(singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many · adjective — nominative plural masculine
therefore
οὖνoun
G3767
(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
of
ἐκek
G1537
literal or figurative · preposition
his
αὐτοῦautou
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
disciples
μαθητῶνmathētōn
G3101
a learner · noun — genitive plural masculine
heard
ἀκούσαντεςakousantes
G191
to hear (in various senses) · verb — aorist active participle, nominative plural masculine
said
εἶπαν·eipan
G2036
to speak or say (by word or writing) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural
This
οὗτος·houtos
G3778
the he (she or it) · demonstrative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
is
ἐστίestí
G2076
he (she or it) is
an
λόγοςlogos
G3056
something said (including the thought) · noun — nominative singular masculine
hard
σκληρόςsklēros
G4642
dry · adjective — nominative singular masculine
saying
λόγοςlógos
G3056
something said (including the thought)
who
τίςtis
G5101
an interrogative pronoun · interrogative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
can
δύναταιdunatai
G1410
to be able or possible · verb — present middle or passive deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
hear
ἀκούειν;¶akouein
G191
to hear (in various senses) · verb — present active infinitive
it
αὐτοῦautou
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
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 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
John 6:41-42 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned…
Hebrews 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on John 6:60–end
We have here an account of the effects of Christ's discourse. Some were offended and others edified by it; some driven from him and others brought nearer to him.
I. To some it was a savour of death unto death; not only to the Jews, who were professed enemies to him and his doctrine, but even to many of his disciples, such as were disciples at large, who were his frequent hearers, and followed him in public; a mixed multitude, like those among Israel, that began all the discontents. Now here we have,
1. Their murmurings at the doctrine they heard (Joh 6:60): This is a hard saying, who can hear it? (1.) They do not like it themselves: "What stuff is this? Eat the flesh, and drink the blood, of…
Many . . . of his disciples--His pretty constant followers, though an outer circle of them.
hard saying--not merely harsh, but insufferable, as the word often means in the Old Testament.
who can hear--submit to listen to it.
Adam Clarke on John 6:60
Many therefore of his disciples - So it appears that he had many more than the twelve, who constantly accompanied him.
This is a hard saying; who can hear it? - Who can digest such doctrine as this? It is intolerable: it is impracticable. There is a similar saving in Euripides, to the σκληρος λογος of the evangelist. Ποτερα θελεις σοι μαλθακα ψευδη λεγω, η σκληρ' αληθη, φραζε; Tell me whether thou wouldst that I should speak unto thee, a Soft Lie, or the Harsh Truth? The wicked word of a lying world is in general better received than the holy word of the God of truth!
John Gill on John 6:60
Many therefore of his disciples,.... Not of the twelve, nor of the seventy, but of the multitude of the disciples, who followed him from place to place, attended on his ministry, and might be baptized in his name; see John 4:1;
when they had heard this; that his flesh and blood were truly and really meat and drink, and that none had life in them, or should have eternal life, but such as eat and drink the same:
said, this is an hard saying; or it is to be objected to; so "an hard thing", the word here used in the Syriac version, and , "it is to me a hard thing", are phrases used to express an objection in the Talmudic writings, where they are often met with: or it is difficult to be under…
The Church Fathers
i. e. that I said, you should eat My flesh, and drink My blood.
(Tr. xxvii. 2) Such is our Lord's discourse. The people did not perceive that it had a deep meaning, or, that grace went along with it: but receiving the matter in their own way, and taking His words in a human sense, understood Him as if He spoke of cutting of the flesh of the Word into pieces, for distribution to those who believed on Him: Many therefore, not of His enemies, but even of His disciples, when they heard this, said, This is an hard saying, who can hear it? (Tr. xxvii. 2) And if His disciples thought that saying hard, what would His enemies think? Yet it was necessary to declare a thing, which would be unintelligible to men. God's mysteries should draw men's attention, not enmity.
"But many of the disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying." What means "hard"? Rough, laborious, troublesome. Yet He said nothing of this kind, for He spake not of a mode of life, but of doctrines, continually handling the faith which is in Him. What then means, "is a hard saying"? Is it because it promiseth life and resurrection? Is it because He said that He came down from heaven? Or that it was impossible for one to be saved who ate not His flesh? Tell me, are these things "hard"? Who can assert that they are? What then means "hard"? It means, "difficult to be received," "transcending their infirmity," "having much terror." For they thought that He uttered words too high for His real character, and such as were above Himself. Therefore they said, "Who can hear it?" Perhaps making excuse for themselves, since they were about to start away.
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
Capernaum — Nahum’s town, a Galilean city frequently mentioned in the history of our Lord. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament. After our Lord’s expulsion from Nazareth (Matt. 4:13-16; Luke 4:16-31),…
Crucifixion — A common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It is not certain whether it was known among the ancient Jews; probably it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the…
Philip — Lover of horses. (1.) One of the twelve apostles; a native of Bethsaida, “the city of Andrew and Peter” (John 1:44). He readily responded to the call of Jesus when first addressed to him (43), and…
Flesh · .Body of Christ symbolized by the bread — .Body of Christ symbolized by the bread
Offence · The wicked take, at: Christ, as the bread of life — The wicked take, at: Christ, as the bread of life
Unbelief · 5:12-14; — 5:12-14;
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 6:59-64
59 He spoke these things in the synagogue, while he was teaching in Capernaum. 60. Many of his disciples, therefore, having heard it, said, This is a harsh saying; [167] who can hear it? 61. But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, Doth this offend you? 62. What if you shall see the Son of man ascend to where he was before? 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words which I speak to you are spirit and life. 64. But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe, and who he was that would betray him.
59. He spoke these things in the synagogue. J…
Jesus’ language (6:53-58) was shocking, offensive (see Gen 9:4-5), and hard to understand for his disciples, just as it was to the crowd. Were they to take him literally? How would they eat his flesh? Jesus’ answer is in John 6:63.
