John 3:4 kjv
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
John 3:4 nkjv
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
John 3:4 niv
"How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"
John 3:4 esv
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
John 3:4 nlt
"What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"
John 3 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual Rebirth & New Creation | ||
| Jn 1:12-13 | But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. | Born of God, not human means |
| Ez 36:26-27 | I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you... | God's promise of new heart/spirit |
| Jer 31:33 | I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts... | New covenant: internal transformation |
| Tit 3:5 | ...he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. | Regeneration by Holy Spirit |
| 1 Pet 1:23 | ...you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. | Born again through God's Word |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. | New identity in Christ |
| Gal 6:15 | For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. | New creation over rituals |
| Rom 6:4 | ...so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. | Newness of life through identification w/ Christ |
| Spiritual Blindness & Divine Revelation | ||
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. | Natural mind cannot grasp spiritual truth |
| Matt 11:25 | ...you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. | God reveals truth to the humble |
| Deut 29:4 | But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand... | God grants understanding |
| Kingdom of God & Entry Requirements | ||
| Jn 3:3 | Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. | Preceding verse: Necessity of rebirth |
| Jn 3:5 | Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." | Following verse: Clarifies rebirth's components |
| Matt 18:3 | "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." | Childlike faith for Kingdom entry |
| Lk 17:20-21 | The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." | Kingdom's spiritual nature, not visible display |
| Flesh vs. Spirit | ||
| Jn 3:6 | That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. | Clarifies distinction between flesh/spirit birth |
| Rom 8:5-8 | For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. | Contrast between fleshly and spiritual mindsets |
| Phil 3:3-4 | ...we who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh... | No confidence in human achievements/lineage |
| Nicodemus's Transformation | ||
| Jn 7:50-51 | Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" | Nicodemus defends Jesus publicly |
| Jn 19:39-40 | Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. | Nicodemus cares for Jesus's body, revealing faith |
John 3 verses
John 3 4 Meaning
Nicodemus's question in John 3:4 reveals his literal, human interpretation of Jesus's declaration about being "born again." He struggles to grasp the spiritual necessity of rebirth for entering the Kingdom of God, viewing it as a physical impossibility for an adult. His inquiry highlights the natural man's inability to comprehend spiritual truths without divine illumination.
John 3 4 Context
John chapter 3 introduces Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee, a "ruler of the Jews," and "a teacher of Israel," who comes to Jesus by night. His initial approach acknowledges Jesus as a teacher sent from God, due to the miraculous signs He performs. In John 3:3, Jesus directly tells Nicodemus, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus's question in verse 4 serves as his bewildered response, a common human reaction when confronted with spiritual truths that defy natural understanding. The immediate historical context is first-century Judea, where Jewish leaders often held to a strict interpretation of the Law, valuing lineage and adherence to tradition as pathways to God's favor and entry into the messianic kingdom, thus struggling with concepts requiring a radical, internal transformation initiated by God.
John 3 4 Word analysis
- Nicodemus (Νικόδημος - Nikodemos): A prominent Pharisee, a respected leader and teacher among the Jews. His title "teacher of Israel" (John 3:10) implies a deep knowledge of the Old Testament law and traditions. Yet, his question highlights that even deep religious learning cannot grant spiritual insight without divine revelation.
- said to him (εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν - eipen pros auton): A direct, yet perhaps perplexed, response to Jesus's previous statement.
- How (Πῶς - Pōs): An expression of disbelief, astonishment, and inability to conceive. It reflects Nicodemus's human reasoning, searching for a logical or physical explanation where none exists.
- can a man be born (δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι - dynatai anthropos gennēthēnai): Anthropos (man/human) indicates the general, physical human being. Gennēthēnai (to be born, to be begotten) is the passive infinitive, literally "to be generated." Nicodemus applies this term to physical birth, which aligns with his initial misunderstanding of "born anōthen (ἀνωθέν)." While anōthen can mean "again," it also carries the sense of "from above" or "from the beginning." Nicodemus opts for the literal "again."
- when he is old? (γέρων ὤν - gerōn ōn): Literally, "being an old man." This phrase immediately brings the concept into the realm of physical impossibility. It highlights the natural human limitations that Nicodemus projects onto Jesus's spiritual declaration.
- Can he enter a second time (μὴ δύναται... δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν - mē dynatai... deuteron eiselthein): The mē introduces a question expecting a negative answer. Deuteron means "a second time" or "again." Nicodemus repeats his original misinterpretation, making it absurd by taking it to its logical extreme in a physical sense.
- into his mother's womb (εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ - eis tēn koilian tēs mētros autou): The specific mention of the mother's womb underscores the utterly physical and biological framework through which Nicodemus is attempting to understand Jesus's words.
- and be born? (καὶ γεννηθῆναι - kai gennēthēnai): The repetition of gennēthēnai solidifies Nicodemus's singular focus on physical, biological birth as the only meaning he can ascribe to "being born."
John 3 4 Bonus section
Nicodemus's nocturnal visit, possibly motivated by a fear of open association with Jesus given his position, provides a contrast to the boldness of seeking truth. Despite his high standing and rigorous adherence to Jewish law, his mind was still veiled from spiritual truths, underscoring that human achievements or religious titles cannot open the door to God's Kingdom; only divine transformation can. His honest confusion and question, however misguided, also served a divine purpose, allowing Jesus to explicitly teach the doctrine of spiritual regeneration by the Holy Spirit to all who would later read John's Gospel. Nicodemus's later actions in defending Jesus (Jn 7:50-51) and helping to bury Him (Jn 19:39-40) strongly suggest that his initial misunderstanding evolved into saving faith, demonstrating the transformative power of the very truth he initially struggled to comprehend.
John 3 4 Commentary
John 3:4 captures Nicodemus's utter confusion and provides a pivotal moment in understanding the radical nature of the spiritual rebirth Jesus proclaimed. Nicodemus, despite being an esteemed religious teacher, could not grasp the spiritual truth using his natural intellect. He interpreted Jesus's call to be "born again" (anōthen) solely as a physical re-entry into the mother's womb, an obviously impossible feat for an adult. This illustrates the fundamental truth that divine revelation, not human reasoning, is required to understand the Kingdom of God. The physical inability described by Nicodemus beautifully sets the stage for Jesus's clarification in the following verses (John 3:5-8) about the spiritual birth, wrought by water and the Spirit, which is invisible and mysterious, yet absolutely necessary for eternal life. It challenges the human tendency to reduce spiritual concepts to tangible, explainable terms, emphasizing God's supernatural work in regeneration.