John 6:63

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
It is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
the spirit	πνεῦμά pneuma	G4151	a current of air · noun — nominative singular neuter
that quickeneth	ζῳοποιοῦν, zōopoioun	G2227	to (re-)vitalize (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular neuter
the flesh	σὰρξ sarx	G4561	flesh (as stripped of the skin) · noun — nominative singular feminine
profiteth	ὠφελεῖ ōphelei	G5623	to be useful · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
nothing	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
the words	ῥήματα rhēmata	G4487	an utterance (individually · noun — nominative plural neuter
that	ἃ ha	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — accusative plural neuter
I	ἐγὼ egō	G1473	I · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular
speak	λελάληκα lelalēka	G2980	to talk · verb — perfect active indicative, 1st person singular
unto you	ὑμῖν hymîn	G5213	to (with or by) you
are	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
spirit	πνεῦμά pneuma	G4151	a current of air · noun — nominative singular neuter
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
are	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
life	ζωή zōē	G2222	life (literally or figuratively) · noun — nominative singular feminine

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

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, a…
Psalms 119:93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.
John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Psalms 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Psalms 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Deuteronomy 32:47 For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go ov…

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…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 6:63

the flesh profiteth nothing--Much of His discourse was about "flesh"; but flesh as such, mere flesh, could profit nothing, much less impart that life which the Holy Spirit alone communicates to the soul. the words that I speak . . . are spirit and . . . life--The whole burden of the discourse is "spirit," not mere flesh, and "life" in its highest, not its lowest sense, and the words I have employed are to be interpreted solely in that sense.

Adam Clarke on John 6:63

It is the spirit that quickeneth - It is the spiritual sense only of my words that is to be attended to, and through which life is to be attained, Co2 3:6. Such only as eat and drink what I have mentioned, in a spiritual sense, are to expect eternal life. The flesh profiteth nothing - If ye could even eat my flesh and drink my blood, this would not avail for your salvation. These words contain a caution that the hearers should not understand his words in the strict literal sense, as if his body were really Bread, and as if his flesh and blood were really to be eaten and drank. The words that I speak - Or, I have spoken. Instead of λαλω, I speak, I read λελαληκα, I have spoken, on the authori…

Read the whole note in the console

John Gill on John 6:63

The Church Fathers

He says, it is true, that "the flesh profiteth nothing; " but then, as in the former case, the meaning must be regulated by the subject which is spoken of.
— Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh

For it is "the Spirit that quickeneth" us for the kingdom of God; "the flesh profiteth nothing." There is, however, something else which can be profitable thereunto, that is, the Spirit; and through the Spirit, the works also of the Spirit.
— Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh

[In this passage Christ is saying,] "It is not the nature of the flesh that renders the Spirit life-giving but the might of the Spirit that makes the body life-giving. The words then that I have spoken with you are spirit, that, is both spiritual and of the Spirit, and they are life."
— Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 4

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
Quickening · .By the Holy Spirit — .By the Holy Spirit
Scriptures, The · The letter of, without the spirit, killeth — The letter of, without the spirit, killeth
Words · .Are spirit and life — .Are spirit and life

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 6:63

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 6:60–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 6:63

Adam Clarke on John 6:63

John Gill on John 6:63

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John 6:63

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 6:60–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 6:63

Adam Clarke on John 6:63

John Gill on John 6:63

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on John 6:59-64

Tyndale Open Study Notes on John 6:63