John 6:46

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
not that anyone has seen the Father

King James Version (1611)
Not that any man hath seene the Father; saue hee which is of God, hee hath seene the Father.

King James Version
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

English Standard Version
not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

New American Standard Bible
"Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.

New Century Version
No one has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only he has seen the Father.

Amplified Bible
"Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He [who was with the Father and] who is from God; He [alone] has seen the Father.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.

Legacy Standard Bible
Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.

Berean Standard Bible
not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.

Contemporary English Version
The only one who has seen the Father is the one who has come from him. No one else has ever seen the Father.

Complete Jewish Bible
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God — he has seen the Father.

Darby Translation
not that any one has seen the Father, except he who is of God, he has seen the Father.

Easy-to-Read Version
I don't mean that there is anyone who has seen the Father. The only one who has ever seen the Father is the one who came from God. He has seen the Father.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Not that any man hath seene the Father, saue hee which is of God, hee hath seene the Father.

George Lamsa Translation
No man can see the Father, except he who is from God, he can see the Father.

Good News Translation
This does not mean that anyone has seen the Father; he who is from God is the only one who has seen the Father.

Lexham English Bible
(Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—this one has seen the Father.)

Literal Translation
not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One being from God, He has seen the Father.

American Standard Version
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father.

Bible in Basic English
Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only he who is from God, he has seen the Father.

Hebrew Names Version
Not that any man has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father.

International Standard Version
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who comes from God. This one has seen the Father.Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 1:18; 5:37; 7:29; 8:19;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
There is no man who hath seen the Father, but he who is from Aloha, he hath seen the Father.

Murdock Translation
Not that any one hath seen the Father, except him who hath come from God; he it is, hath seen the Father.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Not that any man hath seene the father, saue he which is of God, the same hath seene the father.

English Revised Version
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is from God, he hath seen the Father.

World English Bible
Not that any man has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he who is from God; he hath seen the Father.

Weymouth's New Testament
No one has ever seen the Father--except Him who is from God. He has seen the Father.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Not for ony man hath sey the fadir, but this that is of God, hath sey the fadir.

Update Bible Version
Not that any man has seen the Father, except he that is from God, he has seen the Father.

Webster's Bible Translation
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he who is from God, he hath seen the Father.

New English Translation
(Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he has seen the Father.)

New King James Version
Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.

New Living Translation
(Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)

New Life Bible
No one has seen the Father. I am the only One Who has seen Him.

New Revised Standard
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Not that any one hath seen, the Father, save he who is from God, - this one, hath seen the Father.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Not that any man hath seen the Father: but he who is of God, he hath seen the Father.

Revised Standard Version
Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Not that eny man hath sene ye father save he which is of God: the same hath sene the father.

Young's Literal Translation
not that any one hath seen the Father, except he who is from God, he hath seen the Father.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Not that eny man hath sene the father, saue he which is of the father, the same hath sene the father.

Mace New Testament (1729)
not that any man hath seen the father, except him who is come from God, he hath seen the father.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Not that any of you has seen God. Only the one sent from God has seen him.

Contextual Overview

²⁸ To that they said, "Well, what do we do then to get in on God's works?" ²⁹ Jesus said, "Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God's works." ³⁰They waffled: "Why don't you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what's going on? When we see what's up, we'll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" ³²Jesus responded, "The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world." ³⁴ They jumped at that: "Master, give us this bread, now and forever!" ³⁵Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me. ³⁹"This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time." ⁴¹At this, because he said, "I am the Bread that came down from heaven," the Jews started arguing over him: "Isn't this the son of Joseph? Don't we know his father? Don't we know his mother? How can he now say, ‘I came down out of heaven' and expect anyone to believe him?" ⁴³Jesus said, "Don't bicker among yourselves over me. You're not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that's the only way you'll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, ‘And then they will all be personally taught by God.' Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see me. ⁴⁷"I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread—living Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

any: John 1:18, John 5:37, John 8:19, John 14:9, John 14:10, John 15:24, Colossians 1:15, 1 Timothy 6:16, 1 John 4:12

he hath: John 7:29, John 8:55, Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22

Reciprocal: Psalms 86:11 - Teach John 3:13 - no man John 8:47 - General John 10:15 - As 2 Corinthians 3:16 - the veil

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Not that any man hath seen the Father,.... This is said, lest it should be thought from the above words, that our Lord meant that men should be so taught of God, as that they should visibly see the Father, and vocally hear his voice, and be personally instructed by him; for his voice is not heard, nor his shape seen; see John 1:18;

save he which is of God; who is begotten of him, and of the same nature and perfections with him, though a distinct person from him, and who was always with him, and lay in his bosom:

he hath seen the Father; has perfect knowledge of him, personal communion with him; has seen the perfections and glory of his person, and the thoughts, purposes, and counsels of his heart, his whole mind, and will, and all the grace, goodness, and mercy which is in him, and has declared it; see John 1:18.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Not that any man hath seen the Father - Jesus added this, evidently, to guard against mistake. He had said that all who came to him were taught of God. The teacher was commonly seen and heard by the pupil; but, lest it should be supposed that he meant to say that a man to come to him must see and hear God, visibly and audibly, he adds that he did not intend to affirm this. It was still true that no man had seen God at any time. They were not, therefore, to expect to see God, and his words were not to be perverted as if he meant to teach that.

Save he which is of God - Jesus here evidently refers to himself as the Son of God. He had just said that no man had seen the Father. When he affirms that he has seen the Father, it implies that he is more than man. He is the only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, John 1:18; the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, Hebrews 1:3; God over all, blessed forever, Romans 9:5. By his being of God is meant that he is the only-begotten Son of God, and sent as the Messiah into the world.

Hath seen - Hath intimately known or perceived him. He knows his nature, character, plans. This is a claim to knowledge superior to what man possesses, and it cannot be understood except by supposing that Jesus is equal with God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 46. Not that any man hath seen the Father — He does not teach men by appearing personally before them, or by any other outward voice than that of his word and messengers; but he teaches by his Spirit. This teaching from God implies:

1. That they shall have proper instruction.

2. That they shall comprehend it; for, when God teaches, there is no delay in learning. And,

3. That this teaching should be by the influence of the Holy Ghost upon their minds.

He which is of God — That is, Christ alone: neither Moses nor any of the prophets had ever seen God: Jesus, who lay in the bosom of the Father, HE saw and revealed him, John 1:18.