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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

John 3:6

that which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Heredity;   Holy Spirit;   Jesus, the Christ;   Life;   Man;   Nicodemus;   Regeneration;   Salvation;   Scofield Reference Index - Flesh;   Inspiration;   The Topic Concordance - Flesh;   Holy Spirit;   Kingdom of God;   Rebirth/being Born Again;   Spirit/souls;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Baptism;   Fall of Man, the;   Holy Spirit, the, Is God;   Life, Spiritual;   New Birth, the;   Titles and Names of the Holy Spirit;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Nicodemus;   Regeneration;   Spirit;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Baptism;   John, gospel of;   Life;   Nicodemus;   Regeneration;   Sin;   Spirit;   Teacher;   Water;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Baptize, Baptism;   Disciple, Discipleship;   Holy Spirit;   Jesus Christ, Name and Titles of;   King, Christ as;   Life;   Obedience;   Salvation;   Spirituality;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Episcopacy;   Knowledge of God (1);   Easton Bible Dictionary - Birth;   Nicodemus;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Birth;   Jesus Christ;   Nicodemus;   Noah;   Spirit;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bible, Theology of;   Birth;   Holy Spirit;   Infant Baptism;   New Birth;   Wind;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Children (Sons) of God;   Ethics;   Gospels;   John, Gospel of;   John, Theology of;   Mss;   Nicodemus;   Regeneration;   Scribes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Communion (2);   Death (2);   Discourse;   Eternal Life (2);   Fall (2);   Flesh (2);   Heart;   Holy Spirit;   Individuality;   Life ;   Man;   Mediator;   Mental Characteristics;   Personality;   Property (2);   Reality;   Regeneration;   Regeneration (2);   Repentance (2);   Righteous, Righteousness;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Teaching of Jesus;   Trinity (2);   Worldliness (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Flesh,;   Nicodemus ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Regeneration;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Flesh;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Heart;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Tabernacle, the;   Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Baptismal Regeneration;   Bear;   Johannine Theology, the;   Nicodemus;   Regeneration;   Salvation;   Sin (1);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Birth, New;   Holy Spirit;   Nicodemus;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for December 14;   Every Day Light - Devotion for December 4;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Whatever is born of the flesh
King James Version (1611)
That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is borne of the spirit, is spirit.
King James Version
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
English Standard Version
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
New American Standard Bible
"That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
New Century Version
Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.
Amplified Bible
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Legacy Standard Bible
That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
Berean Standard Bible
Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.
Contemporary English Version
Humans give life to their children. Yet only God's Spirit can change you into a child of God.
Complete Jewish Bible
What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit.
Darby Translation
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Easy-to-Read Version
The only life people get from their human parents is physical. But the new life that the Spirit gives a person is spiritual.
Geneva Bible (1587)
That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh: and that that is borne of the Spirit, is spirit.
George Lamsa Translation
What is born of flesh is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Good News Translation
A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit.
Lexham English Bible
What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Literal Translation
That having been generated out of the flesh is flesh, and that having been generated out of the Spirit is spirit.
American Standard Version
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Bible in Basic English
That which has birth from the flesh is flesh, and that which has birth from the Spirit is spirit.
Hebrew Names Version
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
International Standard Version
What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Etheridge Translation
Whatever is born of the flesh, is flesh; and whatever is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
Murdock Translation
That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That which is borne of the fleshe, is fleshe: and that which is borne of the spirite, is spirite.
English Revised Version
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
World English Bible
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
Weymouth's New Testament
Whatever has been born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`That that is borun of the fleisch, is fleisch; and `that that is borun of spirit, is spirit.
Update Bible Version
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Webster's Bible Translation
That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
New English Translation
What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
New King James Version
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
New Living Translation
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
New Life Bible
Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh. Whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.
New Revised Standard
What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
That which hath been born of the flesh, is, flesh, and, that which hath been born of the spirit, is, spirit.
Douay-Rheims Bible
That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Revised Standard Version
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
That which is boren of the flesshe is flesshe: and that which is boren of the sprete is sprete.
Young's Literal Translation
that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That which is borne of flesh, is flesh: & that which is borne of the sprete, is sprete.
Mace New Testament (1729)
the cleansing of the body is only external, but the purification of the spirit is spiritual.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Humans can only make humans, but the Holy Spirit can give birth to spiritual life.

Contextual Overview

1And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus [was] his name, a ruler of the Jews; 2this one came to Him by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we have known that You have come from God—a teacher, for no one is able to do these signs that You do, if God may not be with him." 3Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone may not be born from above, he is not able to see the Kingdom of God"; 4Nicodemus says to Him, "How is a man able to be born, being old? Is he able to enter into the womb of his mother a second time, and to be born?" 5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone may not be born of water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the Kingdom of God; 6that which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.7You may not wonder that I said to you, It is required for you to be born from above; 8the Spirit blows where [that] One wills, and you hear [that] One's voice, but you have not known from where [that] One comes, and to where [that] One goes; thus is everyone who has been born of the Spirit." 9Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How are these things able to happen?" 10Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not know these things?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

born of the flesh: Genesis 5:3, Genesis 6:5, Genesis 6:12, Job 14:4, Job 15:14-16, Job 25:4, Psalms 51:10, Romans 7:5, Romans 7:18, Romans 7:25, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:4, Romans 8:5-9, Romans 8:13, 1 Corinthians 15:47-49, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 5:16-21, Galatians 5:24, Ephesians 2:3, Colossians 2:11

that: Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 11:20, Ezekiel 36:26, Ezekiel 36:27, Romans 8:5, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 6:17, Galatians 5:17, 1 John 3:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:3 - is Genesis 8:21 - the imagination Job 12:10 - mankind Psalms 51:5 - shapen Psalms 78:39 - For he Proverbs 22:15 - Foolishness Luke 10:13 - repented Luke 11:13 - being John 1:13 - of God John 3:3 - Except Romans 8:8 - they that 1 Corinthians 15:48 - such are they also that are earthy Galatians 5:19 - the works Ephesians 1:19 - exceeding Hebrews 12:9 - fathers

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
And the serpent has been cunning above every beast of the field which YHWH God has made, and he says to the woman, "Is it true that God has said, You do not eat from every tree of the garden?"
Genesis 3:2
And the woman says to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we eat,
Genesis 3:12
And the man says, "The woman whom You placed with me—she has given to me from the tree, and I eat."
Genesis 3:14
And YHWH God says to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed [are] you above all the livestock, and above every beast of the field: on your belly you go, and dust you eat, [for] all days of your life;
Genesis 3:15
and I put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He bruises your head, and you bruise His heel."
Genesis 3:17
And to the man He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and eat from the tree concerning which I have charged you, saying, You do not eat of it, cursed [is] the ground on your account; in sorrow you eat of it [for] all days of your life,
Genesis 3:19
by the sweat of your face you eat bread until your return to the ground, for you have been taken out of it, for dust you [are], and to dust you return."
Genesis 6:2
and the sons of God see that they, the daughters of men, [are] beautiful, and they take women for themselves of all whom they have chosen.
Genesis 39:7
And it comes to pass after these things, that his lord's wife lifts up her eyes to Joseph and says, "Lie with me";
Joshua 7:21
and I see among the spoil a good robe of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and one wedge of gold, whose weight [is] fifty shekels, and I desire them, and take them; and behold, they [are] hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver [is] under it."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That which is born of the flesh, is flesh,.... Man by his natural birth, and as he is born according to the flesh of his natural parents, is a mere natural man; that is, he is carnal and corrupt, and cannot discern spiritual things; nor can he, as such, enter into, and inherit the kingdom of God; see 1 Corinthians 2:14. And therefore there is a necessity of his being born again, or of the grace of the Spirit, and of his becoming a spiritual man; and if he was to be, or could be born again of the flesh, or ever so many times enter into his mothers womb, and be born, was it possible, he would still be but a natural and a carnal man, and so unfit for the kingdom of God. By "flesh" here, is not meant the fleshy part of man, the body, as generated of another fleshy substance; for this is no other than what may be said of brutes; and besides, if this was the sense, "spirit", in the next clause, must mean the soul, whereas one soul is not generated from another: but by flesh is designed, the nature of man; not merely as weak and frail, but as unclean and corrupt, through sin; and which being propagated by natural generation from sinful men, cannot be otherwise; for "who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one", Job 14:4. And though the soul of man is of a spiritual nature, and remains a spirit, notwithstanding the pollution of sin; yet it being defiled with the flesh, and altogether under the power and influence of the lusts of the flesh, it may well be said to be carnal or fleshly: hence "flesh", as it stands opposed to spirit, signifies the corruption of nature, Galatians 5:17; and such who are in a state of unregeneracy, are said to be after the flesh, and in the flesh, and even the mind itself is said to be carnal, Romans 8:5.

And that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit: a man that is regenerated by the Spirit of God, and the efficacy of his grace, is a spiritual man; he can discern and judge all things of a spiritual nature; he is a fit person to be admitted to spiritual ordinances and privileges; and appears to be in the spiritual kingdom of Christ; and has a right to the world of blessed spirits above; and when his body is raised a spiritual body, will be admitted in soul, body, and spirit, into the joy of his Lord. "Spirit" in the first part of this clause, signifies the Holy Spirit of God, the author of regeneration and sanctification; whence that work is called the sanctification of the Spirit, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, 1 Peter 1:2. And "spirit", in the latter part, intends the internal work of grace upon the soul, from whence a man is denominated a spiritual man; and as a child bears the same name with its parent, so this is called by the same, as the author and efficient cause of it: and besides, it is of a spiritual nature itself, and exerts itself in spiritual acts and exercises, and directs to, and engages in spiritual things; and has its seat also in the spirit, or soul of man.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That which is born of the flesh - To show the necessity of this change, the Saviour directs the attention of Nicodemus to the natural condition of man. By “that which is born of the flesh” he evidently intends man as he is by nature, in the circumstances of his natural birth. Perhaps, also, he alludes to the question asked by Nicodemus, whether a man could be born when he was old? Jesus tells him that if this could be, it would not answer any valuable purpose; he would still have the same propensities and passions. Another change was therefore indispensable.

Is flesh - Partakes of the nature of the parent. Compare Genesis 5:3. As the parents are corrupt and sinful, so will be their descendants. See Job 14:4. And as the parents are wholly corrupt by nature, so their children will be the same. The word “flesh” here is used as meaning “corrupt, defiled, sinful.” The “flesh” in the Scriptures is often used to denote the sinful propensities and passions of our nature, as those propensities are supposed to have their seat in the animal nature. “The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,” etc., Galatians 5:19-20. See also Eph 2:3; 1 Peter 3:21; 1 Peter 2:18; 1 John 2:16; Romans 8:5.

Is born of the Spirit - Of the Spirit of God, or by the agency of the Holy Spirit.

Is spirit - Is spiritual, “like” the spirit, that is, holy, pure. Here we learn:

1.That all men are by nature sinful.

2.That none are renewed but by the Spirit of God. If man did the work himself, it would he still carnal and impure.

3.That the effect of the new birth is to make men holy.

4.And, that no man can have evidence that he is born again who is not holy, and just in proportion as he becomes pure in his life will be the evidence that he is born of the Spirit.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 3:6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh — This is the answer to the objection made by Nicodemus in John 3:4. Can a man enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Our Lord here intimates that, were even this possible, it would not answer the end; for the plant will ever be of the nature of the seed that produces it-like will beget its like. The kingdom of God is spiritual and holy; and that which is born of the Spirit resembles the Spirit; for as he is who begat, so is he who is begotten of him. Therefore, the spiritual regeneration is essentially necessary, to prepare the soul for a holy and spiritual kingdom.


 
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