God’s Word Translation
1 John 5:6
6This Son of God is Jesus Christ, who came by water and blood. He didn’t come with water only, but with water and with blood. The Spirit is the one who verifies this, because the Spirit is the truth.
1 John 5:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
- New International Version (NIV)This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
- English Standard Version (ESV)This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
- New King James Version (NKJV)This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
Context of 1 John 5:6
4because everyone who has been born from God has won the victory over the world. Our faith is what wins the victory over the world. 5Who wins the victory over the world? Isn’t it the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This Son of God is Jesus Christ, who came by water and blood. He didn’t come with water only, but with water and with blood. The Spirit is the one who verifies this, because the Spirit is the truth. 7There are three witnesses: 8the Spirit, the water, and the blood. These three witnesses agree.
Read all of 1 John 51 John 5:6 word by word
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι᾽ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι· καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ μαρτυροῦν, ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- he that cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- Christὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- notοὐou · noG3756
- byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- that beareth witnessμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
Cross-references for 1 John 5:6
- John 19:34However, one of the soldiers stabbed Jesus’ side with his spear, and blood and water immediately came out.
- Isaiah 45:3I will give you treasures from dark places and hidden stockpiles. Then you will know that I, the Lord God of Israel, have called you by name.
- Ezekiel 36:25I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean instead of unclean. Then I will cleanse you from all your idols.
- John 1:31I didn’t know who he was. However, I came to baptize with water to show him to the people of Israel.”
- John 3:5Jesus answered Nicodemus, “I can guarantee this truth: No one can enter God’s kingdom without being born of water and the Spirit.
- John 4:10Jesus replied to her, “If you only knew what God’s gift is and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked him for a drink. He would have given you living water.”
- John 7:38As Scripture says, ‘Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.’ ”
- Acts 8:36As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The official said to Philip, “Look, there’s some water. What can keep me from being baptized?”
- Ephesians 5:25Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.
- 1 Peter 3:21Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn’t save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life.
- 1 John 1:7But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin.
- 1 John 4:10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
- Leviticus 17:11because blood contains life. I have given this blood to you to make peace with me on the altar. Blood is needed to make peace with me.
- Zechariah 9:11I will set your captives free from the waterless pit because of the blood that sealed my promise to you.
- Matthew 26:28This is my blood, the blood of the promise. It is poured out for many people so that sins are forgiven.
- Mark 14:24He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood of the promise. It is poured out for many people.
Commentaries on 1 John 5:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6This is he that came by water and blood - Jesus was attested to be the Son of God and promised Messiah by water, i.e. his baptism, when the Spirit of God came down from heaven upon him, and the voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Jesus Christ came also by blood. He shed his blood for the sins of the world; and this was in accordance with all that the Jewish prophets had written concerning him. Here the apostle says…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6This is he - This Son of God referred to in the previous verse. The object of the apostle in this verse, in connection with 1 John 5:8, is to state the nature of the evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. He refers to three well-known things on which he probably had insisted much in his preaching - the water, and the blood, and the Spirit. These, he says, furnished evidence on the very point which he was illustrating, by showing that that Jesus on whom…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-8Verses 6-8 We are inwardly and outwardly defiled; inwardly, by the power and pollution of sin in our nature. For our cleansing there is in and by Christ Jesus, the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Some think that the two sacraments are here meant: baptism with water, as the outward sign of regeneration, and purifying from the pollution of sin by the Holy Spirit; and the Lord's supper, as the outward sign of the shedding Christ's…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6This is the One who came by water and blood: A teacher named Cerinthus, who lived at the same time as John, taught a false idea. He said that “the Christ” came down as a spirit on the man Jesus at his baptism, but left him before Jesus died. John teaches the truth. The baptism and death of Jesus confirmed his identity as the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth was and is truly the Christ, the Son of God, from the beginning and forever.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. This--the Person mentioned in 1Jo 5:5. This Jesus. he that came by water and blood--"by water," when His ministry was inaugurated by baptism in the Jordan, and He received the Father's testimony to His Messiahship and divine Sonship. Compare 1Jo 5:5, "believeth that Jesus is the Son of God," with Joh 1:33, 34, "The Spirit ... remaining on Him ... I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God"; and 1Jo 5:8, below, "there are three that bear witness…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 5:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 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
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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