believed that the Messiah would live forever and defeat his enemies. They expected a strong and victorious ruler. Because of this belief, the words Jesus spoke confused them. Who is this Son of Man?: The Jews did not understand what sort of Messiah planned to die.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3434. We have heard out of the law--the scriptures of the Old Testament (referring to such places as Psa 89:28, 29; 110:4; Da 2:44; 7:13, 14). that Christ--the Christ "endureth for ever." and how sayest thou, The Son of Man must be lifted up, &c.--How can that consist with this "uplifting?" They saw very well both that He was holding Himself up as the Christ and a Christ to die a violent death; and as that ran counter to all their ideas of the Messianic…Read the comment

Topics related to John 12:34

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Law

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Son of man
• Bible
• Chief
• Consult
• Costly
• Prince
• Andrew
• Apocalyptic Literature

Commentaries on John 12

• 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