John 6:31

John 6:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
• New International Version (NIV)Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

Context of John 6:31

29Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30They said therefore to him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers ate manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32Then Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world.

John 6:31 word by word

οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τὸ μάννα ἔφαγον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον· ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν.¶Read the interlinear

• Ourἡμῶνhēmōn · of usG2257
• fathersπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• ateφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• mannaμάνναmanna · mannaG3131
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• desertἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• isἐστίesti · he isG2076
• writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• breadἄρτοςartos · breadG740
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772

Cross-references for John 6:31

• John 6:49Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
• Exodus 16:4Then said the LORD to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.
• Numbers 11:6But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes.
• Deuteronomy 8:3And he humbled thee, and allowed thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
• Joshua 5:12And the manna ceased on the next day after they had eaten of the old grain of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
• Nehemiah 9:20Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
• Psalms 105:40The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
• Nehemiah 9:15And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and didst promise them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
• Psalms 78:24And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the grain of heaven.
• 1 Corinthians 10:3And all ate the same spiritual food;
• Revelation 2:17He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth except he that receiveth it .

Commentaries on John 6:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert - Their argument seems to run thus: Thou hast, we grant, fed five thousand men with five loaves and two small fishes; but what is this in comparison of what Moses did in the desert, who for forty years fed more than a million of persons with bread from heaven: do something like this, and then we will believe in thee, as we have believed in Moses.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Our fathers - The Jews who were led by Moses through the wilderness. Did eat manna - This was the name given by the Jews to the food which was furnished to them by God in their journey. It means literally, “What is this?” and was the question which they asked when they first saw it, Exodus 16:14-15. It was small like frost, and of the size of coriander-seed, and had a sweetish taste like honey. It fell in great quantities, and was regarded by the Jews as…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-35Verses 28-35 Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, now gave them the true Bread for the salvation of their souls. Coming…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-59This dialogue took place in the synagogue at Capernaum shortly before Passover (6:4, 59). During Passover, Jews would read the story of the exodus from Egypt (see Exodus 1–15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 28-3128-31. What shall we do ... the works of God--such works as God will approve. Different answers may be given to such a question, according to the spirit which prompts the inquiry. (See Ho 6:6-8; Lu 3:12-14). Here our Lord, knowing whom He had to deal with, shapes His reply accordingly.Read the comment

Topics related to John 6:31

• Blessing
• Jesus, the Christ
• Manna
• Quotations and Allusions
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Accursed
• Capernaum
• Manna
• Meat
• Murmur
• Andrew
• Desert
• Jesus Christ
• Johannine Theology
• John, Gospel of

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