John 5:44

John 5:44 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
• New International Version (NIV)How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
• English Standard Version (ESV)How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
• New King James Version (NKJV)How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?

Context of John 5:44

42But I know what kind of people you are. You don’t have any love for God. 43I have come with the authority my Father has given me, but you don’t accept me. If someone else comes with his own authority, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept each other’s praise and don’t look for the praise that comes from the only God? 45“Don’t think that I will accuse you in the presence of the Father. Moses, the one you trust, is already accusing you. 46If you really believed Moses, you would believe me. Moses wrote about me.

John 5:44 word by word

Πῶς δύνασθε ὑμεῖς πιστεῦσαι δόξαν παρὰ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου θεοῦ οὐ ζητεῖτε;¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• believeπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• which receiveλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• honourδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
• oneἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• ofπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• seekζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
• notοὐou · noG3756
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• onlyμόνοςmonos · aloneG3441

Cross-references for John 5:44

• John 3:20People who do what is wrong hate the light and don’t come to the light. They don’t want their actions to be exposed.
• John 8:43Why don’t you understand the language I use? Is it because you can’t understand the words I use?
• John 12:43They were more concerned about what people thought of them than about what God thought of them.
• Jeremiah 13:23Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin or leopards change their spots? Can you do good when you’re taught to do wrong?
• Romans 8:7This is so because the corrupt nature has a hostile attitude toward God. It refuses to place itself under the authority of God’s standards because it can’t.
• Hebrews 3:12Be careful, brothers and sisters, that none of you ever develop a wicked, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
• Matthew 23:5“They do everything to attract people’s attention. They make their headbands large and the tassels on their shawls long.
• Galatians 5:19Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity,
• Philippians 2:3Don’t act out of selfish ambition or be conceited. Instead, humbly think of others as being better than yourselves.
• 1 Samuel 2:30“Therefore, the Lord God of Israel declares: I certainly thought that your family and your father’s family would always live in my presence. “But now the Lord declares: I promise that I will honor those who honor me, and those who despise me will be considered insignificant.
• 2 Chronicles 6:8However, the Lord said to my father David, ‘Since you had your heart set on building a temple for my name, your intentions were good.
• Matthew 25:21“His master replied, ‘Good job! You’re a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s happiness.’
• Luke 19:17“The king said to him, ‘Good job! You’re a good servant. You proved that you could be trusted with a little money. Take charge of ten cities.’
• Romans 2:7He will give everlasting life to those who search for glory, honor, and immortality by persisting in doing what is good. But he will bring
• 1 Corinthians 4:5Therefore, don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will also bring to light what is hidden in the dark and reveal people’s motives. Then each person will receive praise from God.
• 2 Corinthians 10:18It isn’t the person who makes his own recommendation who receives approval, but the person whom the Lord recommends.

Commentaries on John 5:44

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 44How can ye believe, which receive honor, etc. - The grand obstacle to the salvation of the scribes and Pharisees was their pride, vanity, and self-love. They lived on each other's praise. If they had acknowledged Christ as the only teacher, they must have given up the good opinion of the multitude; and they chose rather to lose their souls than to forfeit their reputation among men! This is the ruin of millions. They would be religious, if religion and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 44Which receive honour one of another - Who are studious of praise, and live for pride, ambition, and vainglory. This desire, Jesus says, was the great reason why they would not believe on him. They were unwilling to renounce their worldly honors, and become the followers of one so humble and unostentatious as he was. They expected a Messiah of pomp and splendor, and would not submit to one so despised and of so lowly a rank. Had the Messiah come, as they…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. 44The Jewish leaders wanted honor and praise from one another. They cared about their reputation and status. They loved religious activity, but they did not truly love God. Their actions did not match their claims. Because of this, God would judge them (5:45–46).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 43-4743-47. if another shall come, &c.--How strikingly has this been verified in the history of the Jews! "From the time of the true Christ to our time, sixty-four false Christs have been reckoned by whom they have been deceived" [Bengel].Read the comment

Topics related to John 5:44

• Ambition
• Godlessness
• Unbelief
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Folk
• Judgment
• Lest
• Light
• Step
• Trouble
• Troubling
• Witness

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