John 3:3–7
He tells Nicodemus that one must be born again to see the kingdom
Study it word by word3Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless someone is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4Nicodemus says to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless someone is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’
In its context
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2He came to him by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
…
8The wind blows where it wants, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes. So it is with everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”
9Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can these things be?”
Its words in the original
- ἀπεκρίθηapekrithē· answer
Answer, reply; speak up.
- ἸησοῦςIēsous· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- εἶπενeipen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- ἈμὴνAmēn· truly, amen
Amen: a Hebrew word meaning "so it is", "it is firm". Jesus uses it at the start of a saying to affirm what he is about to say: "truly".
- γεννηθῇgennēthēi· beget, be born
Beget, become the father of; said of a mother, give birth; in the passive, be born. In family lists it also covers grandchildren and later descendants.
- ἄνωθενanōthen· from above, again
From above; also again, anew.
- δύναταιdynatai· can, be able
Can, be able.
- ἰδεῖνidein· see
See, look; notice.
- βασιλείανbasileian· kingdom
Kingdom: the reign of a king and the place where he reigns. "The kingdom of heaven" is the reign of God.
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ΝικόδημοςNikodēmos· Nicodemus
Nicodemus: a Pharisee and a leader of the Jews who visited Jesus at night.
- ἄνθρωποςanthrōpos· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- γέρωνgerōn· old man
Old man.
- ὤνōn· be
Be, exist.
- κοιλίανkoilian· belly, womb
Belly; womb.
- μητρὸςmētros· mother
Mother.
- δεύτερονdeuteron· second
Second.
- εἰσελθεῖνeiselthein· enter, go in
Enter, go in, come in.
- ὕδατοςhydatos· water
Water.
- πνεύματοςpneumatos· spirit, Spirit
Spirit; also wind and breath. With "holy", the Holy Spirit of God.
- σαρκὸςsarkos· flesh
Flesh: the body, and weak human nature; "flesh and blood", a human being with only human strength.
- θαυμάσῃςthaumasēis· marvel, wonder
Marvel, be amazed.
- ΔεῖDei· bind, tie
Bind, tie.