Tree of Life Version
John 3:5
5Yeshua answered, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born of water and 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 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
3Yeshua answered him, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus said to Him. “He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” Yeshua answered, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be surprised that I said to you, ‘You all must be born from above.’
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 3:3Yeshua answered him, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
- Isaiah 44:3For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants.
- Ezekiel 36:25Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols.
- Matthew 3:11“As for me, I immerse you in water for repentance. But the One coming after me is mightier than I am; I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will immerse you in the Ruach ha-Kodesh and fire.
- Mark 16:16He who believes and is immersed shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned.
- Acts 2:38Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Messiah Yeshua for the removal of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach ha-Kodesh.
- Ephesians 5:26to make her holy, having cleansed her by immersion in the word.
- 1 Peter 1:2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, set apart by the Ruach for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Yeshua the Messiah: May grace and shalom be multiplied to you.
- 1 Peter 3:21Corresponding to that, immersion now brings you to safety—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but a pledge to God of a good conscience—through the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua.
- 1 John 5:6Messiah Yeshua is the One who came by water and blood—not by water only, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
- John 1:13They were born not of a bloodline, nor of human desire, nor of man’s will, but of God.
- Romans 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you 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—so we might come to know the things freely given to us by God.
- 1 Corinthians 6:11That is what some of you were—but you were washed, you were made holy, you were set right in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and by the Ruach of our God.
- 1 John 2:29If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who does what is right is born of Him.
- 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Yeshua is the Messiah is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the one born 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
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