Devine Scripture

John 6:42

What does John 6:42 mean?

A plain-English look at John 6:42 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What John 6:42 means

They say, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” Their argument relies on surface familiarity—earthly parentage—to deny His heavenly origin. They reduce Jesus to what they can explain. This is a common stumbling block: human categories resist divine revelation. The incarnation offends when it refuses to fit prior expectations. Their question opens the door for Jesus to teach that coming to Him requires the Father’s drawing and instruction, not mere human assessment.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come down out of heaven?

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come down out of heaven?

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have seen? How is it then that he now says, I have come down from heaven?

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and they said, `Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? how then saith this one--Out of the heaven I have come down?'

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then saith he: I came down from heaven?

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And they said, Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? how then does he say, I am come down out of heaven?

Context

This objection continues the murmuring and sets up Jesus’s response about divine initiative. After clear promises of life to believers, resistance forms around His origin. The following verses will not satisfy their demand for natural explanation; instead, they will assert that the Father draws and teaches those who come to the Son, and that only the One from God has truly seen the Father.

v.41The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven.

v.42This passage

v.43Jesus answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Romans 1:3

    concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

  • John 6:38

    For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

  • Romans 9:5

    whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:47

    The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven.

  • John 7:27

    Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no one knoweth whence he is.

  • Mark 6:3

    Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended in him.

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