John 6:46
What does John 6:46 mean?
A plain-English look at John 6:46 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 6:46 means
Jesus adds that no one has seen the Father except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. This asserts His unique, intimate knowledge of God, reinforcing His claim to have come down from heaven. Others may be taught by God, but only Jesus has seen the Father. Therefore, His words carry unmatched authority. If He says He is the bread of life from heaven, He speaks as the One qualified to reveal heavenly realities. The crowd’s appeal to earthly familiarity cannot overturn the testimony of the one who truly knows the Father.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only he who is from God, he has seen the Father.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862not that any one hath seen the Father, except he who is from God, he hath seen the Father.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Not that any man hath seen the Father: but he who is of God, he hath seen the Father.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890not that any one has seen the Father, except he who is ofGod, he has seen the Father.
Context
This clarification follows the statement about being taught by God and coming to Jesus. It distinguishes Jesus from all others as the only true seer of the Father, defending His earlier claim of heavenly origin. With this foundation laid, Jesus will restate the heart of the promise—eternal life to the believer—and repeat His identity as the bread of life, now contrasting it with the mortality of those who ate manna.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- John 8:19
They said therefore unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye know neither me, nor my Father: if ye knew me, ye would know my Father also.
- John 8:55
and ye have not known him: but I know him; and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be like unto you, a liar: but I know him, and keep his word.
- Matthew 11:27
All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him.
- John 14:9
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou, Show us the Father?
- 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.
- Colossians 1:15
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
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