New International Version
John 4:48
48“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
John 4:48 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
Context of John 4:48
46Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” 49The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50“Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
Read all of John 4John 4:48 word by word
εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς αὐτόν· ἐὰν μὴ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἴδητε, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- ·ἐάνean · ifG1437
- Exceptμήmē · notG3361
- ye seeὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- signsσημεῖονsēmeion · signG4592
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- wondersτέραςteras · wondersG5059
- ye willπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- ·οὐou · noG3756
Cross-references for John 4:48
- John 4:41And because of his words many more became believers.
- John 2:18The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
- John 12:37Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
- John 15:24If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.
- John 20:29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
- Numbers 14:11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?
- Matthew 16:1The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
- Matthew 27:42“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
- Luke 10:18He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
- Luke 16:31“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
- Acts 2:22“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
- 1 Corinthians 1:22Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
Commentaries on John 4:48
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 48Except ye see signs and wonders, etc. - Our Lord does not tell this man that he had no faith, but that he had not enough. If he had had none, he would not have come from Capernaum to Cana, to beg him to heal his son. If he had had enough, he would have been contented with recommending his son to our Lord, without entreating him to go to Capernaum to heal him; which intimates that he did not believe our Lord could do it at a distance. But the words are not…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 48Except ye see signs - This was spoken not to the nobleman only, but to the Galileans generally. The Samaritans had believed without any miracle. The Galileans, he said, were less disposed to believe him than even they were; and though he had performed miracles enough to convince them, yet, unless they continually saw them, they would not believe.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 43-54Verses 43-54 The father was a nobleman, yet the son was sick. Honours and titles are no security from sickness and death. The greatest men must go themselves to God, must become beggars. The nobleman did not stop from his request till he prevailed. But at first he discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of Christ. It is hard to persuade ourselves that distance of time and place, are no hinderance to the knowledge, mercy, and power of our Lord…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 48Jesus strongly criticized the Galileans for asking to see miracles and wonders before they would believe (see 6:30).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 48-5448-54. Except ye see signs, &c.--He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.Read the comment
Topics related to John 4:48
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 4
- 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 International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries