John 12:34

John 12:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
• New International Version (NIV)The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"
• New Living Translation (NLT)The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

Context of John 12:34

32And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33This He said, signifying by what death He would die. The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

John 12:34 word by word

Ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος· ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου ὅτι ὁ χριστὸς μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ πῶς λέγεις σὺ ὅτι δεῖ ὑψωθῆναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου;¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The peopleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• The peopleὄχλοςochlos · crowdG3793
• answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• have heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• outἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• of the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• abidethμένωmenō · to stayG3306
• forεἰςeis · towardG1519
• everαἰώνaiōn · an age: eternityG165
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• sayestλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• The Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• mustδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163
• be lifted upὑψόωhupsoō · to lift upG5312
• whoτίςtis · which?G5101
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778

Cross-references for John 12:34

• John 10:34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’?
• John 15:25But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
• Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
• Romans 5:18Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
• 2 Samuel 7:13He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
• Psalms 72:7In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.
• Psalms 89:36His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me;
• Psalms 110:4The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
• Isaiah 9:7Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
• Isaiah 53:8He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
• Ezekiel 37:24“David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.
• Daniel 2:44And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
• Daniel 7:14Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
• Micah 4:7I will make the lame a remnant, And the outcast a strong nation; So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever.
• John 3:14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
• John 5:25Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

Commentaries on John 12:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34We have heard out of the law - That is, out of the sacred writings. The words here are quoted from Psalm 110:4; but the Jews called every part of the sacred writings by the name, The Law, in opposition to the words or sayings of the scribes. See on John 10:34; (note). That Christ abideth for ever - There was no part of the law nor of the Scripture that said the Messiah should not die; but there are several passages that say as expressly as they can that…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34We have heard out of the law - Out of the Old Testament; or rather we have been so taught by those who have interpreted the law to us. That Christ - That the Messiah. Abideth for ever - Will remain forever, or will live forever. The doctrine of many of them certainly was that the Messiah would not die; that he would reign as a prince forever over the people. This opinion was founded on such passages of Scripture as these: Psalm 110:4, “Thou art a priest…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 34-36Verses 34-36 The people drew false notions from the Scriptures, because they overlooked the prophecies that spoke of Christ's sufferings and death. Our Lord warned them that the light would not long continue with them, and exhorted them to walk in it, before the darkness overtook them. Those who would walk in the light must believe in it, and follow Christ's directions. But those who have not faith, cannot behold what is set forth in Jesus, lifted up on…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 34Many people in the time of Jesus believed that the Messiah would live forever and defeat his enemies. They expected a strong and victorious ruler. Because of this belief, the words Jesus spoke confused them. Who is this Son of Man?: The Jews did not understand what sort of Messiah planned to die.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3434. We have heard out of the law--the scriptures of the Old Testament (referring to such places as Psa 89:28, 29; 110:4; Da 2:44; 7:13, 14). that Christ--the Christ "endureth for ever." and how sayest thou, The Son of Man must be lifted up, &c.--How can that consist with this "uplifting?" They saw very well both that He was holding Himself up as the Christ and a Christ to die a violent death; and as that ran counter to all their ideas of the Messianic…Read the comment

Topics related to John 12:34

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Law

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Son of man
• Bible
• Chief
• Consult
• Costly
• Andrew
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Bible, the
• Canon of the Old Testament

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