EasyEnglish Bible 2018
John 5:19
19Jesus answered them, ‘I tell you this: The Son can do nothing by himself. He sees what the Father does, and he can do only those same things. What the Father does, the Son also does.
John 5:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
Context of John 5:19
17But Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is still working, and I too must work.’ 18Because Jesus said this, the Jewish leaders became really angry. They wanted even more to kill him. Jesus not only worked on the day of rest. He was also calling God his own Father, so he was making himself equal with God. Jesus answered them, ‘I tell you this: The Son can do nothing by himself. He sees what the Father does, and he can do only those same things. What the Father does, the Son also does. 20The Father loves the Son. He shows the Son all the things that he himself does. And the Father will show the Son even greater things to do than these. Those greater things will surprise you even more than what you have already seen. 21The Father raises dead people to make them alive again. In the same way, the Son gives life to whoever he chooses.
Read all of John 5John 5:19 word by word
ἀπεκρίνατο οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν· οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα. ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- The Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- ·οὐou · noG3756
- nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
- himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- butμήmē · notG3361
- whatτιςtis · oneG5100
- ·ἐάνean · ifG1437
- he seethβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
- the Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- what thingsὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- soeverἄνan · ifG302
- heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- likewiseὁμοίωςhomoiōs · similarlyG3668
Cross-references for John 5:19
- John 5:24I tell you this: Everyone who hears my message should believe in the Father who sent me. If they believe in me, they will have life for ever with God. God will not say that they are guilty. They are no longer under the power of death. Instead, they have life with God.
- John 3:3Jesus replied, ‘I tell you this: Unless a person is born from above, they cannot understand the kingdom of God.’
- John 5:30Then Jesus said, ‘I can do nothing by myself. I hear what the Father says to me. Then, because of what he says, I judge people. So I judge in a way that is fair. I am not trying to do what I want for myself. The Father sent me, and I want to do what he wants.
- John 8:28So Jesus said to them, ‘You will lift up the Son of Man on a cross. Then you will know that “I am who I am”. And you will know that I do nothing by myself. I say only what the Father has taught me to say.
- John 9:4While it is still day, we must continue to work. God has sent me and we must do his work. We must work now because it will be night soon. Then nobody can work.
- John 12:49The words that I have spoken did not come from me myself. They came from the Father, who sent me. He told me what message I must speak. He told me the words I must say.
- John 14:10I am in the Father and the Father is in me. You should believe that. The words that I say to you do not come from me myself. But the Father lives in me, and he is doing his work.
- John 14:16I will ask the Father to help you with this. He will send another Helper to be with you. That Helper will stay with you for ever.
- Genesis 1:1In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth.
- Isaiah 44:24The Lord is your Redeemer. He took care of you before you were born. He says, ‘I am the Lord. I made everything. I alone hung up the sky like a curtain. I made the whole earth by myself.
- Colossians 1:16When God created everything, it was his Son who did it. His Son made everything that is on earth and in heaven. He created everything that we can see, as well as the things that we cannot see. He made rulers and leaders. He made everything that has power and authority. God gave his Son the authority to create everything, so that his Son would receive praise.
- John 5:22More than that, the Father does not judge anyone. He has given authority to the Son, so that the Son will judge all people.
- Psalms 50:6The skies above show that God is righteous, and God himself is the judge. Selah.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10Because all of us must go and stand in front of Christ as our judge. He will decide about the things that we have done during our lives here on earth. Whether we have done good things or bad things, we will receive what is right for us.
- John 2:19Jesus answered them, ‘If you destroy this house of God, I will build it up again in three days.’
- John 10:18Nobody can take my life away from me. Instead, I myself can choose to die. I have authority to do that. I also have authority to become alive again. My Father has said that I must do that.’
Commentaries on John 5:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19The Son can do nothing of himself - Because of his inseparable union with the Father: nor can the Father do any thing of himself, because of his infinite unity with the Son. What things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son - God does nothing but what Christ does. What God does is the work of God, and proper to no creature - Jesus does whatsoever God does, and therefore is no created being. The Son can do nothing but what he sees the Father do: now…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19The Son can do nothing of himself - Jesus, having stated the extent of his authority, proceeds here to show its “source and nature,” and to prove to them that what he had said was true. The first explanation which he gives is in these words: “The Son” - whom he had just impliedly affirmed to be equal with God - did nothing “of himself;” that is, nothing without the appointment of the Father; nothing contrary to the Father, as he immediately explains it…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-23Verses 17-23 The Divine power of the miracle proved Jesus to be the Son of God, and he declared that he worked with, and like unto his Father, as he saw good. These ancient enemies of Christ understood him, and became more violent, charging him not only with sabbath-breaking, but blasphemy, in calling God his own Father, and making himself equal with God. But all things now, and at the final judgment, are committed to the Son, purposely that all men might…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-30Jesus claimed that his work on the Sabbath was the same as God’s work on the Sabbath. Jesus claimed to be equal with God, doing the things God does. Yet he submitted to God’s will, doing only what the Father wanted.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2019-20. the Son can do nothing of himself--that is, apart from and in rivalry of the Father, as they supposed. The meaning is, "The Son can have no separate interest or action from the Father." for what things, &c.--On the contrary, "whatever the Father doeth that same doeth the Son," likewise--"in the like manner." What claim to absolute equality with the Father could exceed this: not only to do "the same things," but to do them as the Father does them?Read the comment
Topics related to John 5:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 5
- 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
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