John 6:38

John 6:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
• New International Version (NIV)For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Context of John 6:38

36You have seen me, but still you do not believe in me. I have told you that before. 37Everyone that the Father gives to me will come to me. When anyone comes to me, I will never send that person away. I have not come down from heaven to do what I myself choose to do. No, my Father has sent me. I have come to do what he wants me to do. 39He has sent me. He does not want me to lose any of the people that he has given to me. Not even one of them. He wants me to raise all of them up to life on the last day. 40These are the people who will have life for ever with God: everyone who sees the Son and believes in him. I will raise them all up on the last day. That is what my Father wants.’

John 6:38 word by word

ὅτι καταβέβηκα ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• I came downκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• heavenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• notοὐou · noG3756
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• mine ownἐμόςemos · mineG1699
• willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• of him that sentπέμπωpempō · to sendG3992
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for John 6:38

• John 6:33God's bread is the one who comes down from heaven. He is the one who gives life to people in the world.’
• John 3:13The Son of Man came down from heaven. Nobody else has gone up to heaven except him.
• Ephesians 4:9It says: ‘He went up.’ That must mean that Christ had also come down. He came down to a lower place, the earth.
• John 4:34Jesus said to them, ‘My Father has sent me. I must do the things he wants me to do. I must finish the work that he has given to me to do. That is my food.
• 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.
• Psalms 40:7Then I said, ‘Here I am, my God! The message that is written in the book tells me what I must do.
• Isaiah 53:10But it was the Lord who chose to hurt his servant. He caused his servant to receive much pain. His servant died to remove people's guilt. As a result, God will bless him with many descendants, and he will have a long life. What the Lord wants will happen, because of what his servant does.
• Matthew 20:28Even the Son of Man himself came to earth to be a servant to other people. He did not come here to have servants who must work for him. No, he came to die so that many people can be free.’
• Matthew 26:39Jesus went a short way beyond them. He went down with his face on the ground. He prayed, ‘Father, if it is possible, please save me from this time of great pain. But Father, I do not ask you to do what I want. Do what you want to do.’
• Romans 15:3Even Christ did not just do things that would make himself happy. It is written in the Bible that he said this: ‘People have insulted you, God. In that way they have also insulted me.’
• Philippians 2:7Instead, he chose to leave heaven. He took for himself the nature of a slave. He became like a human.
• Hebrews 5:8Jesus is God's Son. But he still had trouble and pain. In that way, he learned to obey God completely.
• Hebrews 10:7Then I said, “Here I am, my God. I have come to do what you want. That is what it says about me in the Bible.” ’

Commentaries on John 6:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38Not to do mine own will - I am come, not to act according to human motives, passions, or prejudices; but according to infinite wisdom, goodness, and mercy. Jewish passions and prejudices would reject publicans and sinners as those alluded to, and shut the gate of heaven against the Gentiles; but God's mercy receives them, and I am come to manifest that mercy to men.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38For I came down … - This verse shows that he came for a specific purpose, which he states in the next verse, and means that, as he came to do his Father‘s will, he would be faithful to the trust. Though his hearers should reject him, yet the will of God would be accomplished in the salvation of some who should come to Him. Mine own will - See notes at John 5:30.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-46Verses 36-46 The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart; therefore no one who comes will ever be cast out. The gospel finds…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-40The mission of Jesus is sure to succeed. God sent Jesus and calls people to follow him (6:37, 38, 44). Those who come to him are secure in the promise Jesus gave that he will not reject them or lose them (6:39).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-4037-40. All that, &c.--This comprehensive and very grand passage is expressed with a peculiar artistic precision. The opening general statement (Joh 6:37) consists of two members: (1) "All that the Father Giveth me shall come to me"--that is, "Though ye, as I told you, have no faith in Me, My errand into the world shall in no wise be defeated; for all that the Father giveth Me shall infallibly come to Me." Observe, what is given Him by the Father is…Read the comment

Topics related to John 6:38

• Duty
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Will

In the dictionaries

• Accursed
• Capernaum
• Meat
• Murmur
• Andrew
• Jesus Christ
• Johannine Theology
• John, Gospel of
• Judas Iscariot
• Lord's Supper; (eucharist)

Commentaries on John 6

• 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