John 3:13

John 3:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
• New International Version (NIV)No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
• English Standard Version (ESV)No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
• New Living Translation (NLT)No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.

Context of John 3:13

11Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:13 word by word

καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπουRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• no manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• hath ascended upἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• ·εἰei · if: notG1487
• butμήmē · notG3361
• came downκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• which isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722

Cross-references for John 3:13

• John 1:18No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
• John 6:46Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.
• Deuteronomy 30:12It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
• Proverbs 30:4Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?
• Acts 2:34“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,
• Romans 10:6But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
• Ephesians 4:9(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
• John 6:33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
• John 8:42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
• John 13:3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,
• John 16:28I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”
• John 17:5And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
• 1 Corinthians 15:47The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
• Matthew 28:20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
• Mark 16:19So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
• Acts 20:28Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Commentaries on John 3:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13No man hath ascended - This seems a figurative expression for, No man hath known the mysteries of the kingdom of God; as in Deuteronomy 30:12; Psalm 73:17; Proverbs 30:4; Romans 11:34. And the expression is founded upon this generally received maxim: That to be perfectly acquainted with the concerns of a place, it is necessary for a person to be on the spot. But our Lord probably spoke to correct a false notion among the Jews, viz. that Moses had ascended…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13And no man hath ascended into heavens - No man, therefore, is qualified to speak of heavenly things, John 3:12. To speak of those things requires intimate acquaintance with them - demands that we have seen them; and as no one has ascended into heaven and returned, so no one is qualified to speak of them but He who came down from heaven. This does not mean that no one had Gone to heaven or had been saved, for Enoch and Elijah had been borne there (Genesis…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13There is a great distance between this world and heaven (see 1:51; 3:31; 6:38, 42). Heaven represents God’s dwelling place. This world represents human life under sin and weakness. Jesus came down from heaven to this world. He made a way for people to know God. He proved that he came from God when he defeated death. After rising from the dead, he returned to the Father in heaven (16:5–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1311-13. We speak that we know, and ... have seen--that is, by absolute knowledge and immediate vision of God, which "the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father" claims as exclusively His own (Joh 1:18). The "we" and "our" are here used, though Himself only is intended, in emphatic contrast, probably, with the opening words of Nicodemus, "Rabbi, we know.", &c. ye receive not, &c.--referring to the class to which Nicodemus belonged, but from which he…Read the comment

Topics related to John 3:13

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Life

In the dictionaries

• Son of man
• Born
• Condemn
• Condemnation
• Darkness
• Decrease
• Increase
• Love
• Nicodemus
• Testify

Commentaries on John 3

• 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