New English Translation
John 5:19
19So Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.
John 5:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
Context of John 5:19
17So he told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18For this reason the Jewish leaders were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God. So Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and will show him greater deeds than these, so that you will be amazed. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes.
Read all of John 5John 5:19 word by word
ἀπεκρίνατο οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν· οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα. ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- The Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- ·οὐou · noG3756
- nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
- himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- butμήmē · notG3361
- whatτιςtis · oneG5100
- ·ἐάνean · ifG1437
- he seethβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
- the Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- what thingsὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- soeverἄνan · ifG302
- heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- likewiseὁμοίωςhomoiōs · similarlyG3668
Cross-references for John 5:19
- John 5:24“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.
- John 3:3Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
- John 5:30I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.
- John 8:28Then Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me.
- John 9:4We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me as long as it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work.
- John 12:49For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak.
- John 14:10Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds.
- John 14:16Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever –
- Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- Isaiah 44:24This is what the Lord, your protector, says, the one who formed you in the womb: “I am the Lord, who made everything, who alone stretched out the sky, who fashioned the earth all by myself,
- Colossians 1:16for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.
- John 5:22Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,
- Psalms 50:6The heavens declare his fairness, for God is judge. (Selah)
- 2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.
- John 2:19Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.”
- John 10:18No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.”
Commentaries on John 5:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19The Son can do nothing of himself - Because of his inseparable union with the Father: nor can the Father do any thing of himself, because of his infinite unity with the Son. What things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son - God does nothing but what Christ does. What God does is the work of God, and proper to no creature - Jesus does whatsoever God does, and therefore is no created being. The Son can do nothing but what he sees the Father do: now…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19The Son can do nothing of himself - Jesus, having stated the extent of his authority, proceeds here to show its “source and nature,” and to prove to them that what he had said was true. The first explanation which he gives is in these words: “The Son” - whom he had just impliedly affirmed to be equal with God - did nothing “of himself;” that is, nothing without the appointment of the Father; nothing contrary to the Father, as he immediately explains it…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-23Verses 17-23 The Divine power of the miracle proved Jesus to be the Son of God, and he declared that he worked with, and like unto his Father, as he saw good. These ancient enemies of Christ understood him, and became more violent, charging him not only with sabbath-breaking, but blasphemy, in calling God his own Father, and making himself equal with God. But all things now, and at the final judgment, are committed to the Son, purposely that all men might…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-30Jesus claimed that his work on the Sabbath was the same as God’s work on the Sabbath. Jesus claimed to be equal with God, doing the things God does. Yet he submitted to God’s will, doing only what the Father wanted.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2019-20. the Son can do nothing of himself--that is, apart from and in rivalry of the Father, as they supposed. The meaning is, "The Son can have no separate interest or action from the Father." for what things, &c.--On the contrary, "whatever the Father doeth that same doeth the Son," likewise--"in the like manner." What claim to absolute equality with the Father could exceed this: not only to do "the same things," but to do them as the Father does them?Read the comment
Topics related to John 5:19
In the dictionaries
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries