John 5:46 kjv
For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
John 5:46 nkjv
For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.
John 5:46 niv
If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.
John 5:46 esv
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
John 5:46 nlt
If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.
John 5 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 5:46 | If you believed Moses, you would believe Me... | Direct Statement |
| John 3:14 | As Moses lifted up the serpent... | Fulfillment of Prophecy |
| Luke 16:31 | If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets... | Moses as Authority |
| Luke 24:44 | ...everything written about Me in the Law of Moses | Mosaic Law Points to Christ |
| Acts 15:21 | For from ancient times Moses has had in every city those who preach him... | Moses Preached Elsewhere |
| Acts 28:23 | ...from morning till evening, explaining and testifying about the kingdom of God and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets... | Law as Testimony |
| Romans 10:5 | For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the Law... | Law and Righteousness |
| Romans 1:2 | ...promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning his Son... | Scriptures Testify to Son |
| 1 Peter 1:10-11 | ...prophesied about the grace that was to come to you... searching for what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ... | Prophets testified of Christ |
| Gen 3:15 | ...he will crush your head, and you will strike at his heel. | First Messianic Prophecy |
| Gen 49:10 | The scepter shall not depart from Judah... | Judah's Royalty Prophecy |
| Deut 18:15 | The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you... | The Prophet like Moses |
| Deut 18:18 | I will raise up for them a prophet from among their brothers, like you... | God Raises a Prophet |
| Deut 18:19 | ...and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. | Prophet Speaks God's Words |
| Psalm 22:6-7 | But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind... All who see me mock me... | Prophecy of Suffering |
| Psalm 118:22 | The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. | Cornerstone Prophecy |
| Isa 7:14 | ...a virgin shall conceive and bear a son... | Immanuel Prophecy |
| Isa 53:1-12 | Surely he has borne our griefs... | Suffering Servant Prophecy |
| Mal 4:4 | Remember the law of my servant Moses... | Moses and the Law Reminded |
| John 1:45 | Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." | Moses and Prophets Point to Jesus |
| John 5:39 | You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about Me. | Scriptures Testify of Jesus |
| John 10:25 | Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me." | Works Testify of Jesus |
John 5 verses
John 5 46 Meaning
If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.
John 5 46 Context
In this passage, Jesus is speaking to a crowd after healing a man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. He has been accused by Jewish leaders of breaking the Sabbath law and equating himself to God. Jesus defends his actions by explaining his relationship with the Father and the authority he has been given. He points to the works he does as evidence of his divine mission. The people he is addressing claim to believe in Moses and the Law given through him, so Jesus uses this as a basis for their belief in Him. The Law of Moses, properly understood, ultimately testifies to Jesus Christ.
John 5 46 Word analysis
If (ἐὰν - ean): A conditional particle, introducing a hypothesis or possibility.
you believed (πιστεύετε - pisteuete): Present tense, indicating a continuous or ongoing state of belief. This implies their professed faith in Moses.
Moses (Μωϋσεῖ - Mousei): Refers to the great Old Testament prophet and lawgiver. Jesus here acknowledges Moses' authority.
you would believe (ἐπιστεύετε ἂν - pisteuete an): Conditional mood, stating what the logical consequence would be if their belief in Moses were true.
Me (ἐμοὶ - emoi): The object pronoun, referring to Jesus himself.
group: "If you believed Moses" (ἐὰν οὖν ἐπιστεύετε Μωϋσεῖ - ean oun pisteuete Mousei): This phrase highlights a logical connection. Their supposed faith in Moses, who prophesied and wrote about the Messiah, should naturally extend to Jesus, whom Jesus claims to be.
group: "you would believe Me" (ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοὶ - pisteuete an emoi): This clause points to the direct, inescapable conclusion if their adherence to Moses were genuine and complete. Moses' writings point to Jesus.
John 5 46 Bonus Section
The Jewish leaders at this time largely focused on a superficial observance of the Law of Moses. Jesus' statement challenges their internal consistency. They claimed Moses was their authority, yet they rejected the one whom Moses clearly pointed to. This isn't just about quoting scripture; it's about understanding the spirit and the ultimate purpose of the Law, which was to testify about Jesus. Scholars note that the ancient rabbis acknowledged that many prophecies in the Pentateuch (the first five books of Moses) referred to the Messianic age. Jesus uses this widely accepted understanding to expose their hypocrisy. He is not diminishing Moses but elevating the ultimate truth that Moses proclaimed.
John 5 46 Commentary
Jesus establishes a critical link between the Old Testament Law, particularly the writings of Moses, and His own identity and mission. He argues that genuine belief in Moses, who foretold the coming of a prophet like himself (Deuteronomy 18:15), necessitates belief in Jesus. Moses' testimony, both in prophecy and in the Law itself which points to a need for atonement and a mediator, ultimately testifies about Christ. Jesus is demonstrating that their rejection of Him, despite their outward respect for Moses, reveals a fundamental misunderstanding or a lack of true faith in Moses' message. The works Jesus performs serve as further proof, corroborating the prophecies found in the Law and the Prophets concerning the Messiah.