John 20:22

John 20:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
• New International Version (NIV)And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Context of John 20:22

20When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

John 20:22 word by word

καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησεν καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• when he had saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• he breathed onἐμφυσάωemphusaō · to breathe intoG1720
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Receive yeλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• the Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• Ghostπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151

Cross-references for John 20:22

• Genesis 2:7And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
• Job 33:4The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
• Psalms 33:6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
• Ezekiel 37:9Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”
• John 14:16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
• John 15:26“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
• John 16:7Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
• Acts 2:4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
• Acts 4:8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
• Acts 8:15who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 10:47“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
• Acts 19:2he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
• Galatians 3:2This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Commentaries on John 20:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22He breathed on them - Intimating, by this, that they were to be made new men, in order to be properly qualified for the work to which he had called them; for in this breathing he evidently alluded to the first creation of man, when God breathed into him the breath of lives, and he became a living soul: the breath or Spirit of God (אלהים רוח ruach Elohim ) being the grand principle and cause of his spiritual and Divine life. Receive ye the Holy Ghost…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22He breathed on them - It was customary for the prophets to use some significant act to represent the nature of their message. See Genesis 2:7. The word rendered “spirit” in the Scriptures denotes wind, air, breath, as well as Spirit. Hence, the operations of the Holy Spirit are compared to the wind, John 3:8; Acts 2:2. Receive ye the Holy Ghost - His breathing on them was a certain sign or pledge that they would be endowed with the influences of the Holy…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-25Verses 19-25 This was the first day of the week, and this day is afterwards often mentioned by the sacred writers; for it was evidently set apart as the Christian sabbath, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection. The disciples had shut the doors for fear of the Jews; and when they had no such expectation, Jesus himself came and stood in the midst of them, having miraculously, though silently, opened the doors. It is a comfort to Christ's disciples, when…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22Jesus commissioned his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given earlier, because Jesus had not yet been glorified (7:39). After his resurrection, the glorified Jesus gave the Spirit to his followers. This gift fulfilled many promises that the Spirit would be sent (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 13). It also points ahead to the Spirit’s powerful coming at Pentecost (Acts 1:4–5; 2:1–47).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2319-23. the same day at evening, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus--plainly not by the ordinary way of entrance. and saith unto them Peace be unto you--not the mere wish that even His own exalted peace might be theirs (Joh 14:27), but conveying it into their hearts, even as He "opened their understandings to understand the scriptures" (Lu 24:45).Read the comment

Topics related to John 20:22

• Holy Spirit
• Jesus, the Christ
• Trinity

In the dictionaries

• Holy Ghost
• Reach
• Remit
• Sabbath
• Thrust
• Wrap
• Baptism of the Holy Spirit
• Body, Spiritual
• Breath; Breathe; Breathing
• Jesus Christ

Commentaries on John 20

• 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