John 6:60
What does John 6:60 mean?
A plain-English look at John 6:60 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 6:60 means
Many of His disciples say, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” They find Jesus’s teaching demanding and offensive, especially the call to partake of His flesh and blood and His claims of heavenly origin. “Hard” here means difficult to accept, not necessarily difficult to understand. Their response exposes a heart posture that resists submitting to His word. Following Jesus includes embracing truths that challenge natural assumptions. The question “who can hear it?” reveals a shrinking willingness to learn from Him when His teaching confronts them.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Many therefore of his disciples, when they heardthis, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
KJV
King James Version · 1611Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Many therefore of his disciples, when they heardthis, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Then, hearing this, a number of his disciples said, This is a hard saying; who is able to take in such teaching?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862many, therefore, of his disciples having heard, said, `This word is hard; who is able to hear it?'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Many therefore of his disciples having heard [it] said, This word is hard; who can hear it?
Context
This reaction comes after Jesus’s extended bread-from-heaven discourse in the synagogue. It transitions from public controversy to inner sifting among those called disciples. The next verses will show Jesus knowing their murmuring, asking if they take offense, and pointing to His ascension and the life-giving Spirit as interpretive keys. The scene moves toward a painful turning point where many withdraw.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Hebrews 5:11
Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing.
- John 8:43
Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.
- John 6:41
The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven.
- John 8:31
Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, then are ye truly my disciples;
- 2 Peter 3:16
as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
- Matthew 11:6
And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.
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