John 2:20
What does John 2:20 mean?
A plain-English look at John 2:20 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 2:20 means
The Jews completely misunderstand Jesus' statement, interpreting "this temple" literally. Their immediate reference to the forty-six years of construction on Herod's Temple demonstrates their focus on the physical structure and their inability to grasp spiritual truths. They struggled with the sheer impossibility of rebuilding such a massive structure in only three days. Their literal interpretation highlights the spiritual blindness of many religious leaders and their inability to perceive the deeper, messianic meaning in Jesus' words, further emphasizing the chasm between their understanding and His.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days?
KJV
King James Version · 1611Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949The Jews said, The building of this Temple took forty-six years; and you will put it up in three days!
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862The Jews, therefore, said, `Forty and six years was this sanctuary building, and wilt thou in three days raise it up?'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The Jews then said: Six and forty years was this temple in building; and wilt thou raise it up in three days?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple building, and thou wilt raise it up in three days?
Context
This verse shows the Jewish leaders' immediate and physical misinterpretation of Jesus' prophetic statement. Their reference to the lengthy construction time of the literal Temple clearly illustrates their failure to grasp the spiritual meaning behind Jesus' words. This misunderstanding is critical, as it underscores the veiled nature of Jesus' prophecy and sets up the explanatory clarification provided by the evangelist in the subsequent verse.
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