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

36What does he mean when he says, ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me,’ and ‘You can’t go where I’m going’?” 37On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus was standing ⌞in the temple courtyard⌟. He said loudly, “Whoever is thirsty must come to me to drink. As Scripture says, ‘Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.’ ” 39Jesus said this about the Spirit, whom his believers would receive. The Spirit was not yet evident, as it would be after Jesus had been glorified. 40After some of the crowd heard Jesus say these words, they said, “This man is certainly the prophet.”

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 18:15The Lord your God will send you a prophet, an Israelite like me. You must listen to him.
• John 4:14But those who drink the water that I will give them will never become thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give them will become in them a spring that gushes up to eternal life.”
• Job 32:18I’m full of words. The Spirit within me forces me ⌞to speak⌟.
• Proverbs 10:11The mouth of a righteous person is a fountain of life, but the mouths of wicked people conceal violence.
• Proverbs 18:4The words of a person’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is an overflowing stream.
• Isaiah 12:3With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation.
• Isaiah 44:3I will pour water on thirsty ground and rain on dry land. I will pour my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants.
• Isaiah 58:11The Lord will continually guide you and satisfy you even in sun-baked places. He will strengthen your bones. You will become like a watered garden and like a spring whose water does not stop flowing.
• Isaiah 59:21“This is my promise to them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I put in your mouth will not leave you. They will be with your children and your grandchildren permanently,” says the Lord.
• Ezekiel 47:1Then the man took me back to the door of the temple. I saw water flowing from under the entrance of the temple toward the east. (The temple faced east.) The water was flowing under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.
• Zechariah 14:8On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it to the Dead Sea and the other half to the Mediterranean Sea. It will continue in summer and in winter.
• Galatians 5:22But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
• Ephesians 5:9Light produces everything that is good, that has God’s approval, and that is 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