New Living Translation
John 6:53
53So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.
John 6:53 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
Context of John 6:53
51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” 52Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
Read all of John 6John 6:53 word by word
Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν· ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
- I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- Exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- ye eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
- the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- of the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
- bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
- ye haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- noοὐou · noG3756
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- youἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
Cross-references for John 6:53
- John 6:26Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.
- John 3:3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
- Matthew 5:18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.
- John 13:8“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
- John 15:4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
- Matthew 18:3Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Luke 13:3Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
- John 6:55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
- John 3:36And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
- Matthew 26:26As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
- 1 John 5:12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
- Revelation 2:7“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
Commentaries on John 6:53
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 53Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man - Unless ye be made partakers of the blessings about to be purchased by my blood, passion, and violent death, ye cannot be saved. As a man must eat bread and flesh, in order to be nourished by them, so a man must receive the grace and Spirit of Christ, in order to his salvation. As food in a rich man's store does not nourish the poor man that needs it, unless it be given him, and he receive it into his stomach, so…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 53-55Verses 53-55 In these verses Jesus repeats what he had in substance said before. Except ye eat the flesh - He did not mean that this should be understood literally, for it was never done, and it is absurd to suppose that it was intended to be so understood. Nothing can possibly be more absurd than to suppose that when he instituted the Supper, and gave the bread and wine to his disciples, they literally ate his flesh and drank his blood. Who can believe…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 52-59Verses 52-59 The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purchased by the breaking his body, and the shedding of his blood. Also…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 53-58eats My flesh and drinks My blood: Jesus answered the question the people asked (6:52). His words pointed ahead to the Lord’s Supper, which would come later (see Luke 22:19). In Jewish speech, the phrase “flesh and blood” referred to the whole person. In this context, Jesus was calling people to receive him fully by completely believing in him. Ever since the Protestant Reformation, there have been three main interpretations of the words of Jesus about…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 53-5853-58. Except ye eat the flesh ... and drink the blood ... no life, &c.--The harshest word He had yet uttered in their ears. They asked how it was possible to eat His flesh. He answers, with great solemnity, "It is indispensable." Yet even here a thoughtful hearer might find something to temper the harshness. He says they must not only "eat His flesh" but "drink His blood," which could not but suggest the idea of His death--implied in the separation of…Read the comment
Topics related to John 6:53
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 6
- 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
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