John 12 38

John 12:38 kjv

That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

John 12:38 nkjv

that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"

John 12:38 niv

This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

John 12:38 esv

so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

John 12:38 nlt

This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: "LORD, who has believed our message?
To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?"

John 12 verses

John 12 38 Meaning

John 12:38 attributes the pervasive unbelief in Jesus Christ among many Jewish people, despite His profound teachings and powerful signs, to the direct fulfillment of Isaiah's ancient prophecy (Isaiah 53:1). The verse emphasizes that this foreseen rejection and failure to perceive God's active, saving power in Jesus were not unexpected, but part of a divine blueprint. It poses a rhetorical question, lamented by the prophet, regarding who genuinely embraced the message about the Lord's Servant and recognized God's intervention, implying a widespread failure to do so.

John 12 38 Context

John 12:38 immediately follows Jesus' public farewell discourse and His final exhortations to the crowd, urging them to walk in the light and believe in Him as the Light of the World before it was too late (John 12:35-36). This pivotal chapter marks the end of Jesus' public ministry and the commencement of the "Book of Glory" (chapters 13-21). Despite witnessing extraordinary miracles, including the raising of Lazarus (John 11), and hearing Jesus' teachings, many, especially the Jewish leaders and elements within the crowds, had refused to believe. This verse, therefore, serves as John's inspired commentary and theological explanation for this widespread and hardened unbelief, presenting it not as a failure of Jesus' mission, but as the fulfillment of ancient prophecy and a pre-ordained aspect of God's redemptive plan.

John 12 38 Word analysis

• That: (ἵνα - hina) Introduces a purpose clause, indicating the fulfillment of prophecy was a divinely intended outcome, not merely a coincidental event.
• The word (logos): (λόγος - logos) Refers specifically to the prophetic utterance, a divinely inspired and authoritative message from God, communicated through His prophet. It carries the weight of God's foreknowledge and sovereign decree.
• Of Isaiah the prophet: Identifies the authoritative source of the prophecy. Isaiah is renowned as the messianic prophet, whose writings frequently prefigured the Suffering Servant and the Messiah. His authority underscored the divine origin and reliability of the prediction.
• Might be fulfilled (plērōthē): (πληρωθῇ - plērōthē) A passive, aorist subjunctive verb, signifying a "divine passive." It implies God as the unseen agent who brings about the fulfillment, emphasizing His sovereignty and control over historical events and human responses.
• Which he spoke: (ὃν εἶπεν - hon eipen) Affirms Isaiah's direct and verbal proclamation of the prophecy, lending historical weight to its fulfillment in Christ.
• "Lord (Kyrie), who has believed (episteusen) our report (akoē)?":
  • Lord: (Κύριε - Kyrie) An address to God, conveying a lament or petition, reflecting the prophet's (and implicitly John's) dismay over the widespread spiritual insensitivity.
  • Who has believed?: (τίς ἐπίστευσεν - tis episteusen) A rhetorical question that effectively functions as a strong negative statement, implying that very few, if any, have truly believed or genuinely embraced the message. It underscores the profound rejection.
  • Our report?: (τῇ ἀκοῇ - tē akoē) Means "hearing" or "what is heard/reported." In context, it refers to the prophetic message, the testimony, or the gospel about the coming Messiah (the Suffering Servant of Isa 53), whose works and sufferings lead to salvation.
• "And to whom has the arm (brachiōn) of the Lord been revealed (apekalyphtē)?":
  • Arm of the Lord: (βραχίων Κυρίου - brachiōn Kyriou) A powerful anthropomorphism representing God's active, intervening strength, power, and salvific capability. It's often used in the Old Testament to denote miraculous deliverance and might, particularly in the context of the Exodus. In John, it refers to God's divine power actively displayed in Jesus' miracles and life, leading to salvation.
  • Been revealed?: (ἀπεκαλύφθη - apekalyphtē) Passive, aorist indicative. Also a rhetorical question implying that the display of God's saving power in Christ remained unseen or unrecognized by the majority, signifying a spiritual inability to discern God's mighty work, despite its manifestation. It suggests a lack of spiritual apprehension.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "that the word... might be fulfilled": This phrase asserts God's sovereignty and predetermined plan over human history. Even human resistance and unbelief are brought into conformity with divine prophecy, underscoring that these events are not accidental but part of a deeper, pre-ordained narrative for His glory.
• "who has believed our report?": This poignant rhetorical question, originally from Isaiah 53, highlights the consistent and profound human failure to accept God's message of salvation. It speaks to a deep spiritual skepticism or hardness of heart that predates Christ and continues through His ministry.
• "and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?": This parallel query underscores the lamentable inability to perceive God's powerful, salvific acts in operation, particularly in the person and work of Jesus. Despite clear demonstrations of divine power (His miracles), spiritual blindness prevents many from truly recognizing it as the active intervention of God for salvation. This shows a disconnection between observable acts and spiritual comprehension.

John 12 38 Bonus section

This verse initiates a significant discussion in John's Gospel (John 12:37-43) regarding the spiritual blindness and hardness of heart that led many Jews to reject Jesus. John explicitly links their unbelief to ancient prophecies from Isaiah 53 and Isaiah 6, emphasizing that their inability to believe was, paradoxically, part of God's overarching plan to demonstrate His glory, both in judgment and through the future ingathering of Gentiles. The use of the "divine passive" ("might be fulfilled," "been revealed") throughout the verse stresses God's ultimate control and purpose in history. Furthermore, the "arm of the Lord" is not merely about raw power but points to the suffering servant in Isaiah 53, implying that true recognition of God's saving power would involve accepting Jesus, the crucified Messiah, a paradox for many.

John 12 38 Commentary

John 12:38 encapsulates a profound theological truth regarding human response to divine revelation. By quoting Isaiah 53:1, John offers a scriptural explanation for the tragic reality of widespread Jewish unbelief in Jesus, despite an abundance of signs and clear teaching. This passage establishes that such resistance was not unforeseen but precisely what the prophet Isaiah had foretold centuries prior, thereby affirming the reliability of prophecy and God's sovereign hand even in humanity's negative responses. The rhetorical questions posed by Isaiah – lamenting the scarcity of those who believed "our report" (the gospel message of salvation through Christ) and discerned the "arm of the Lord" (God's powerful saving action manifested in Jesus) – reveal a deep spiritual inability among many to truly grasp God's work, which remains veiled to those who reject the light. This highlights a crucial theme: true belief is more than just witnessing, it requires a spiritual apprehension that allows one to see God's power and receive His message.