Ἰωάννην 5:19

Greek Modern Translation

Απεκριθη λοιπον ο Ιησους και ειπε προς αυτους· Αληθως, αληθως σας λεγω, δεν δυναται ο Υιος να πραττη ουδεν αφ' εαυτου, εαν δεν βλεπη τον Πατερα πραττοντα τουτο· επειδη οσα εκεινος πραττει, ταυτα και ο Υιος πραττει ομοιως.

Parallel Translations

Byzantine/Majority Text
απεκρινατο ουν ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ου δυναται ο υιος ποιειν αφ εαυτου ουδεν εαν μη τι βλεπη τον πατερα ποιουντα α γας αν εκεινος ποιη ταυτα και ο υιος ομοιως ποιει

SBL Greek New Testament (2010)
Ἀπεκρίνατο οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ⸀ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν ⸀ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα· ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ.

Tischendorf 8th Edition
Ἀπεκρίνατο οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, ἂν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα· ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖ ὁμοίως.

Textus Receptus (1550/1894)
απεκρινατο ουν ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ου δυναται ο υιος ποιειν αφ εαυτου ουδεν εαν μη τι βλεπη τον πατερα ποιουντα α γας αν εκεινος ποιη ταυτα και ο υιος ομοιως ποιει

Westcott/Hort UBS4 (1881)
απεκρινατο ουν [ο ιησουρ] και ελεγεν αυτοιρ αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ου δυναται ο υιορ ποιειν αφ εαυτου ουδεν εαν μη τι βλεπη τον πατερα ποιουντα α γαρ αν εκεινορ ποιη ταυτα και ο υιορ ομοιωρ ποιει

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and: John 5:21, John 5:25, John 5:26, with, Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 1:19, Ephesians 2:5

and: John 5:28, John 5:29, John 11:25, John 11:26, with, Romans 8:11, 2 Corinthians 4:14, Philippians 3:21, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Psalms 27:14, Psalms 138:3, Isaiah 45:24, with, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 12:10, Ephesians 3:16, Philippians 4:13, Colossians 1:11, Exodus 4:11, Proverbs 2:6, with, Luke 21:15, Jeremiah 17:10, with, Revelation 2:23

Verily: John 5:24, John 5:25, John 3:3

The Son: John 5:30, John 8:28, John 9:4, John 12:49, John 14:10, John 14:20

for: John 14:16-23, Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:26, Isaiah 44:24, Colossians 1:16, Compare, John 5:22, with, Psalms 50:6, 2 Corinthians 5:10, John 2:19, John 10:18, with, Acts 2:24, Romans 6:4, 1 Corinthians 15:12, 1 Peter 3:18

Reciprocal: Matthew 5:18 - verily Mark 14:18 - Verily John 1:51 - Verily John 8:38 - speak John 10:32 - Many John 14:13 - will John 14:24 - and John 15:5 - can John 17:25 - but Galatians 1:1 - and Ephesians 3:9 - created 1 John 2:1 - Father

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then answered Jesus, and said unto them,.... They charged him with blasphemy for calling God his Father, and making himself equal to him: and his answer is so far from denying the thing, or observing any mistake, or misrepresentation of his words, that he allows the whole, and vindicates himself in so saying:

verily verily, I say unto you; nothing is more certain; it may be depended on as truth; I who am truth itself, the "Amen", and faithful witness, aver it with the greatest assurance:

the Son can do nothing of himself; or he does do nothing of himself, nor will he do anything of himself; that is, he neither does, nor will, nor can do anything alone or separate from his Father, or in which he is not concerned; not anything without his knowledge and consent, or contrary to his will: he does everything in conjunction with him; with the same power, having the same will, being of the same nature, and equal to each other: for these words do not design any weakness in the Son, or want of power in him to do anything of himself; that is, by his own power: for he has by his word of power spoke all things out of nothing, and by the same upholds all things; he has himself bore the sins of his people, and by himself purged them away, and has raised himself from the dead; but they express his perfection; that he does nothing, and can do nothing of himself, in opposition to his Father, and in contradiction to his will: as Satan speaks of his own, and evil men alienated from God, act of themselves, and do that which is contrary to the nature and will of God; but the Son cannot do so, being of the same nature with God, and therefore never acts separate from him, or contrary to him, but always co-operates and acts with him, and therefore never to be blamed for what he does. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it, "the Son cannot do anything of his own will"; so Nonnus; as separate from, or contrary to his Father's will, but always in agreement with it, they being one in nature, and so in will and work. He does nothing therefore

but what he seeth the Father do; not that he sees the Father actually do a work, and then he does one after him, as the creation of the world, the assumption of human nature, and redemption of man, or any particular miracle, as if upon observing one done, he did the like; but that he being brought up with him, and lying in his bosom, was privy to the whole plan of his works, and saw in his nature and infinite mind, and in his vast counsels, purposes, and designs, all that he was doing, or would do, and so did the same, or acted agreeably to them; and which still shows and proves their unity of nature, and perfect equality, since there was nothing in the Father's mind but was known to the Son, seen, and observed, and acted up to by him: so Philo the Jew e says of the

"Father's most ancient Son, whom he otherwise calls the firstborn; that being begotten, he imitates the Father, and seeing, or looking to his exemplars and archetypes, forms species;''

that is, being conversant with the original and eternal ideas of things in the divine mind, acts according to them, which he could not do if he was not of the same nature with, and equal to his Father. Moreover, the Son sees what the Father does by co-operating with him, and so does no other than what he sees the Father do, in conjunction with him: to which may be added, that the phrase shows, that the Son does nothing but in wisdom, and with knowledge; and that as the Father, so he does all things after the counsel of his will:

for whatsoever things he doth, these also doth the Son likewise; the Son does the selfsame works as the Father does, such as the works of creation and providence, the government both of the church, and of the world; and he does these things in like manner, with the same power, and by the same authority, his Father does, and which proves him to be equal with him; the very thing the Jews understood him to have asserted, and which they charged him with: and this he strongly maintained. The Syriac version reads, "for the things which the Father does, the same also does the Son"; and the Persic version, "whatsoever God has done, the Son also does like unto it".

e De Confus. Ling. p. 329.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Son can do nothing of himself - Jesus, having stated the extent of his authority, proceeds here to show its “source and nature,” and to prove to them that what he had said was true. The first explanation which he gives is in these words: “The Son” - whom he had just impliedly affirmed to be equal with God - did nothing “of himself;” that is, nothing without the appointment of the Father; nothing contrary to the Father, as he immediately explains it. When it is said that he can “do nothing” of himself, it is meant that such is the union subsisting between the Father and the Son that he can do nothing “independently” or separate from the Father. Such is the nature of this union that he can do nothing which has not the concurrence of the Father, and which he does not command. In all things he must, from the necessity of his nature, act in accordance with the nature and will of God. Such is the intimacy of the union, that the fact that “he” does anything is proof that it is by the concurring agency of God. There is no separate action - no separate existence; but, alike in being and in action, there is the most perfect oneness between him and the Father. Compare John 10:30; John 17:21.

What he seeth the Father do - In the works of creation and providence, in making laws, and in the government of the universe. There is a special force in the word “seeth” here. No person can see God acting in his works; but the word here implies that the Son sees him act, as we see our fellow-men act, and that he has a knowledge of him, therefore, which no mere mortal could possess.

What things soever - In the works of creation and of providence, and in the government of the worlds. The word is without limit - all that the Father does the Son likewise does. This is as high an assertion as possible of his being “equal” with God. If one does “all” that another does or can do, then there must be equality. If the Son does all that the Father does, then, like him, he must be almighty, omniscient, omnipresent, and infinite in every perfection; or, in other words, he must be God. If he had “this” power, then he had authority, also, to do on the Sabbath day what God did.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 5:19. The Son can do nothing of himself — Because of his inseparable union with the Father: nor can the Father do any thing of himself, because of his infinite unity with the Son.

What things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son — God does nothing but what Christ does. What God does is the work of God, and proper to no creature-Jesus does whatsoever God does, and therefore is no created being. The Son can do nothing but what he sees the Father do: now, any intelligent creature may do what God cannot do: he may err - he may sin. If Jesus can do nothing but what God does, then he is no creature - he can neither sin nor err, nor act imperfectly. The conclusion from our Lord's argument is: If I have broken the Sabbath, so has God also; for I can do nothing but what I see him doing. He is ever governing and preserving; I am ever employed in saving.