John 5:39

John 5:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
• New International Version (NIV)You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
• English Standard Version (ESV)You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
• New King James Version (NKJV)You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

Context of John 5:39

37Also, the Father himself has spoken about me. You have never heard his voice. And you have never seen his shape. 38I am the one that he has sent. You do not receive his message because you do not believe in me. You study carefully what the Bible teaches. You think that those books will give you life with God. And it is true, those books do speak about who I am. 40But then you refuse to come to me so that you may have life with God! 41I do not think that it is important for people to praise me.

John 5:39 word by word

ἐραυνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς, ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν· καὶ ἐκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Searchἐρευνάωereunaō · to look for/intoG2045
• the scripturesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the scripturesγραφήgraphē · a writingG1124
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• thinkδοκέωdokeō · to thinkG1380
• ye haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
• lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• theyἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• they which testifyμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for John 5:39

• John 5:46Moses wrote about me. So, if you had really believed Moses, you would believe me.
• John 7:52They answered Nicodemus, ‘Perhaps you come from Galilee, as well as him! Study what the Bible teaches. You will learn that no prophet of God ever comes from Galilee.’
• Deuteronomy 11:18Continue to think carefully about these commands in everything that you do. Tie them as signs onto your hands so that you remember them. Also tie them around your heads.
• Deuteronomy 17:18When anyone starts to rule as king, he must copy this Law of God on a scroll. The scroll will be a copy of the one that belongs to the Levite priests.
• Joshua 1:8You must keep on speaking about the words of God's law. Think about what it says, all the time. Be careful to obey it. Then you will do well, and you will win.
• Psalms 1:2He is happy when he obeys the Law of the Lord. He thinks about God's Law during the day and at night.
• Psalms 119:11I always keep your message in my mind, so that I do not do anything bad against you.
• Proverbs 6:23Their commands and their teaching are like a lamp that gives you light. When they warn you that you are doing wrong things, that helps you to live well.
• Proverbs 8:33Listen when I tell you what is right for you to do. Then you will be wise. Do not forget what I tell you.
• Isaiah 8:20When they say that to you, remember my teaching. Tell them what I have said will happen. People who talk like that are completely in the dark. There is no truth in what they say.
• Isaiah 34:16Read the Lord's book very carefully: ‘All these animals and birds will be there. They will all be together in pairs. The Lord himself has commanded what must happen. His Spirit brings them all together.’
• Jeremiah 8:9Those wise teachers will be ashamed and upset. Enemies will catch them as their prisoners. They have refused to accept the Lord's message. So they are not really wise.
• Matthew 22:29Jesus said to the Sadducees, ‘You are wrong. This is because you do not know the Bible. And you do not know how powerful God is.
• Mark 12:10I am sure that you have read these words in the Bible: “The builders refused to use a certain stone. They thought that it had no value. But now that stone has become the most important stone at the corner of the building.
• Luke 16:29Abraham replied, “They have the books that Moses and God's prophets wrote. Your family should read them and do what they say.”
• Acts 8:32The officer was reading these words from the book of Isaiah: ‘He was like a sheep that people were leading away to kill. He was like a lamb when they are cutting off its wool, but it makes no noise. In the same way, he did not say anything.

Commentaries on John 5:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39Search the Scriptures - . This should be translated, not in the imperative, but in the indicative mood - thus, Ye search the Scriptures diligently. That these words are commonly read in the imperative mood is sufficiently known; but this reading can never accord well with the following verse, nor can the force and energy of the words be perceived by this version. The rabbins strongly recommend the study of the Scriptures. The Talmud, Tract. Shabbath, fol…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39Search the scriptures - The word translated “search” here means to “search diligently” or “search anxiously.” It was applied to miners, who search for precious metals - who look anxiously for the “bed” of the ore with an intensity or anxiety proportionate to “their sense” of the value of the metal. Compare the notes at Job 28:3. It is applied by Homer to a lioness robbed of her whelps, and who “searches” the plain to “trace out” the footsteps of the man…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 39-44Verses 39-44 The Jews considered that eternal life was revealed to them in their Scriptures, and that they had it, because they had the word of God in their hands. Jesus urged them to search those Scriptures with more diligence and attention. "Ye do search the Scriptures," and ye do well to do so. They did indeed search the Scriptures, but it was with a view to their own glory. It is possible for men to be very studious in the letter of the Scriptures…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39-40The fourth witness of Jesus was the Scriptures. The Old Testament pointed to the Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled its prophecies (see Luke 24:25–27).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 39-4239-42. Search the scriptures, &c.--"In the Scriptures ye find your charter of eternal life; go search them then, and you will find that I am the Great Burden of their testimony; yet ye will not come to Me for that life eternal which you profess to find there, and of which they tell you I am the appointed Dispenser." (Compare Ac 17:11, 12). How touching and gracious are these last words! Observe here (1) The honor which Christ gives to the Scriptures, as a…Read the comment

Topics related to John 5:39

• Immortality
• Jesus, the Christ
• Life
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Eternal life
• Search the Scriptures
• Folk
• Judgment
• Lest
• Life
• Light
• Messiah
• Step
• Trouble

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