New Living Translation
John 3:5
5Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
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 King James Version (NKJV)Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Context of John 3:5
3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘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 replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
- Isaiah 44:3For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.
- Ezekiel 36:25“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.
- Matthew 3:11“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
- Mark 16:16Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
- Acts 2:38Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Ephesians 5:26to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.
- 1 Peter 1:2God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.
- 1 Peter 3:21And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- 1 John 5:6And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.
- John 1:13They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
- Romans 8:2And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
- 1 Corinthians 2:12And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
- 1 Corinthians 6:11Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
- 1 John 2:29Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
- 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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