God & Savior

John 3:6

Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.
John 3:6
Read chapter

Study notes

Human birth produces human life; only the Spirit gives spiritual life.

Explanation

Jesus contrasts two kinds of birth. "Flesh" here means ordinary human life. Natural birth can only produce more of the same. The life that belongs to God's kingdom must come from the Spirit.

Original language
  • σαρκὸς (sarkos): flesh
    Greek · Noun, genitive, singular, feminine · Strong's G4561 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Flesh: here, human nature and natural life.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:6, word 5

  • πνεύματος (pneumatos): spirit/breath
    Greek · Noun, genitive, singular, neuter · Strong's G4151G · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Spirit.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:6, word 13

Cross-references
  • John 1:13 · Same theme

    Children of God are born not of human will but of God.

  • John 6:63 · Same theme

    The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing.

Connected events
  • Nicodemus visits Jesus at night
    This verse is part of it · jerusalem

    This verse is part of the conversation.

    John 3:1-21

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Greek)

Τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν.

  1. ΤὸTo“That”
    Article, nominative, singular, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  2. γεγεννημένονgegennēmenon“born”
    Verb, perfect, passive, participle, nominative, singular, neuter · from γεννάω · “to beget” · Strong's G1080
  3. ἐκek“of”
    Preposition · “out from” · Strong's G1537
  4. τῆςtēs“the”
    Article, genitive, singular, feminine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  5. σαρκὸςsarkos“flesh”
    Noun, genitive, singular, feminine · from σάρξ · “flesh” · Strong's G4561
  6. σάρξsarx“flesh”
    Noun, nominative, singular, feminine · “flesh” · Strong's G4561
  7. ἐστιν,estin“is,”
    Verb, present, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from εἰμί · “to be” · Strong's G1510
  8. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  9. τὸto“that”
    Article, nominative, singular, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  10. γεγεννημένονgegennēmenon“born”
    Verb, perfect, passive, participle, nominative, singular, neuter · from γεννάω · “to beget” · Strong's G1080
  11. ἐκek“of”
    Preposition · “out from” · Strong's G1537
  12. τοῦtou“the”
    Article, genitive, singular, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  13. πνεύματοςpneumatos“Spirit”
    Noun, genitive, singular, neuter · from πνεῦμα · “spirit/breath” · Strong's G4151G
  14. πνεῦμάpneuma“spirit”
    Noun, nominative, singular, neuter · from πνεῦμα · “spirit/breath” · Strong's G4151G
  15. ἐστιν.estin“is.”
    Verb, present, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from εἰμί · “to be” · Strong's G1510
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)