Zytaris
- Aug 17, 2023
- 4 min read

The Book of John - Chapter 3:1-15 - (ESV)

Updated: Sep 23, 2023

You Must Be Born Again - {Interlinear <Greek>}

3:1 - Now {δὲ<de>} there → was {Ἦν<eimi>} a → man {ἄνθρωπος<anthrōpos>} of {ἐκ<ek>} the {τῶν<ho>} Pharisees {Φαρισαίων,<Pharisaios>} named {ὄνομα <onoma>} Nicodemus, {Νικόδημος<Nikodēmos>} • {αὐτῷ,<autos>} a → ruler {ἄρχων <archōn>} of → the {τῶν<ho>} Jews. {Ἰουδαίων.<Ioudaios>}

3:2 - This {οὗτος<houtos>} man ← came {ἦλθεν<erchomai>} to {πρὸς<pros>} • {αὐτὸν <autos>} Jesus • by → night {νυκτὸς<nyx>} and {καὶ<kai>} said {εἶπεν<legō>} to → him, {αὐτῷ·<autos>} “Rabbi, {ῥαββεί,<rhabbei>} we → know {οἴδαμεν<oida>} that {ὅτι<hoti>} you → are → a → teacher {διδάσκαλος·<didaskalos>} come {ἐλήλυθας <erchomai>} from {ἀπὸ<apo>} God, {θεοῦ<theos>} for {γὰρ<gar>} no one {οὐδεὶς <oudeis>} can {δύναται<dynamai>} do {ποιεῖν<poieō>} these {ταῦτα<houtos>} signs {τὰ σημεῖα<ho sēmeion>} that {ἃ<hos>} you {σὺ<sy>} do {ποιεῖς,<poieō>} unless {ἐὰν μὴ<ean mē>} God {ὁ θεὸς<ho theos>} is {ᾖ<eimi>} with {μετ᾽<meta>} him.” {αὐτοῦ.<autos>}

3:3 - Jesus {Ἰησοῦς<Iēsous>} answered {Ἀπεκρίθη<apokrinomai>} • {καὶ<kai>} • {εἶπεν <legō>} him, {αὐτῷ·<autos>} “Truly, {ἀμὴν<amēn>} truly, {ἀμὴν<amēn>} I → say {λέγω<legō>} to → you, {σοι·<sy>} unless {ἐὰν μή<ean mē>} one {τις<tis>} is → born {γεννηθῇ <gennaō>} again {ἄνωθεν,<anōthen>} he → cannot {οὐ δύναται<ou dynamai>} see {ἰδεῖν<horaō>} the {τὴν<ho>} kingdom {βασιλείαν<basileia>} of → God.” {τοῦ θεοῦ.<ho theos>}

3:4 - Nicodemus {Νικόδημος·<Nikodēmos>} said {Λέγει<legō>} to {πρὸς<pros>} him, {αὐτὸν<autos>} “How {πῶς<pōs>} can {δύναται<dynamai>} a → man {ἄνθρωπος <anthrōpos>} be → born {γεννηθῆναι<gennaō>} when → he → is {ὤν;<eimi>} old? {γέρων<gerōn>} Can {δύναται<dynamai>} he ← enter {εἰσελθεῖν<eiserchomai>} a → second {δεύτερον<deuteros>} time ← into {εἰς<eis>} his {αὐτοῦ<autos>} mother’s {τῆς μητρὸς<ho mētēr>} womb {τὴν κοιλίαν<ho koilia>} and {καὶ<kai>} be → born? {γεννηθῆναι;<gennaō”μὴ<mē>}

3:5 - Jesus {Ἰησοῦς·<Iēsous>} answered, {Ἀπεκρίθη<apokrinomai>} “Truly, {ἀμὴν <amēn>} truly, {ἀμὴν<amēn>} I → say {λέγω<legō>} to → you, {σοι,<sy>} unless {ἐὰν μή<ean mē>} one {τις<tis>} is → born {γεννηθῇ<gennaō>} of {ἐξ<ek>} water {ὕδατος<hydōr>} and {καὶ<kai>} the → Spirit, {πνεύματος,<pneuma>} he → cannot {οὐ δύναται<ou dynamai>} enter {εἰσελθεῖν<eiserchomai>} • {εἰς<eis>} the {τὴν<ho>} kingdom {βασιλείαν<basileia>} of → God. {τοῦ θεοῦ.<ho theos>}

3:6 - That which {Τὸ<ho>} is → born {γεγεννημένον<gennaō>} of {ἐκ<ek>} the {τῆς<ho>} flesh {σαρκὸς<sarx>} is {ἐστιν,<eimi>} flesh, {σάρξ<sarx>} and {καὶ<kai>} that which {τὸ<ho>} is → born {γεγεννημένον<gennaō>} of {ἐκ<ek>} the {τοῦ<ho>} Spirit {πνεύματος <pneuma>} is {ἐστιν.<eimi>} spirit. {πνεῦμά<pneuma>}

3:7 - Do → not {μὴ<mē>} marvel {θαυμάσῃς<thaumazō>} that {ὅτι <hoti>} I → said {εἶπόν <legō>} to → you, {σοι·<sy>} ‘You {ὑμᾶς<sy>} must {δεῖ<deō>} be → born {γεννηθῆναι <gennaō>} again. {’ἄνωθεν.<anōthen>}

3:8 - The {τὸ<ho>} wind {πνεῦμα<pneuma>} blows {πνεῖ,<pneō>} where {ὅπου <hopou>} it → wishes, {θέλει<thelō>} and {καὶ<kai>} you → hear {ἀκούεις<akouō>} its {αὐτοῦ<autos>} sound, {τὴν φωνὴν<ho phōnē>} but {ἀλλ᾽<alla>} you → do → not {οὐκ<ou>} know {οἶδας<oida>} where → it → comes {ἔρχεται<erchomai>} from {πόθεν<pothen>] or {καὶ<kai>} where {ποῦ<pou>} it → goes. {ὑπάγει·<hypagō>} So {οὕτως<houtōs>} it • is {ἐστὶν<eimi>} with • everyone {πᾶς<pas>} who {ὁ<ho>} is → born {γεγεννημένος<gennaō>} of {ἐκ<ek>} the {τοῦ<ho>} Spirit.” {πνεύματος.<pneuma>}

3:9 - • {Ἀπεκρίθη<apokrinomai>} Nicodemus {Νικόδημος<Nikodēmos>} • {καὶ<kai>} said {εἶπεν<legō>} to → him, {αὐτῷ·<autos>} “How {πῶς<pōs>} can {δύναται <dynamai>} these {ταῦτα<houtos>} things ← be?” {γενέσθαι;<ginomai>}

3:10 - Jesus {Ἰησοῦς<Iēsous>} answered {Ἀπεκρίθη<apokrinomai>} • {καὶ<kai>} • {εἶπεν<legō>} him, {αὐτῷ·<autos>} “Are {εἶ<eimi>} you {σὺ<sy>} the {ὁ<ho>} teacher {διδάσκαλος<didaskalos>} of → Israel {τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ<ho Israēl>} and yet {καὶ<kai>} you → do → not {οὐ<ou>} understand {γινώσκεις;<ginōskō>} these {ταῦτα<houtos>} things? ←

3:11 - Truly, {ἀμὴν<amēn>} truly, {ἀμὴν<amēn>} I → say {λέγω<legō>} to → you, {σοι<sy>} • {ὅτι<hoti>} we → speak {λαλοῦμεν<laleō>} of • what {ὃ<hos>} we → know, {οἴδαμεν<oida>} and {καὶ<kai>} bear → witness {μαρτυροῦμεν,<martyreō>} to • what {ὃ<hos>} we → have → seen, {ἑωράκαμεν<horaō>} but {καὶ<kai>} you → do → not {οὐ<ou>} receive {λαμβάνετε.<lambanō>} our {ἡμῶν<egō>} testimony. {τὴν μαρτυρίαν<ho martyria>}

3:12 - If {εἰ<ei>} I → have → told {εἶπον<legō>} you {ὑμῖν<sy>} earthly {τὰ ἐπίγεια <ho epigeios>} things ← and {καὶ<kai>} you → do → not {οὐ<ou>} believe, {πιστεύετε,<pisteuō>} how {πῶς<pōs>} can → you → believe {πιστεύσετε;<pisteuō>} if {ἐὰν<ean>} I → tell {εἴπω<legō>} you {ὑμῖν<sy>} heavenly {τὰ ἐπουράνια<ho epouranios>} things? ←

3:13 - • {καὶ<kai>} No one {οὐδεὶς<oudeis>} has → ascended {ἀναβέβηκεν <anabainō>} into {εἰς<eis>} heaven {τὸν οὐρανὸν<ho ouranos>} except {εἰ μὴ<ei mē>} he who {ὁ<ho>} descended {καταβάς,<katabainō>} from {ἐκ<ek>} heaven, {τοῦ οὐρανοῦ<ho ouranos>} the {ὁ <ho>} Son {υἱὸς<huios>} of → Man. {τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.<ho anthrōpos>}

3:14 - And {καὶ<kai>} as {καθὼς<kathōs>} Moses {Μωϋσῆς<Mōusēs>} lifted {ὕψωσεν <hypsoō>} up ← the {τὸν<ho>} serpent {ὄφιν<ophis>} in {ἐν<en>} the {τῇ<ho>} wilderness, {ἐρήμῳ,<erēmos>} so {οὕτως<houtōs>} must {δεῖ<deō>} the {τὸν<ho>} Son {υἱὸν<huios>} of → Man {τοῦ ἀνθρώπου,<ho anthrōpos>} be → lifted {ὑψωθῆναι<hypsoō>} up, ←

3:15 - that {ἵνα<hina>} whoever {πᾶς ὁ<pasho>} believes {πιστεύων<pisteuō>} in {εἰς<eis>} him {αὐτὸν<autos>} may → have {ἔχῃ<echō>} eternal {αἰώνιον.<aiōnios>} life. {ζωὴν<zōē>}

John 3:1-15 -

Under the cloak of darkness, Nicodemus learned of a birth from above. As an old man, he needed new life—eternal life, life in the kingdom of God. But apart from the work of Jesus, he (no different than we) could not even see the kingdom of God, much less enter it. Becoming a Christian is a supernatural act of God’s generosity. We, like Nicodemus, are just as dependent upon God for our second birth as for our first birth. To be born of “water and the Spirit” is to receive the new heart and the sin-cleansing washing God promised for the age of the Messiah (Ezek. 36:24–35).

As someone steeped in the Old Testament, John had a great appreciation for the symbolism of water. Just as Jesus created the headwaters that flowed through the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:10–14), so he is the source of the life-giving river promised in Ezekiel’s vision of the end-time temple (Ezekiel 47). At his second coming, Jesus will “un-dam” the river of life and it will course its way through the new Jerusalem forever (Rev. 22:1–3). But even now, at his first coming, Jesus offers the firstfruits of living water to those who will bring their thirsty hearts to him (John 4:3–42; 7:37–39).

Jesus freely gives us new life by the supreme offering of his costly death—an event Nicodemus would witness firsthand (19:38–40). When Moses lifted the bronze serpent (representing God’s punishment for his people’s sin) in the wilderness (Num. 21:4–9), it was to rescue the Israelites from God’s judgment as they looked in faith to God’s provision for healing. When Jesus was lifted onto the cross (representing God’s punishment for his people’s sin), it was to enter the wilderness of God’s judgment for us, and those who look to him in faith for spiritual healing will also experience God’s provision.

References:

All contents are reposted from ESV.org.

John 3 | ESV.org

https://www.esv.org/John+3/

The Book of John - Chapter 3:1-15 - (ESV)

John 3:1-15 -

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