John 1:13

John 1:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
• New International Version (NIV)children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Context of John 1:13

11He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children – children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God. 14Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory – the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. 15John testified about him and shouted out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’”

John 1:13 word by word

οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• were bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
• norοὐδέoude · norG3761
• the willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• of the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• of manἀνήρanēr · manG435
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for John 1:13

• John 3:3Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
• James 1:18By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
• 1 Peter 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
• 1 Peter 2:2And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation,
• 1 John 3:9Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God.
• 1 John 4:7Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God.
• 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father loves the child fathered by him.
• John 8:33“We are descendants of Abraham,” they replied, “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
• Matthew 3:9and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
• Romans 9:7nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted.”
• Genesis 25:22But the children struggled inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” So she asked the Lord,
• Genesis 27:4Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then I will eat it so that I may bless you before I die.”
• Romans 9:10Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac –
• Psalms 110:3Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you.
• Romans 9:1I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit –
• Romans 10:1Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites is for their salvation.

Commentaries on John 1:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Which were born, not of blood - Who were regenerated, ̔, not of bloods - the union of father and mother, or of a distinguished or illustrious ancestry; for the Hebrew language makes use of the plural to point out the dignity or excellence of a thing: and probably by this the evangelist intended to show his countrymen, that having Abraham and Sarah for their parents would not entitle them to the blessings of the new covenant; as no man could lay claim to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Which were born - This doubtless refers to the “new birth,” or to the great change in the sinner‘s mind called regeneration or conversion. It means that they did not become the children of God in virtue of their natural birth, or because they were the children of “Jews,” or because they were descended from pious parents. The term “to be born” is often used to denote this change. Compare John 3:3-8; 1 John 2:29. It illustrates clearly and beautifully this…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-14Verses 6-14 John the Baptist came to bear witness concerning Jesus. Nothing more fully shows the darkness of men's minds, than that when the Light had appeared, there needed a witness to call attention to it. Christ was the true Light; that great Light which deserves to be called so. By his Spirit and grace he enlightens all that are enlightened to salvation; and those that are not enlightened by him, perish in darkness. Christ was in the world when he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13born of God: People can escape the darkness only by God’s grace (see 8:12; 12:35–36, 44–46).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-1310-13. He was in the world, &c.--The language here is nearly as wonderful as the thought. Observe its compact simplicity, its sonorousness--"the world" resounding in each of its three members--and the enigmatic form in which it is couched, startling the reader and setting his ingenuity a-working to solve the stupendous enigma of Christ ignored in His own world. "The world," in the first two clauses, plainly means the created world, into which He came…Read the comment

Topics related to John 1:13

• Adoption
• Jesus, the Christ
• Regeneration

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adoption
• Behold
• Believe
• Blood
• Dwell
• Flesh
• Guile
• Light

Commentaries on John 1

• 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