John 5:31

John 5:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
• New International Version (NIV)“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.

Context of John 5:31

29They will come out from under the ground. Those people who have done good things will rise from death and they will live with God. Those people who have done evil things will also rise from death. But they will rise so that God can punish them as guilty people.’ 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. If I say great things about myself, nobody would know that my words are true. 32But there is someone else who speaks about me. I know that what he says about me is true. 33You have sent your people to ask John about me. What he has told you about me is true.

John 5:31 word by word

Ἐὰν ἐγὼ μαρτυρῶ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, ἡ μαρτυρία μου οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• bear witnessμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• myselfἐμαυτοῦemautou emautō emauton · myselfG1683
• witnessὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• witnessμαρτυρίαmarturia · testimonyG3141
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• trueἀληθήςalēthēs · trueG227

Cross-references for John 5:31

• John 8:13The Pharisees began to argue with him. They said, ‘You are saying things about yourself. But there is nobody else to agree that these things are true.’
• Proverbs 27:2Let other people praise you. Do not boast about yourself.
• Revelation 3:14‘Write this to the angel of the church at Laodicea: “This is my message to you. I am the one whose name is ‘Amen’. I faithfully tell people God's true message. Everything that God has created starts with me.

Commentaries on John 5:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31If I bear witness - If I had no proof to bring of my being the Messiah, and equal to God, common sense would direct you to reject my testimony; but the mighty power of God, by which I work my miracles, sufficiently attests that my pretensions are well founded. Bishop Pearce gives a different turn to this verse, by translating it interrogatively, thus: "If I only bear witness of myself, is not my witness true? i.e. is it, on that account, not true? In John…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31If I bear witness of myself - If I have no other evidence than my own testimony about myself. My witness - My testimony; my evidence. The proof would not be decisive. Is not true - The word “true,” here, means worthy of belief, or established by suitable evidence. See Matthew 22:16; “We Know that thou art true” - that is, worthy of confidence, or that thou hast been truly sent from God, Luke 20:21; John 8:13, John 8:17. The law did not admit a man to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 30-38Verses 30-38 Our Lord returns to his declaration of the entire agreement between the Father and the Son, and declared himself the Son of God. He had higher testimony than that of John; his works bore witness to all he had said. But the Divine word had no abiding-place in their hearts, as they refused to believe in Him whom the Father had sent, according to his ancient promises. The voice of God, accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost, thus made…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31-40God's law requires more than one witness in a trial (Deuteronomy 17:6). A single person’s word is not enough to prove a case. Jesus recognized this principle. He said that his own testimony needed support from others. So he presented several witnesses who confirmed who he was. These witnesses supported his claims and showed that his message was true.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 30-3230-32. of mine own self do nothing--that is, apart from the Father, or in any interest than My own. (See on Joh 5:19). as I hear--that is, "My judgments are all anticipated in the bosom of My Father, to which I have immediate access, and by Me only responded to and reflected. They cannot therefore err, as I live for one end only, to carry into effect the will of Him that sent Me."Read the comment

Topics related to John 5:31

• Jesus Continued

In the dictionaries

• Folk
• Judgment
• Lest
• Light
• Step
• Trouble
• Troubling
• Witness
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of

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