John 7:38

John 7:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
• New International Version (NIV)Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Context of John 7:38

36He said, “You will look for me, but you will not find me.” And he also said, “You cannot go to the place where I will be.” What does he mean?’ 37The last day of the festival was the most important day. On that day, Jesus stood up and he spoke with a loud voice. He said, ‘If anyone is thirsty, he should come to me so that he may drink. It says in the Bible, “God will cause streams of water to pour out from anyone who believes in me. Water that gives life will come out from inside that person.” ’ 39Jesus was speaking about God's Spirit, who would come to people some time after that. Those people who believed in Jesus would receive God's Spirit at that later time. But God had not yet given his Spirit to people, because he had not yet raised Jesus back up to heaven. 40The people in the crowd heard Jesus say these words. Some of them said, ‘Surely this man must be the Prophet from God that we have been waiting for!’

John 7:38 word by word

ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• He that believethπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• onεἰςeis · towardG1519
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• the scriptureγραφήgraphē · a writingG1124
• hath saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• bellyκοιλίαkoilia · belly/womb/stomachG2836
• shall flowῥέωrheō · to flowG4482
• riversποταμόςpotamos · riverG4215
• ofὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• livingζάωzaō · to liveG2198

Cross-references for John 7:38

• Deuteronomy 18:15One day, the Lord your God will send to you a prophet like me. He will come from among your own people. You must listen to him.
• John 4:14But I can give people a different kind of water. Everyone who drinks that kind of water will never get thirsty again. The water that I give them will become like a well inside them. That well will continue to provide water that gives them life for ever with God.’
• Job 32:18There are many things that I want to say. The spirit inside me causes me to speak.
• Proverbs 10:11The teaching of righteous people gives life, like a spring of water. But the words of wicked people hide their anger.
• Proverbs 18:4The words that you speak are like the deep water of the sea. If they are wise words, they are like a cool stream.
• Isaiah 12:3When God does that, it will make you very happy. You will be safe, like someone who gets plenty of good water from a well to drink.
• Isaiah 44:3I will pour water onto land that is thirsty. I will pour streams of water on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and I will bless them.
• Isaiah 58:11The Lord will always be your guide. He will give you plenty to eat, even when the ground is dry. He will make your bodies strong. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water. You will be like a spring of water that never becomes dry.
• Isaiah 59:21The Lord says, ‘This is the covenant that I make with those people. My Spirit is now with you, and he will not leave you. I have put my words into your mouth, and they will always be with you. They will continue to be in the mouths of your children, and your descendants for ever.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Ezekiel 47:1The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple. There I saw water that was pouring out from under the entrance. It was pouring towards the east. (The front entrance of the temple opened towards the east.) The river of water came from under the south side of the temple. It went past the south side of the altar.
• Zechariah 14:8On that day, water will come out from Jerusalem. Half of this water will go towards the sea in the east. Half of this water will go towards the sea in the west. This will go on during summer and winter.
• Galatians 5:22But God's Spirit causes us to live in a different way. We love other people. We are happy and we have peace in our minds. We are patient, kind and good. People can trust us to do what is right.
• Ephesians 5:9The light helps you to live in a way that is good, right and true.

Commentaries on John 7:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said - He who receives me as the Messiah, according to what the Scripture has said concerning me; my person, birth, conduct, preaching, and miracles, being compared with what is written there as ascertaining the true Messiah. Out of his belly - from his heart and soul; for in his soul shall this Spirit dwell. Living water - As a true spring is ever supplied with water from the great deep, with which it has…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 37-39Verses 37-39 On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-38Living water: See 4:10–14. A water ceremony was held each day during the Feast of Tabernacles, with prayer for God to send rain in the late autumn. The final day, called the great day, was the feast's most important moment. On this day, they repeated the ceremony seven times. They poured water over the altar while Levites sang Isaiah 12:3 (see Zechariah 14:8; see also Mishnah Sukkah chapter 4). If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink: Jesus…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-3937-39. the last day, that great day of the feast--the eighth (Le 23:39). It was a sabbath, the last feast day of the year, and distinguished by very remarkable ceremonies. "The generally joyous character of this feast broke out on this day into loud jubilation, particularly at the solemn moment when the priest, as was done on every day of this festival, brought forth, in golden vessels, water from the stream of Siloah, which flowed under the…Read the comment

Topics related to John 7:38

• Belly
• Faith
• Holy Spirit
• Influence
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Peace
• Power
• Quotations and Allusions
• Salvation
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Water

In the dictionaries

• Belly
• Division
• Faith
• Judge
• Thither
• Baptism of the Holy Spirit
• Bible, the
• Inspiration
• Jesus Christ
• Johannine Theology

Commentaries on John 7

• 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
• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings