John 5:36

But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
I	ἐγὼ egō	G1473	I · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular
have	ἔχω echō	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
greater	μείζω meizō	G3173	big (literally or figuratively · adjective — accusative singular feminine, comparative
witness	μαρτυρίαν marturian	G3141	evidence given (judicially or genitive case) · noun — accusative singular feminine
than that of John	Ἰωάννου· Iōannou	G2491	Joannes (i.e. Jochanan) · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
for	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
the works	ἔργα erga	G2041	toil (as an effort or occupation) · noun — nominative plural neuter
which	ἃ ha	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — accusative plural neuter
the Father	πατὴρ patēr	G3962	a "father" (literally or figuratively · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
hath given	δέδωκέν dedōken	G1325	to give (used in a very wide application · verb — perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
me	μοί moí	G3427	to me
to	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
finish	τελειώσω teleiōsō	G5048	to complete · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 1st person singular
the same	αὐτά, auta	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural neuter
works	ἔργα erga	G2041	toil (as an effort or occupation) · noun — nominative plural neuter
that	ἃ ha	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — accusative plural neuter
I	ἐμοῦ emou	G1473	I · possessive pronoun
do	ποιῶ, poiō	G4160	to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
bear witness	μαρτυρεῖ marturei	G3140	to be a witness · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
of	περὶ peri	G4012	properly · preposition
me	ἐμοῦ emoû	G1700	of me
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
the Father	πατήρ patēr	G3962	a "father" (literally or figuratively · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
hath sent	ἀπέσταλκεν. apestalken	G649	set apart · verb — perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
me	μοι moi	G3165	me · personal pronoun — 1st person dative singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
John 10:37-38 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
John 15:24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my…
John 9:30-33 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
1 John 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles t…
Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 5:31–end

In these verses our Lord Jesus proves and confirms the commission he had produced, and makes it out that he was sent of God to be the Messiah. I. He sets aside his own testimony of himself (Joh 5:31): "If I bear witness of myself, though it is infallibly true (Joh 8:14), yet, according to the common rule of judgment among men, you will not admit it as legal proof, nor allow it to be given in evidence." Now, 1. This reflects reproach upon the sons of men, and their veracity and integrity. Surely we may say deliberately, what David said in haste, All men are liars, else it would never have been such a received maxim that a man's testimony of himself is suspicious, and not to be relied on; it i…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 5:36

I have greater witness--rather, "The witness which I have is greater." the works . . . bear witness of me--not simply as miracles nor even as a miracle of mercy, but these miracles, as He did them, with a will and a power, a majesty and a grace manifestly His own.

Adam Clarke on John 5:36

But I have greater witness - However decisive the judgment of such a man as John may be, who was the lamp of Israel, a miracle of grace, filled with the spirit of Elijah, and more than any prophet, because he pointed out, not the Messiah who was to come, but the Messiah who was already come: nevertheless, I am not obliged to depend on his testimony alone; for I have a greater one, that of Him whom you acknowledge to be your God. And how do I prove that this God bears testimony to me? By my works: these miracles, which attest my mission, and prove by themselves that nothing less than unlimited power and boundless love could ever produce them. By my word only, I have perfectly and instantly he…

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John Gill on John 5:36

But I have greater witness than that of John,.... The Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions read, "greater than John", but wrongly; for the testimonies of Christ's works, and of his Father, are not compared with John himself, but with his testimony; and the sense is, that Christ had a greater witness than the witness of John; and so it is expressed in the Persic version: and his meaning is, that he had no need to insist upon John's testimony; he had other, and greater witnesses to produce: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish; such as the preaching of the Gospel, the fulfilling of the law, and the redemption of his people; all which were appointed by his Father, and given h…

The Church Fathers

That He enlightens the blind, that He opens the deaf ear, looses the mouth of the dumb, casts out devils, raises the dead; these works bear witness of Christ.
— Alcuin of York ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(vi. de Trin. c. 27) The Only-begotten God shows Himself to be the Son, on the testimony not of man only, but of His own power. The works which He does, bear witness to His being sent from the Father. Therefore the obedience of the Son and the authority of the Father are set forth in Him who was sent.
— Hilary of Poitiers ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Afterwards He goes on to say: "But I have greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to finish-those very works bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me. And the Father Himself, which hath sent me, hath also borne witness of me." But He at once adds, "Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape; " thus affirming that in former times it was not the Father, but the Son, who used to be seen and heard.
— Tertullian, Against Praxeas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Miracle — An event in the external world brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God, operating without the use of means capable of being discerned by the senses, and designed to…
Miracles · Jesus was proved to be the Messiah by — Jesus was proved to be the Messiah by

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

John 5:36

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 5:31–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 5:36

Adam Clarke on John 5:36

John Gill on John 5:36

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John 5:36

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 5:31–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 5:36

Adam Clarke on John 5:36

John Gill on John 5:36

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on John 5:33-36

Tyndale Open Study Notes on John 5:36