John 8:51

Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

Verily {G281}, verily {G281}, I say {G3004} unto you {G5213}, If {G1437} a man {G5100} keep {G5083} my {G1699} saying {G3056}, he shall {G2334} never {G3364}{G1519}{G165} see {G2334} death {G2288}.

Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever obeys my teaching will never see death.”

Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”

Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my word, he shall never see death.

John 8:51 presents one of Jesus’ profound and often challenging declarations during a heated debate with the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem. In this powerful statement, Jesus asserts the ultimate outcome for those who truly embrace and obey His teachings.

Context

This verse is situated within a lengthy and intense discourse in John chapter 8, where Jesus confronts His adversaries regarding His divine origin, His relationship with God the Father, and their spiritual blindness. The Jewish leaders accuse Him of being a Samaritan and having a demon (John 8:48), while Jesus consistently points to His Father as His witness and source of authority. His statement in John 8:51 is a direct response to their inability to comprehend spiritual truths, contrasting their focus on physical lineage and death with the eternal life offered through Him.

Key Themes

  • Eternal Life through Christ's Word: The central promise is that those who "keep my saying" will "never see death." This does not promise physical immortality, but rather spiritual life that transcends physical death. It speaks to the believer's victory over the second death, which is eternal separation from God.
  • The Importance of Obedience and Abiding: The condition "If a man keep my saying" highlights the necessity of not just hearing or intellectually assenting to Jesus' words, but actively believing, obeying, and living by them. This concept of "abiding" in Christ's word is foundational to receiving His life.
  • Jesus' Divine Authority: The emphatic phrase "Verily, verily, I say unto you" (Greek: Amen, Amen) underscores the absolute truth and divine authority behind Jesus' declaration. It is a signature opening in John's Gospel, signaling a weighty and crucial teaching.
  • Victory Over Death: Jesus claims power over death itself, a power that He later demonstrates through His own resurrection and His promise of resurrection life to believers.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Verily, verily" (Amen, Amen): This double affirmation, unique to Jesus' speech in John's Gospel, means "truly, truly" or "most assuredly." It emphasizes the absolute certainty and divine origin of the statement that follows. It serves as a solemn oath or declaration of truth.
  • "Keep my saying" (Greek: tērēsē mou ton logon): The verb tērēsē implies more than just remembering; it means to guard, observe, obey, and preserve. It signifies active adherence and faithfulness to Jesus' whole message or teaching (ton logon, "the word").
  • "Shall never see death" (Greek: ou mē theōrēsē thanaton eis ton aiōna): The double negative ou mē creates an emphatic negation, meaning "absolutely shall not" or "by no means." "See death" means to experience or suffer death. The phrase eis ton aiōna means "unto the age" or "forever," reinforcing the eternal nature of the life promised. This is not about avoiding physical death, but about escaping spiritual death and eternal judgment.

Related Scriptures

  • For other "Verily, verily" statements demonstrating Jesus' authority, see John 3:3 or John 5:24.
  • The concept of keeping Jesus' words and its connection to love and abiding is further developed in John 14:23 and John 15:7.
  • The promise of eternal life for believers is a core theme throughout John's Gospel, famously summarized in John 3:16.
  • Jesus clarifies the nature of this "death" when He tells Martha, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).

Practical Application

John 8:51 offers immense comfort and profound challenge. For believers, it provides assurance of eternal life and freedom from spiritual condemnation, regardless of physical death. It reminds us that our true life is found in Christ and His words. For those seeking truth, it highlights the critical choice: to embrace and obey Jesus' teachings, thereby receiving genuine, everlasting life, or to reject them and face spiritual death. This verse calls us to examine the depth of our commitment to Christ's sayings and to live in light of His promise of victory over death.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • John 11:25

    Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

  • John 11:26

    And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

  • John 3:15

    That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

  • John 3:16

    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  • John 5:24

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

  • John 6:50

    This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

  • Luke 2:26

    And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

Add TrulyRandomVerse to your Home Screen for quick access!

← Back