John 6 31

John 6:31 kjv

Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

John 6:31 nkjv

Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "

John 6:31 niv

Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

John 6:31 esv

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

John 6:31 nlt

After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, 'Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "

John 6 verses

John 6 31 Meaning

John 6:31 presents the Jewish crowd's challenge to Jesus, recalling God's past provision of manna to their ancestors in the wilderness. They cite Scripture to highlight what they perceive as a sign of great divine power – providing physical bread from heaven. Their statement implicitly seeks for Jesus to perform a similar, perhaps greater, act of miraculous provision, seeing it as a validation of his claims and a fulfillment of messianic expectations regarding a new Moses. It sets the stage for Jesus to reveal a deeper truth about the "true bread from heaven."

John 6 31 Context

John 6:31 occurs after Jesus miraculously fed the five thousand (John 6:1-13) and walked on water (John 6:16-21). The crowd, still focused on Jesus' ability to provide physical food, has followed Him to Capernaum (John 6:22-25), eager for more miraculous meals. Jesus, perceiving their shallow motivations, challenges them to seek not perishable food, but food that endures to eternal life (John 6:26-27). He then speaks of the "work of God" (belief in Him whom God sent, John 6:28-29). In response, the crowd asks for a "sign" to believe, specifically recalling the manna their fathers received in the wilderness as evidence of a prophet or Messiah of Moses-like stature. Their reference to the manna sets up the critical discourse where Jesus identifies Himself as the ultimate "Bread of Life," surpassing the temporary manna given in the Exodus. The historical context includes the deeply embedded memory of the Exodus manna as a national cornerstone of divine intervention and a hope that the Messiah would repeat or exceed this miraculous provision.

John 6 31 Word analysis

• Our fathers: This phrase (Greek: hoi pateres hēmōn, οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν) points to the direct ancestry of the Jewish people, specifically the generation that experienced the Exodus from Egypt. It signifies their heritage, shared history, and covenantal relationship with God. It carries a sense of pride and a collective identity rooted in divine miraculous provision, forming the basis of their implied claim of special privilege.

• ate: (Greek: ephagon, ἔφαγον, from esthiō, ἐσθίω - to eat) Denotes a past completed action of consumption. It emphasizes the physical sustenance received and connects their current experience with a foundational event in their history.

• the manna: (Greek: to manna, τὸ μάννα) Refers to the miraculous bread provided by God to the Israelites during their forty-year wilderness wanderings (Ex 16; Num 11). The term itself comes from the Hebrew man hu, "What is it?", reflecting its mysterious origin. It symbolized God's faithful provision, their utter dependence on Him, and a sign of divine presence.

• in the wilderness: (Greek: en tē erēmō, ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ) Specifies the location of the manna provision. The wilderness was a place of barrenness, testing, and absolute reliance on God. This detail underscores the sheer impossibility of human sustenance in such conditions, making God's provision even more miraculous and memorable for the Jewish people.

• as it is written: (Greek: kathōs gegraptai, καθώς γέγραπται) This is a standard Jewish phrase used to introduce a scriptural quotation, affirming its divine authority and undeniable truth. It implies a legal or undeniable precedent, establishing a shared reference point between Jesus and the crowd. It typically refers to passages like Psalm 78:24 ("corn of heaven") or Nehemiah 9:15 ("bread from heaven"), which describe the manna's origin. The perfect passive tense of gegraptai (it has been written and remains written) emphasizes the enduring authority of the Scripture.

• ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’: This is the specific quote.

  • He gave them: Refers to God as the giver. The divine agent is implied and understood as the provider of such a miracle.
  • bread from heaven: (Greek: arton ek tou ouranou, ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ) The crucial phrase signifying the miraculous and divine origin of the manna. It indicates something supernaturally provided, descending directly from God's dwelling place. This phrase immediately brings to mind not only the physical provision but also carries spiritual implications of God's dwelling place.
  • to eat: (Greek: phagein, φαγεῖν) Infinitive indicating the purpose of the bread: for physical nourishment and survival.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness": This phrase highlights the crowd's reliance on their national history and inherited identity. Their focus is on the past, on an ancestor-centered glory, and on the physical act of eating a miraculous provision. It frames their expectation of Jesus based on previous divine interventions that primarily satisfied physical needs. This assertion functions as both a challenge to Jesus and a demand for a similar, verifiable sign.
  • "as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’": This legalistic citation emphasizes the crowd's belief that their request is justified by Scripture and by historical precedent. By invoking Scripture, they aim to bind Jesus to a pattern of divine activity that they understand. It showcases their limited understanding of prophecy and Messianic expectations, equating divine favor purely with miraculous physical sustenance, overlooking deeper spiritual truths embedded even within the Old Testament accounts of the manna (e.g., Deut 8:3).

John 6 31 Bonus section

The Jewish expectation regarding the manna included the belief that when the Messiah came, He would again provide manna, potentially greater than that given to their fathers. This is evident in Rabbinic writings, linking the Messiah to a new Exodus event and new divine provision. Their challenge to Jesus, therefore, was a direct request for a messianic sign that they could easily recognize and interpret. By stating "He gave them bread from heaven," they are framing the standard for Jesus to meet. Unbeknownst to them, the greater reality they longed for was standing right before them, though it surpassed their physical and material expectations, demanding spiritual understanding rather than mere consumption.

John 6 31 Commentary

John 6:31 serves as the pivot point in the Bread of Life discourse. The crowd's reference to the manna is not merely a statement of historical fact; it is a veiled challenge and a demand for a specific kind of sign from Jesus. They implicitly expect Him, if He is indeed a prophet or the Messiah, to replicate or even surpass Moses' miraculous provision of physical food, aligning with common Jewish expectations of a Messiah ushering in an age of abundant earthly blessings.

However, their understanding of the manna, and of God's provision, is fundamentally flawed. While manna was from heaven and did sustain life, it was perishable, a temporary physical provision for a specific historical period, and, critically, those who ate it still died. It pointed to a greater spiritual reality, symbolized by its origin. Jesus will skillfully reinterpret this shared history and Scripture, not to deny God's past grace, but to reveal Himself as the true bread from heaven, far superior to the manna because He offers eternal life, not just temporary physical sustenance. This verse establishes the contrasting backdrop against which Jesus' profound claims will be articulated.