God’s Word Translation
John 3:6
6Flesh and blood give birth to flesh and blood, but the Spirit gives birth to things that are spiritual.
John 3:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
- New International Version (NIV)Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
- English Standard Version (ESV)That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
- New King James Version (NKJV)That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Context of John 3:6
4Nicodemus asked him, “How can anyone be born when he’s an old man? He can’t go back inside his mother a second time to be born, can he?” 5Jesus answered Nicodemus, “I can guarantee this truth: No one can enter God’s kingdom without being born of water and the Spirit. Flesh and blood give birth to flesh and blood, but the Spirit gives birth to things that are spiritual. 7Don’t be surprised when I tell you that all of you must be born from above. 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it’s going. That’s the way it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Read all of John 3John 3:6 word by word
Τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for John 3:6
- Genesis 5:3When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father ⌞of a son⌟ in his own likeness, in his own image. He named him Seth.
- Genesis 6:5The Lord saw how evil humans had become on the earth. All day long their deepest thoughts were nothing but evil.
- Job 14:4“If only an unclean person could become clean! It’s not possible.
- Job 15:14Why should a mortal be considered faultless or someone born of a woman be considered righteous?
- Job 25:4How can a person be righteous to God? How can anyone born of a woman be pure?
- Psalms 51:10Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a faithful spirit within me.
- Romans 7:5While we were living under the influence of our corrupt nature, sinful passions were at work throughout our bodies. Stirred up by the laws in Moses’ Teachings, our sinful passions did things that result in death.
- Romans 8:1So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned.
- 1 Corinthians 15:47The first man was made from the dust of the earth. He came from the earth. The second man came from heaven.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.
- Galatians 5:16Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants.
- Ephesians 2:3All of us once lived among these people, and followed the desires of our corrupt nature. We did what our corrupt desires and thoughts wanted us to do. So, because of our nature, we deserved God’s anger just like everyone else.
- Colossians 2:11In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ.
- Ezekiel 11:19I will give them a single purpose and put a new spirit in them. I will remove their stubborn hearts and give them obedient hearts.
- Ezekiel 36:26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stubborn hearts and give you obedient hearts.
- Romans 8:5Those who live by the corrupt nature have the corrupt nature’s attitude. But those who live by the spiritual nature have the spiritual nature’s attitude.
Commentaries on John 3:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh - This is the answer to the objection made by Nicodemus in John 3:4. Can a man enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Our Lord here intimates that, were even this possible, it would not answer the end; for the plant will ever be of the nature of the seed that produces it - like will beget its like. The kingdom of God is spiritual and holy; and that which is born of the Spirit resembles the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6That which is born of the flesh - To show the necessity of this change, the Saviour directs the attention of Nicodemus to the natural condition of man. By “that which is born of the flesh” he evidently intends man as he is by nature, in the circumstances of his natural birth. Perhaps, also, he alludes to the question asked by Nicodemus, whether a man could be born when he was old? Jesus tells him that if this could be, it would not answer any valuable…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-86-8. That which is born, &c.--A great universal proposition; "That which is begotten carries within itself the nature of that which begat it" [Olshausen]. flesh--Not the mere material body, but all that comes into the world by birth, the entire man; yet not humanity simply, but in its corrupted, depraved condition, in complete subjection to the law of the fall (Ro 8:1-9). So that though a man "could enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born,"…Read the comment
Topics related to John 3:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 3
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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