John 19:34 kjv
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
John 19:34 nkjv
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
John 19:34 niv
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
John 19:34 esv
But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
John 19:34 nlt
One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
John 19 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 19:34 | "...and immediately blood and water came out." | Direct fulfillment |
| Zech 12:10 | "They will look on me, the one they have pierced..." | Messianic prophecy fulfillment |
| Matt 26:31 | "You will all fall away because of me this night." | Jesus foretold disciples' desertion |
| Mark 14:27 | "You will all fall away because of me this night." | Mark's parallel account |
| Luke 22:31 | "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you..." | Jesus' foreknowledge of Peter's fall |
| John 19:16 | "...he handed him over to them to be crucified." | Jesus delivered for crucifixion |
| Acts 2:23 | "...you have taken him, and by wicked hands you have crucified and killed him." | Accusation of Jesus' crucifixion |
| 1 Cor 11:26 | "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes." | The significance of His death |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." | Sacrifice for sins |
| 1 John 5:6 | "This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but also by the water and the blood." | Significance of water and blood |
| Rev 1:5 | "...to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood." | Redemption through His blood |
| Rev 5:9 | "...for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood..." | Redeemed by His blood |
| Ex 12:7, 22 | Passovers sprinkled with blood. | Passover parallels |
| Lev 14:6, 50 | Blood and water in cleansing rituals. | Ritual cleansing symbolism |
| Ps 22:14 | "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint..." | Suffering, comparison to spillage |
| Ps 69:21 | "They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." | Vinegar fulfillment |
| Isa 53:5 | "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities..." | Suffering servant prophecy |
| John 3:14 | "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up..." | Suffering for salvation |
| John 10:10 | "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." | The life He gives |
| Heb 9:14 | "...how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." | Purification through His blood |
| 1 Cor 1:18 | "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." | The power of the cross |
| Heb 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and active..." | The living word's impact |
| 1 John 5:8 | "There are three that testify: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree." | Testimony of Spirit, water, blood |
John 19 verses
John 19 34 Meaning
This verse describes the act of a soldier piercing Jesus' side with a spear after His death on the cross. This action confirmed His death and resulted in the issuance of blood and water.
John 19 34 Context
This verse occurs in John's Gospel towards the end of Jesus' crucifixion narrative. Pilate had already confirmed Jesus' death with the centurion (v. 33). The Roman soldiers then arrived to break the legs of the condemned to hasten their death, a practice known as crurifragium. However, upon finding Jesus already dead, one soldier thrust a spear into His side. This action served as a physical confirmation of death, preventing the desecration of breaking His legs. This event is also understood by John as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and a significant theological moment, pointing to Jesus' priestly and sacrificial role.
John 19 34 Word Analysis
δὲ (de): And, but. A conjunction that connects the preceding statement to the following one.
εἷς (heis): One. Refers to a single soldier.
τῶν στρατιωτῶν (tōn stratioōtōn): Of the soldiers. Denotes a member of the military guard.
λόγχῃ (lonchē): With a spear. A thrusting weapon with a sharp point.
αὐτοῦ (autou): Of him. Referring to Jesus.
τὴν πλευρὰν (tēn pleuran): The side. The flank of the body.
ἔνυξεν (enyxen): Pierced, thrust. Aorist active indicative of ἐνύσσω (enyssō), meaning to pierce or stab.
εὐθὺς (euthys): Immediately. At once, without delay.
αἷμα (haima): Blood. The fluid circulating in the body.
ὕδωρ (hydōr): Water. The liquid released.
ἐξῆλθεν (exēlthen): Came out. Aorist active indicative of ἐξέρχομαι (exerchomai), meaning to go out or come forth.
ὡς (hōs): As. Indicates manner or comparison, here signifying "that is."
μάρτυς (martys): Witness. One who testifies. This word is implied by the significance of the event.
Words-group by words-group analysis data:
- "εἷς τῶν στρατιωτῶν" (one of the soldiers): This emphasizes the specific action of an individual soldier, acting on behalf of the Roman authority and fulfilling a divine purpose.
- "λόγχῃ τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ ἔνυξεν" (pierced his side with a spear): This is the direct action, a physical act of violence confirming death, but laden with symbolic meaning.
- "εὐθὺς αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ ἐξῆλθεν" (immediately blood and water came out): The unexpected release of both blood and water from Jesus' lifeless body is a remarkable detail, which the Gospel writer interprets with theological depth.
John 19 34 Bonus Section
The Roman custom of breaking the legs was to prevent premature burial, ensuring condemned criminals were dead before being removed from the cross. The soldier's spear thrust, therefore, served a grim practical purpose for the Romans. For John, however, it fulfilled Zechariah 12:10, where God declares, "they will look on me, on him whom they have pierced." This fulfillment is crucial to John's Christology, presenting Jesus as the pierced Son of God who is also God Himself. The "blood and water" have also been seen by some early Church fathers as symbolizing the church itself, born from the pierced side of Christ, much like Eve was formed from Adam's side. The issuance of blood and water also demonstrates that Jesus' death was real and complete, not a mystical vanishing.
John 19 34 Commentary
The soldier's spear thrust was not merely a casual or random act but a critical detail noted by the evangelist. This piercing is profoundly significant, confirming Jesus' actual death and preventing any assertion of Him merely seeming to be dead. The emergence of both blood and water from His side has been interpreted in several ways. Medically, it could suggest serous fluid accumulated in the pericardium and the pooling of blood in the chest cavity due to the severe trauma. Theologically, it is seen as a powerful symbol: the blood represents His sacrificial death and atonement, while the water signifies His life-giving Spirit and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. This event powerfully connects Jesus' passion to His redemptive work and His future ministry through the church, as highlighted in 1 John 5:6 and 5:8, where the Spirit, water, and blood are presented as distinct yet testifying elements of Christ's identity and work.