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,
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

Context of John 5:39

37And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41I do not receive glory from people.

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 5:46For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
• John 7:52They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee." [The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.]
• Deuteronomy 11:18"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
• Deuteronomy 17:18"And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.
• Joshua 1:8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
• Psalms 1:2but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
• Psalms 119:11I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
• Proverbs 6:23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
• Proverbs 8:33Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.
• Isaiah 8:20To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
• Isaiah 34:16Seek and read from the book of the Lord: Not one of these shall be missing; none shall be without her mate. For the mouth of the Lord has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them.
• Jeremiah 8:9The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them?
• Matthew 22:29But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
• Mark 12:10Have you not read this Scripture: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
• Luke 16:29But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'
• Acts 8:32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth.

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