John 6 52

John 6:52 kjv

The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

John 6:52 nkjv

The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"

John 6:52 niv

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

John 6:52 esv

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

John 6:52 nlt

Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked.

John 6 verses

John 6 52 Meaning

John 6:52 records the internal dispute and questioning among the Jewish listeners concerning Jesus' earlier statements about eating His flesh. Their inquiry, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?", reveals a complete literal misinterpretation of Jesus' metaphorical and spiritual teaching, signifying their carnal mindset and inability to comprehend divine truths. This misunderstanding stems from a rejection of Jesus' authority and the deeply unsettling, physically repulsive implications of cannibalism.

John 6 52 Context

John 6:52 follows Jesus' discourse on Himself as the "Bread of Life," contrasting His divine sustenance with the manna their ancestors ate in the wilderness. The chapter begins with the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-15), which causes the crowd to follow Jesus, not primarily for spiritual truth, but because they had "eaten of the loaves and were filled" (John 6:26). Jesus then challenges their focus on physical bread, asserting that He is the true bread from heaven (John 6:32-35). He progressively intensifies His statements, culminating in verses 51-58 where He speaks of giving His flesh for the life of the world and the necessity of eating His flesh and drinking His blood to have eternal life. This stark and unsettling imagery, particularly to a Jewish audience abhorring cannibalism and blood consumption (Lev 17:10-14, Deut 12:23), provokes strong dispute and outright rejection among the listeners. The verse sets the stage for a critical turning point where many, even some disciples, would abandon Jesus because of the perceived difficulty and literal horror of His words.

John 6 52 Word analysis

• The Jews: (Greek: hoi Ioudaioi, οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι). In John's Gospel, this phrase often refers to the religious leaders or those who represent official opposition to Jesus, rather than all Jewish people. Here, it denotes those among the crowd who challenge Jesus and eventually withdraw their allegiance. Their internal "striving" shows a deep-seated antagonism.

• therefore: (Greek: oun, οὖν). This conjunction indicates a logical consequence or a strong reaction to Jesus' preceding challenging statement about giving His flesh (John 6:51).

• strove: (Greek: emachonto, ἐμάχοντο, imperfect middle indicative of machomai). It means "to fight, quarrel, dispute, contend, brawl." The imperfect tense suggests a continuous or repeated action of disputing among themselves, not just a single outburst. It signifies a profound, often hostile, disagreement.

• among themselves: (Greek: pros allēlous, πρὸς ἀλλήλους). This emphasizes that the quarrel was internal to the group of Jewish listeners, highlighting their collective bewilderment and division.

• saying: (Greek: legontes, λέγοντες, present active participle of legō). This indicates they were vocalizing their bewilderment and arguments.

• How: (Greek: pōs, πῶς). This is a strong interrogative expressing incredulity and rejection of the possibility, similar to "In what way could this possibly happen?" It's not a request for clarification but an expression of utter disbelief and often, scorn.

• can: (Greek: dynatai, δύναται, present middle/passive indicative of dynamai). This refers to ability or possibility. Their question is not merely about method but about whether such a thing is even feasible or permissible.

• this man: (Greek: houtos, οὗτος). This demonstrative pronoun, often used by the hostile parties in John, can carry a derogatory or dismissive tone, underscoring their contempt and questioning of Jesus' authority or sanity. They perceive Him as just another human being, not one who could make such outlandish claims.

• give us: (Greek: dounai hēmin, δοῦναι ἡμῖν, aorist active infinitive of didōmi). The focus is on the action of Jesus providing something to them, directly leading to the literal interpretation.

• his flesh: (Greek: tēn sarka autou, τὴν σάρκα αὐτοῦ). Sarx (flesh) here is understood in its most raw, physical sense, as distinct from spirit. For them, it evoked the shocking idea of literal cannibalism, which was abhorrent under Jewish law (Lev 17). It contrasts sharply with Jesus' later clarification of spiritual benefit.

• to eat: (Greek: phagein, φαγεῖν, aorist active infinitive of esthiō). This is the act of physical consumption. Their literal understanding of this word, combined with "flesh," forms the core of their offense.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "The Jews therefore strove among themselves": This phrase captures the immediate, internal, and often agitated reaction of the listeners to Jesus' challenging statement. It highlights a critical mass of individuals within the broader group who were profoundly offended or confused to the point of open contention. Their strife implies an inability to reconcile Jesus' words with their existing understanding, signifying unbelief taking root.
  • "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?": This entire question reveals the utter carnal and physical-mindedness of the audience. They are locked into a literal interpretation, making it impossible for them to grasp the spiritual, metaphorical, or sacrificial truth Jesus was conveying. The question exposes their revulsion, incredulity, and dismissive attitude ("this man"), laying bare their fundamental lack of faith in Jesus' divine nature and authority to speak in such profound terms.

John 6 52 Bonus section

• A Deliberate Stumbling Block: Jesus' language about eating His flesh and drinking His blood was purposefully provocative and designed to be a test. It forced listeners to move beyond a superficial interest in miracles or physical provision to a deeper, more challenging spiritual commitment. This "hard saying" was meant to filter out those whose faith was shallow.
• Connection to Jewish Feast of Passover: The timing of this discourse during Passover (Jn 6:4) subtly connects Jesus' statements about His body and blood to the Passover lamb. Just as the Israelites were saved by the blood of the lamb, now eternal life comes through spiritual identification with Christ's sacrificial body and blood.
• The Problem of Anthropocentrism: The question "How can this man...?" highlights the anthropocentric perspective of the audience. They are locked into a human-centered view of reality, unable to conceive of Jesus as divine or capable of offering life in such a transcendent way.
• Foreshadowing Persecution: This verse, and the surrounding discourse, implicitly foreshadows the charges of cannibalism later leveled against early Christians by their pagan persecutors due to misunderstandings of the Eucharist.

John 6 52 Commentary

John 6:52 marks a significant turning point in Jesus' Galilean ministry, embodying the conflict between literal interpretation and spiritual understanding that runs through the Gospel of John. The Jewish listeners' violent reaction ("strove among themselves") demonstrates the deeply offensive nature of Jesus' claim when taken literally. To them, the idea of eating human flesh was barbaric, repulsive, and antithetical to Jewish law and morality (cannibalism) and also abhorred the consumption of blood (which would be explicitly addressed later by Jesus, Jn 6:53). Their incredulous question, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?", reveals not a genuine desire for explanation but utter disbelief and condemnation of Jesus, viewing Him merely as "this man" — a contemptuous reference to His perceived lack of authority or divine sanction.

This dispute is not simply about an unclear statement; it reveals the inability or unwillingness of a physical-minded people to receive spiritual truth. Jesus' discourse on His flesh and blood anticipates the New Covenant sacrament of the Lord's Supper (Eucharist), where believers spiritually partake of His sacrifice by faith. However, beyond the sacrament, it points to a profound union with Christ's sacrificial death— His body broken, His blood shed—as the sole means of attaining eternal life. The verse underscores the scandal of the cross even before it occurred: the idea of gaining life through the death of a "man" was foolishness to the world (1 Cor 1:18, 23). This scene serves to separate those who genuinely seek the truth from God from those who merely desire temporal benefits or cling to human reason, preparing for the departure of many false followers recorded in John 6:66. It illustrates that spiritual truths, though offensive to the carnal mind, are life-giving to those who believe.