John 12:25

John 12:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.

Context of John 12:25

23Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

John 12:25 word by word

ὁ φιλῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολλύει αὐτήν, καὶ ὁ μισῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον φυλάξει αὐτήν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• He that lovethφιλέωphileō · to loveG5368
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• lifeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• lifeψυχήpsuchē · soul: lifeG5590
• shall loseἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• he that hatethμισέωmiseō · to hateG3404
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• shall keepφυλάσσωphulassō · to keep/guard: protectG5442
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
• eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166

Cross-references for John 12:25

• Matthew 10:39Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
• Matthew 16:25For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
• Matthew 19:29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
• Mark 8:35For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
• Luke 9:23Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
• Luke 17:33Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
• Acts 20:24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
• Acts 21:13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
• Hebrews 11:35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
• Revelation 12:11They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
• Genesis 29:30Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
• Ecclesiastes 2:17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
• Luke 14:26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.

Commentaries on John 12:25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25He that loveth his life - See on Matthew 10:39; (note); Luke 14:26; (note). I am about to give up my life for the salvation of men; but I shall speedily receive it back with everlasting honor, by my resurrection from the dead. In this I should be imitated by my disciples, who should, when called to it, lay down their lives for the truth; and, if they do, they shall receive them again with everlasting honor.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25He that loveth his life … - This was a favorite principle, a sort of “axiom” with the Lord Jesus, which he applied to himself as well as to his followers. See the Matthew 10:39 note; Luke 9:24 note.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-26Verses 20-26 In attendance upon holy ordinances, particularly the gospel passover, the great desire of our souls should be to see Jesus; to see him as ours, to keep up communion with him, and derive grace from him. The calling of the Gentiles magnified the Redeemer. A corn of wheat yields no increase unless it is cast into the ground. Thus Christ might have possessed his heavenly glory alone, without becoming man. Or, after he had taken man's nature, he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25For disciples (followers of Jesus), sacrifice and self-effacement (choosing not to put oneself first) are part of this path. They do not lose life by following Jesus. Instead, they gain the fullness of life that comes through his sacrifice. Those who renounce (turn away from) the world’s priorities will be with Jesus forever. God will honor those who serve his Son. In this way, the path of humble obedience leads to eternal life and honor.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 23-2623-26. Jesus answered them, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified--that is, They would see Jesus, would they? Yet a little moment, and they shall see Him so as now they dream not of. The middle wall of partition that keeps them out from the commonwealth of Israel is on the eve of breaking down, "and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men unto Me"; I see them "flying as a cloud, and as doves to their cotes"--a glorious…Read the comment

Topics related to John 12:25

• Jesus Continued
• Life
• Martyrdom
• Paradox
• Righteous
• Self-Denial
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Chief
• Consult
• Costly
• Prince
• Andrew
• Christ, Offices of
• Jesus Christ
• Johannine Theology
• John, Gospel of
• King, Christ As

Commentaries on John 12

• 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