John 6:36
What does John 6:36 mean?
A plain-English look at John 6:36 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 6:36 means
Jesus notes the tragic reality: they have seen Him, yet they do not believe. Exposure to signs and teaching does not guarantee faith. This statement distinguishes between seeing and believing, warning against a fascination with miracles that never becomes trust. It also explains why His promises are not received by all—unbelief persists even in the face of revelation. Yet Jesus will not be discouraged; He will speak of those the Father gives Him who certainly come. The failure of some to believe does not thwart God’s purpose or diminish Jesus’s sufficiency for those who do come.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe not.
KJV
King James Version · 1611But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe not.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949But it is as I said to you: you have seen me, and still you have no faith.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862but I said to you, that ye also have seen me, and ye believe not;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752But I said unto you that you also have seen me, and you believe not.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But I have said to you, that ye have also seen me and do not believe.
Context
This observation follows the “I am the bread of life” declaration and precedes assurances about the Father’s gift and Jesus’s welcome. It transitions from promise to problem—unbelief—so that the next verses can ground salvation in the Father’s will and the Son’s mission. The discourse now shifts from human response to divine initiative and security, balancing the call to believe with God’s preserving grace.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- John 12:37
But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they believed not on him:
- John 6:26
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled.
- John 6:64
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him.
- John 15:24
If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
- John 6:30
They said therefore unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee? what workest thou?
- Luke 16:31
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead.
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