New King James Version
John 3:5
5Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
John 3:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
Context of John 3:5
3Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Read all of John 3John 3:5 word by word
Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
- Verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
- I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto theeσύsu · youG4771
- Exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
- Exceptμήmē · notG3361
- a manτιςtis · oneG5100
- be bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- he cannotοὐou · noG3756
- he cannotδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- enterεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
- intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for John 3:5
- John 3:3Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
- Isaiah 44:3For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;
- Ezekiel 36:25Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
- Matthew 3:11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- Mark 16:16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
- Acts 2:38Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Ephesians 5:26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
- 1 Peter 1:2elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
- 1 Peter 3:21There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- 1 John 5:6This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
- John 1:13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- Romans 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
- 1 Corinthians 2:12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
- 1 Corinthians 6:11And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
- 1 John 2:29If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
- 1 John 5:1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
Commentaries on John 3:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Of water and of the Spirit - To the baptism of water a man was admitted when he became a proselyte to the Jewish religion; and, in this baptism, he promised in the most solemn manner to renounce idolatry, to take the God of Israel for his God, and to have his life conformed to the precepts of the Divine law. But the water which was used on the occasion was only an emblem of the Holy Spirit. The soul was considered as in a state of defilement, because of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Be born of water - By “water,” here, is evidently signified “baptism.” Thus the word is used in Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5. Baptism was practiced by the Jews in receiving a Gentile as a proselyte. It was practiced by John among the Jews; and Jesus here says that it is an ordinance of his religion, and the sign and seal of the renewing influences of his Spirit. So he said Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” It is clear from these…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5John the Baptist baptized with water. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (1:33).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. of water and of the Spirit--A twofold explanation of the "new birth," so startling to Nicodemus. To a Jewish ecclesiastic, so familiar with the symbolical application of water, in every variety of way and form of expression, this language was fitted to show that the thing intended was no other than a thorough spiritual purification by the operation of the Holy Ghost. Indeed, element of water and operation of the Spirit are brought together in a…Read the comment
Topics related to John 3:5
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries