John 6:31

John 6:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
• New Living Translation (NLT)After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Context of John 6:31

29Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

John 6:31 word by word

οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τὸ μάννα ἔφαγον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον· ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• fathersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• fathersπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• did eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• mannaμάνναmanna · mannaG3131
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the desertἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• it isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• He gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• breadἄρτοςartos · breadG740
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772

Cross-references for John 6:31

• John 6:49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.
• Exodus 16:4Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
• Numbers 11:6But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
• Deuteronomy 8:3He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
• Joshua 5:12The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.
• Nehemiah 9:20You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.
• Psalms 105:40They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
• Nehemiah 9:15In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.
• Psalms 78:24he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.
• 1 Corinthians 10:3They all ate the same spiritual food
• Revelation 2:17Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Commentaries on John 6:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert - Their argument seems to run thus: Thou hast, we grant, fed five thousand men with five loaves and two small fishes; but what is this in comparison of what Moses did in the desert, who for forty years fed more than a million of persons with bread from heaven: do something like this, and then we will believe in thee, as we have believed in Moses.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Our fathers - The Jews who were led by Moses through the wilderness. Did eat manna - This was the name given by the Jews to the food which was furnished to them by God in their journey. It means literally, “What is this?” and was the question which they asked when they first saw it, Exodus 16:14-15. It was small like frost, and of the size of coriander-seed, and had a sweetish taste like honey. It fell in great quantities, and was regarded by the Jews as…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-35Verses 28-35 Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, now gave them the true Bread for the salvation of their souls. Coming…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-59This dialogue took place in the synagogue at Capernaum shortly before Passover (6:4, 59). During Passover, Jews would read the story of the exodus from Egypt (see Exodus 1–15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 28-3128-31. What shall we do ... the works of God--such works as God will approve. Different answers may be given to such a question, according to the spirit which prompts the inquiry. (See Ho 6:6-8; Lu 3:12-14). Here our Lord, knowing whom He had to deal with, shapes His reply accordingly.Read the comment

Topics related to John 6:31

• Blessing
• Jesus, the Christ
• Manna
• Quotations and Allusions
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Accursed
• Capernaum
• Manna
• Meat
• Murmur
• Andrew
• Desert
• Jesus Christ
• Johannine Theology
• John, Gospel of

Commentaries on John 6

• 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