John 5:39 kjv
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
John 5:39 nkjv
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
John 5:39 niv
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
John 5:39 esv
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
John 5:39 nlt
"You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!
John 5 39 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 5:39 | "You search the Scriptures..." | John 5:39 |
| John 5:46 | "For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me." | Fulfilled prophecy in Moses |
| Luke 24:44 | "Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures..." | Jesus expounds Scriptures |
| Luke 16:29 | "But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets..." | OT points to the Messiah |
| Acts 17:11 | "...examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." | Bereans' diligent study |
| 2 Tim 3:15 | "...from childhood you have known the sacred writings..." | OT leads to Christ |
| 2 Tim 3:16 | "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable..." | Inspiration of Scripture |
| 1 Peter 1:10 | "concerning this salvation, prophets who prophesied about the grace..." | OT prophesied salvation |
| John 1:45 | "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him..." | Fulfillment in Jesus |
| John 10:25 | "Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe. The works..." | Works testify about Jesus |
| Isaiah 8:20 | "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word..." | Scripture as ultimate standard |
| Deuteronomy 18:15 | "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me..." | Mosaic prophecy of Christ |
| Psalm 119:105 | "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." | Guidance of God's Word |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh..." | The Word revealed in Christ |
| John 20:31 | "...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ..." | Purpose of Gospel writings |
| Hebrews 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and active..." | Power of God's Word |
| Acts 2:31 | "...his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption." | OT prophecy fulfilled |
| Romans 1:2 | "...promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures..." | OT promised the gospel |
| Romans 10:14 | "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?" | Faith comes from hearing Word |
| Isaiah 40:8 | "The grass withers; the flower fades, but the word of our God..." | Endurance of God's Word |
| John 3:16 | "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son..." | Faith in Jesus for eternal life |
John 5 verses
John 5 39 Meaning
The verse states that the Scriptures are the authority that testifies about Jesus, and through these Scriptures, one can gain eternal life. This points to the divine origin and sufficiency of the Bible as the means by which people come to know and believe in Christ, the source of eternal life.
John 5 39 Context
This verse occurs within Jesus' discourse after healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. Jesus emphasizes that while the religious leaders meticulously studied the Old Testament Scriptures (believing they contained eternal life), they failed to recognize Jesus himself, who was the subject of those very Scriptures. They were diligent in their study but lacked a spiritual understanding of their purpose, which was to testify about Jesus Christ.
John 5 39 Word analysis
You (ὑμεῖς, humeis): Plural pronoun, addressing the Jewish leaders and anyone with a similar mindset.
search (ἐραυνᾶτε, erunate): Present active indicative of ἐρευνάω (erunaō), meaning to search diligently, investigate, examine closely. It implies a thorough and possibly argumentative or critical examination.
the Scriptures (τὰς γραφάς, tas graphas): "The writings," referring specifically to the Old Testament Scriptures which were the authoritative religious texts for the Jews.
because (ὅτι, hoti): A conjunction introducing the reason or explanation.
you think (δοκεῖτε, dokete): Present active indicative of δοκέω (dokeō), meaning to seem, to suppose, to think. It carries a nuance of opinion or belief, which may or may not be true.
in (ἐν, en): A preposition indicating location or means.
them (αὐταῖς, autais): Refers back to "the Scriptures."
you have (ἔχετε, echete): Present active indicative of ἔχω (echō), meaning to have, to hold.
eternal life (ζωὴν αἰώνιον, zoēn aiōnion): Life everlasting, unending life. This is a key concept in John's Gospel, referring to a quality of life that begins with faith in Christ and continues eternally.
and (καί, kai): Conjunction.
it is (ἐστιν, estin): Third person singular present indicative of εἰμί (eimi), to be.
these (αὗται, hautai): Refers back to "the Scriptures."
that (ὅ): Relative pronoun referring to "the Scriptures."
testify (μαρτυροῦσιν, martyrousin): Present active indicative of μαρτυρέω (martyreō), to bear witness, to testify.
of (περὶ, peri): Preposition indicating concerning or about.
me (ἐμοῦ, emou): First person singular genitive pronoun, referring to Jesus.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "You search the Scriptures... you think in them you have eternal life": This highlights a misguided reliance on textual knowledge of the Old Testament, divorced from understanding its ultimate prophetic focus on Jesus. The religious leaders had access to divine revelation but missed its divine Author and central message.
- "and it is these that testify of me": This is the crucial connection. The entire Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi, ultimately points to and bears witness to Jesus Christ. His person, life, death, and resurrection fulfill its prophecies and foreshadowings.
John 5 39 Bonus section
The phrase "search the Scriptures" implies a thorough investigation, possibly driven by the desire to find eternal life or to disprove Jesus. Jesus commends this diligence in Acts 17:11 when the Bereans searched the Scriptures to verify his message. However, the failure of the Jewish leaders in John 5:39 demonstrates that diligent study alone is insufficient; it requires an openness to the revelation of Jesus Christ within the texts. This verse establishes the Old Testament as a Christological testament.
John 5 39 Commentary
Jesus confronts the religious elite for their superficial study of the Scriptures. They revered the text but failed to see how it pointed to Him. Their meticulous examination led them to believe that merely possessing and studying the Law guaranteed them eternal life. Jesus corrects this by asserting that while Scripture is indeed the channel of eternal life, its true purpose is to testify about Him, the Messiah, who is the very source of that life. True engagement with Scripture leads to Christ, not merely to intellectual assent or legalistic observance. The examination of the Law was meant to prepare them for, and guide them to, the promised Redeemer.
- Practical Usage: When we engage with the Bible, our aim should be to encounter Jesus Christ more deeply, not just to accumulate knowledge or feel a sense of religious duty. Every part of Scripture, understood correctly, finds its culmination in Christ.