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Literal Standard Version

John 3:9

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How are these things able to happen?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blindness;   Jesus, the Christ;   Life;   Mysteries;   Nicodemus;   Salvation;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Nicodemus;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - John, gospel of;   Nicodemus;   Teacher;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Disciple, Discipleship;   Salvation;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Episcopacy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Nicodemus;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jesus Christ;   Nicodemus;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Holy Spirit;   Nicodemus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gospels;   John, Gospel of;   John, Theology of;   Mss;   Nicodemus;   Scribes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Announcements of Death;   Discourse;   Holy Spirit;   Individuality;   Mental Characteristics;   Property (2);   Righteous, Righteousness;   Teaching of Jesus;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Nicodemus ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Regeneration;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Heart;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Tabernacle, the;   Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - How;   Nicodemus;   Sanctification;   Seed;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Birth, New;   Nicodemus;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for December 4;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
King James Version (1611)
Nicodemus answered, and said vnto him, How can these things be?
King James Version
Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
English Standard Version
Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
New American Standard Bible
Nicodemus responded and said to Him, "How can these things be?"
New Century Version
Nicodemus asked, "How can this happen?"
Amplified Bible
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be possible?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"
Legacy Standard Bible
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"
Berean Standard Bible
"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
Contemporary English Version
"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
Complete Jewish Bible
Nakdimon replied, "How can this happen?"
Darby Translation
Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
Easy-to-Read Version
Nicodemus asked, "How is all this possible?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Nicodemus answered, and said vnto him, Howe can these things be?
George Lamsa Translation
Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
Good News Translation
"How can this be?" asked Nicodemus.
Lexham English Bible
Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can these things be?"
Literal Translation
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, How are these things able to occur?
American Standard Version
Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Bible in Basic English
And Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for these things to be?
Hebrew Names Version
Nakdimon answered him, "How can these things be?"
International Standard Version
Nicodemus said to him, "How can that be?"John 6:52,60;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
Nikodimos answered and said to him, How can these things be?
Murdock Translation
Nicodemus answered, and said to him: How can these things be?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nicodemus aunswered, and sayde vnto hym: howe can these thynges be?
English Revised Version
Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
World English Bible
Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things be?"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
Weymouth's New Testament
"How is all this possible?" asked Nicodemus.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nychodeme answeride, and seide to hym, Hou moun these thingis be don?
Update Bible Version
Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
Webster's Bible Translation
Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
New English Translation
Nicodemus replied, "How can these things be?"
New King James Version
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"
New Living Translation
"How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked.
New Life Bible
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can this be?"
New Revised Standard
Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Nicodemus answered, and said unto him - How, can these things, come about?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Nicodemus answered and said to him: How can these things be done?
Revised Standard Version
Nicode'mus said to him, "How can this be?"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And Nicodemus answered and sayde vnto him: how can these thinges be?
Young's Literal Translation
Nicodemus answered and said to him, `How are these things able to happen?'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Nicodemus answered, and sayde vnto him: How maye these be?
Mace New Testament (1729)
Nicodemus answered, how can that be?
THE MESSAGE
Nicodemus asked, "What do you mean by this? How does this happen?"
Simplified Cowboy Version
"How can this happen though?" Nick asked.

Contextual Overview

1And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus [was] his name, a ruler of the Jews; 2this one came to Him by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we have known that You have come from God—a teacher, for no one is able to do these signs that You do, if God may not be with him." 3Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone may not be born from above, he is not able to see the Kingdom of God"; 4Nicodemus says to Him, "How is a man able to be born, being old? Is he able to enter into the womb of his mother a second time, and to be born?" 5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone may not be born of water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the Kingdom of God; 6that which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. 7You may not wonder that I said to you, It is required for you to be born from above; 8the Spirit blows where [that] One wills, and you hear [that] One's voice, but you have not known from where [that] One comes, and to where [that] One goes; thus is everyone who has been born of the Spirit." 9Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How are these things able to happen?"10Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not know these things?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

How: John 3:4, John 6:52, John 6:60, Proverbs 4:18, Isaiah 42:16, Mark 8:24, Mark 8:25, Luke 1:34

Reciprocal: Joshua 7:26 - So the Lord John 7:36 - manner John 9:10 - General John 14:22 - how 1 Corinthians 15:35 - How 1 Timothy 1:7 - understanding

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
And the man says, "The woman whom You placed with me—she has given to me from the tree, and I eat."
Genesis 3:13
And YHWH God says to the woman, "What [is] this you have done?" And the woman says, "The serpent has caused me to forget, and I eat."
Genesis 3:17
And to the man He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and eat from the tree concerning which I have charged you, saying, You do not eat of it, cursed [is] the ground on your account; in sorrow you eat of it [for] all days of your life,
Genesis 3:19
by the sweat of your face you eat bread until your return to the ground, for you have been taken out of it, for dust you [are], and to dust you return."
Genesis 3:20
And the man calls his wife's name Eve, for she has been mother of all living.
Genesis 3:21
And YHWH God makes coats of skin [for] the man and his wife, and clothes them.
Genesis 4:9
And YHWH says to Cain, "Where [is] your brother Abel?" And he says, "I have not known; am I my brother's keeper?"
Genesis 11:5
And YHWH comes down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men have built;
Genesis 16:8
and He says, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, from where have you come, and to where do you go?" And she says, "From the presence of Sarai, my mistress, I am fleeing."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Nicodemus answered and said unto him,.... Remaining still as ignorant as ever, though Christ had explained the phrase "born again", at which he stumbled, by a being "born of water and of the Spirit", or of the grace of the Spirit of God; and had illustrated this by the free, powerful, and invisible blowing of the wind:

how can these things be? The Arabic version reads, "how can this be?" referring either to the last thing said, that a man's being born of the Spirit, is like the blowing of the wind; or to the explanation of the first expression, that a man should be born of water, and of the Spirit; or to the first assertion itself, that a man should be born again; which notwithstanding the explanation and illustration, seemed as impossible, and as impracticable as ever; or rather to them all, and so the Persic version reads, "how can all these things be?"

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

How can these things be? - Nicodemus was still unwilling to admit the doctrine unless he understood it; and we have here an instance of a man of rank stumbling at one of the plainest doctrines of religion, and unwilling to admit a truth because he could not understand “how” it could be, when he daily admitted the truth of facts in other things which he could as little comprehend. And we may learn:

1.That people will often admit facts on other subjects, and be greatly perplexed by similar facts in religion.

2.That no small part of people’s difficulties are because they cannot understand how or why a thing is.

3.That people of rank and learning are as likely to be perplexed by these things as those in the obscurest and humblest walks of life.

4.That this is one reason why such men, particularly, so often reject the truths of the gospel.

5.That this is a very unwise treatment of truth, and a way which they do not apply to other things.

If the wind cools and refreshes me in summer if it prostrates the oak or lashes the sea into foam - if it destroys my house or my grain, it matters little how it does this; and so of the Spirit. If it renews my heart, humbles my pride, subdues my sin, and comforts my soul, it is a matter of little importance how it does all this. Sufficient for me is it to know that it is done, and to taste the blessings which flow from the renewing. and sanctifying grace of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 3:9. How can these things be? — Our Lord had very plainly told him how these things could be, and illustrated the new birth by one of the most proper similes that could be chosen; but so intent was this great man an making every thing submit to the testimony of his senses that he appears unwilling to believe any thing, unless he can comprehend it. This is the case with many-they profess to believe because they comprehend; but they are impostors who speak thus: there is not a man in the universe that can fully comprehend one operation, either of God or his instrument nature; and yet they must believe, and do believe, though they never did nor ever can fully comprehend, or account for, the objects of their faith.


 
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