John 3:4

Bishop's Bible

Nicodemus sayth vnto hym: Howe can a man be borne when he is olde? can he enter into his mothers wombe, and be borne agayne?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

King James Version (1611)
Nicodemus saith vnto him, How can a man be borne when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mothers wombe, and be borne?

King James Version
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

English Standard Version
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

New American Standard Bible
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?"

New Century Version
Nicodemus said, "But if a person is already old, how can he be born again? He cannot enter his mother's womb again. So how can a person be born a second time?"

Amplified Bible
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"

Legacy Standard Bible
Nicodemus *said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

Berean Standard Bible
"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Can he enter his mother's womb a second time to be born?"

Contemporary English Version
Nicodemus asked, "How can a grown man ever be born a second time?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Nakdimon said to him, "How can a grown man be ‘born'? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born a second time?"

Darby Translation
Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born being old? can he enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born?

Easy-to-Read Version
Nicodemus said, "How can a man who is already old be born again? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born a second time?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nicodemus sayde vnto him, Howe can a man be borne which is olde? can he enter into his mothers wombe againe, and be borne?

George Lamsa Translation
Nicodemus said to him, How can an old man be born again? can he enter again a second time into his mother''s womb, and be born?

Good News Translation
"How can a grown man be born again?" Nicodemus asked. "He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!"

Lexham English Bible
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is an old man? He is not able to enter into his mother's womb for the second time and be born, can he?"

Literal Translation
Nicodemus said to Him, How is a man able to be generated, being old? He is not able to enter into his mother's womb a second time and be born?

American Standard Version
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Bible in Basic English
Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for a man to be given birth when he is old? Is he able to go into his mother's body a second time and come to birth again?

Hebrew Names Version
Nakdimon said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"

International Standard Version
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person be born when he is old? He can't go back into his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?"

Etheridge Translation
Nikodimos said to him, How can an old man be born ? Who can again the womb of his mother the second time enter, and be born ?

Murdock Translation
Nicodemus said to him: How can an old man be born? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

English Revised Version
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

World English Bible
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Nicodemus saith to him, How can a man be born, when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Weymouth's New Testament
"How is it possible," Nicodemus asked, "for a man to be born when he is old? Can he a second time enter his mother's womb and be born?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nychodeme seide to hym, Hou may a man be borun, whanne he is eeld? whether he may entre ayen in to his modris wombe, and be borun ayen?

Update Bible Version
Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Webster's Bible Translation
Nicodemus saith to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

New English Translation
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time, can he?"

New King James Version
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

New Living Translation
"What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"

New Life Bible
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? How can he get into his mother's body and be born the second time?"

New Revised Standard
Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Nicodemus saith unto him - How, can a man be born, when he is, old? Can he, into the womb of his mother, a second time, enter, and be born?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Nicodemus saith to him: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born again?

Revised Standard Version
Nicode'mus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Nicodemus sayde vnto him: how can a man be boren when he is olde? can he enter into his moders wombe and be boren agayne?

Young's Literal Translation
Nicodemus saith unto him, `How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Nicodemus sayde vnto him: How can a man be borne, whan he is olde? Can he entre into his mothers wombe, and be borne agayne?

Mace New Testament (1729)
Nicodemus replied, how can a man be born when he is old? can he enter into his mother, and be born a second time?

THE MESSAGE
"How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above' talk?"

Simplified Cowboy Version
"What in the world are you talking about?" Nick exclaimed. "How can a grown man go back to the womb and be born again?"

Contextual Overview

¹ There was a man of the pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Iewes. ² The same came to Iesus by night, & said vnto him: Rabbi, we knowe that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man coulde do these miracles that thou doest, except God were with him. ³ Iesus aunswered, & sayde vnto hym: Ueryly, veryly, I say vnto thee, except a man be borne agayne, he can not see the kyngdome of God. ⁴ Nicodemus sayth vnto hym: Howe can a man be borne when he is olde? can he enter into his mothers wombe, and be borne agayne? ⁵ Iesus aunswered: Ueryly, veryly, I say vnto thee, except a man be borne of water and of the spirite, he can not enter into the kyngdome of God. ⁶ That which is borne of the fleshe, is fleshe: and that which is borne of the spirite, is spirite. ⁷ Maruayle not thou that I sayde to thee, ye must be borne agayne. ⁸ The wynde bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sounde therof: but canst not tell whence it commeth, and whither it goeth. So is euery one that is borne of the spirite. ⁹ Nicodemus aunswered, and sayde vnto hym: howe can these thynges be? ¹⁰ Iesus aunswered, & sayde vnto hym: Art thou a maister in Israel, and knowest not thesethynges?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

How: John 3:3, John 4:11, John 4:12, John 6:53, John 6:60, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14

Reciprocal: John 3:9 - How John 6:52 - How John 7:36 - manner John 14:22 - how 1 Corinthians 15:35 - How

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord God sayd vnto the woman: Why hast thou done this? And the woman sayde: the serpent begyled me, and I dyd eate.

Deuteronomy 29:19
So that when he heareth the wordes of this othe, he blesse hym selfe in his heart, saying: I shall haue peace, I wyll walke in the meanyng of myne owne heart: to put the drunken to the thirstie.

2 Kings 1:4
Wherefore thus saith the Lorde: Thou shalt not come downe fro the bed on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die the death. And Elias departed.

2 Kings 1:6
They aunswered him: There came a man vp against vs, and sayde vnto vs: Go, & turne againe vnto the king that sent you, and saye vnto him, thus saith the Lorde: Is there not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquyre of Beelzebub the God of Ekrom? Therefore thou shalt not come downe from the bed on which thou art gone vp, but shalt dye the death.

2 Kings 1:16
And he saide vnto him, thus saith the Lorde: Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to aske counsell at Beelzebub the god of Ekrom, as though there had ben no God in Israel, whose word thou mightest seeke after: therfore thou shalt not come downe of the bed on which thou art gone vp, but shalt dye the death.

2 Kings 8:10
And Elisa sayde vnto him: Go, and say vnto him, Thou shalt recouer: howebeit, the Lorde hath shewed me that he shall surely dye.

Psalms 10:11
He sayeth in his heart, tushe, the Lord hath forgotten: he hydeth away his face, and he wyll neuer see it.

2 Corinthians 2:11
Lest Satan shoulde circumuent vs: For his thoughtes are not vnknowen vnto vs.

2 Corinthians 11:3
But I feare lest by any meanes, that as the serpent begyled Eue through his subtiltie, euen so your myndes shoulde be corrupted fro the singlenesse that is towarde Christe.

1 Timothy 2:14
And Adam was not deceaued: but the woman beyng deceaued, was in the transgression.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Nicodemus saith unto him,.... Understanding him of a natural birth, to be repeated:

how can a man be born when he is old? as it seems by this, he himself now was:

can he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be born? the Ethiopic version adds, "again"; and the Arabic version, "and then be born"; this he urges, as absurd, impracticable, and impossible; and which shows him to have been as yet a natural man, who could not receive nor discern spiritual things.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

How can a man ... - It may seem remarkable that Nicodemus understood the Saviour literally, when the expression “to be born again” was in common use among the Jews to denote a change from “Gentilism” to “Judaism” by becoming a proselyte by baptism. The word with them meant a change from the state of a pagan to that of a Jew. But they never used it as applicable to a Jew, because they supposed that by his birth every Jew was entitled to all the privileges of the people of God. When, therefore, our Saviour used it of a Jew, when he affirmed its necessity of every man, Nicodemus supposed that there was an absurdity in the doctrine, or something that surpassed his comprehension, and he therefore asked whether it was possible that Jesus could teach so absurd a doctrine - as he could conceive no other sense as applicable to a Jew - as that he should, when old, enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born. And we may learn from this:

1.That prejudice leads men to misunderstand the plainest doctrines of religion.

2.That things which are at first incomprehensible or apparently absurd, may, when explained, become clear. The doctrine of regeneration, so difficult to Nicodemus, is plain to a “child” that is born of the Spirit.

1. Those in high rank in life, and who are learned, are often most ignorant about the plainest matters of religion. It is often wonderful that they exhibit so little acquaintance with the most simple subjects pertaining to the soul, and so much absurdity in their views.
2. A doctrine is not to be rejected because the rich and the great do not believe or understand it. The doctrine of regeneration was not false because Nicodemus did not comprehend it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 3:4. How can a man be born when he is old? — It is probable that Nicodemus was pretty far advanced in age at this time; and from his answer we may plainly perceive that, like the rest of the Jews, and like multitudes of Christians, he rested in the letter, without paying proper attention to the spirit: the shadow, without the thing signified, had hitherto satisfied him. Our Lord knew him to be in this state, and this was the cause of his pointed address to him.