John 6:36
in John 6But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe not.
KJV
But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
⋯
This verse in John 6
Commentary
12 notes on this verseBy many words doth He struggle with them, and in every way urge them to salvation by faith. But He was not ignorant, as God, that they would run off to unbelief, as their sister or intimate foster sister, and would regard as nought, Him who calleth them to life.
This site's exposition
you have seen Me and still you do not believe
on John 6:36-37
They have seen Him and they still do not believe, and the promise that follows is that everyone the Father gives Me will come. Calvin hears the Father's effectual gift of the elect; Wesley hears a grace held out to all and freely received. Whoever comes is never driven away.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
(Tr. xxv. 14) Ye desire bread from heaven: but, though you have it before you, you eat it not. This is what I told you: But I said unto you, that ye also have seen Me, and believe not.
"I am the bread of life; he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen Me, and believe Me not." Thus also John crieth, saying beforehand, "He speaketh that He knoweth, and testifieth that He hath seen, and no man receiveth His testimony"; and again Christ Himself, "We speak that We do know, and testify that We have seen, and ye believe not." This He doth to prevent them, and to show them that the matter doth not trouble Him, that He desireth not honor, that He is not ignorant of the secrets of their minds, nor of things present, nor of things to come.
(Hom. xliv. 2. c. 5.) Or, I said to you, refers to the testimony of the Scriptures, of which He said above, They are they which testify of Me; and again, I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not. That ye have seen Me, is a silent allusion to His miracles.
The Medieval Church2 voices
As if He said, I did not say what I did to you about the bread, because I thought you would eat it, but rather to convict you of unbelief. I say, that ye see Me, and believe not.
Then (v 36), we see why Christ had to explain these things. For someone could say: We asked for bread; but you did not answer, "I will give it to you," or "I will not." Rather, you say, I am the bread of life; and …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"But I said to you: That you have both seen me and do not believe." Here the second point is noted, who namely are refreshed by this bread: because not the unbelieving, but the faithful elected and called by God. Therefore he says: Thus I …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But I said unto you,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
But I said unto you - This he said, not in so many words, but in substance, in Joh 6:26. Though they saw him, and had full proof of his divine mission, yet they did not believe. Jesus then proceeds to state that, although they did not believe on him, yet his work would not be in vain, for others would come to him and be saved.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
Three of our Lord Jesus Christ's great sayings are strung together, like pearls, in this passage. Each of them ought to be precious to every true Christian. All taken together, they form a mine of truth, into which he that searches need never search in vain. We have, first, in these verses, a saying of Christ about Himself. We read that Jesus said—"I am the bread of life—he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst." Our Lord would have us know that He himself is the appointed food of man's soul.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
Three of our Lord Jesus Christ's great sayings are strung together, like pearls, in this passage. Each of them ought to be precious to every true Christian. All taken together, they form a mine of truth, into which he that searches need never search in vain. We have, first, in these verses, a saying of Christ about Himself. We read that Jesus said—"I am the bread of life—he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst." Our Lord would have us know that He himself is the appointed food of man's soul. The soul of every man is naturally starving and famishing through sin. Christ is given by God the Father, to be the Satisfier, the Reliever, and the Physician of man's spiritual need. In Him and His mediatorial office—in Him and His atoning death—in Him and His priesthood—in Him and His grace, love, and power—in Him alone will empty souls find their needs supplied. In Him there is life. He is "the bread of life." With what divine and perfect wisdom this name is chosen! Bread is necessary food. We can manage tolerably well without many things on our table, but not without bread. So is it with Christ. We must have Christ, or die in our own sins. Bread is food that suits all . Some cannot eat meat, and some cannot eat vegetables. But all like bread. It is food both for the Queen and the pauper. So is it with Christ. He is just the Savior that meets the needs of every class. Bread is food that we need daily . Other kinds of food we take, perhaps, only occasionally. But we need bread every morning and evening in our lives. So is it with Christ. There is no day in our lives but we need His blood, His righteousness, His intercession, and His grace. Well may He be called, "The bread of life!" Do we know anything of spiritual hunger? Do we feel anything of craving and emptiness in conscience, heart, and affections?
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | But | G235 → | 635 times |
| εἶπον | eipon | I said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἑωράκατέ | he'orakate | you have seen | G3708 → | 60 times |
| με | me | Me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and yet | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| πιστεύετε. | pisteuete | believe. | G4100 → | 237 times |
ἀλλ᾽But
all᾽G235 →635 times
εἶπονI said
eiponG2036 →925 times
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἑωράκατέyou have seen
he'orakateG3708 →60 times
μεMe
meG3165 →1936 times
καὶand yet
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
πιστεύετε.believe.
pisteueteG4100 →237 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 6:40For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
it leads to
- John 5:24
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
- Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- John 6:54
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
- John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
- John 3:15–18
that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
- John 5:24
Through
John 6:26Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
it leads to
- James 4:3–4
And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
- Philippians 3:19
Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
- Philippians 2:21
For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
- James 4:3–4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies28
- Bread
- The Bronze Serpent
- Cut Off from Among His People
- Eternal Life
- Eternal Security, and the Five Warnings of Hebrews
- Feeding the Five Thousand, John 6:1-15
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
About John
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 6; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Calvin, Commentary on the Gospel according to John; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 45; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.