John 3:4

Wesley's New Testament

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?

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?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
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?

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?"

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 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² The same came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know, that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles which thou dost, except God be with him. ³ Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ⁴ 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? ⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. ⁷ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. ⁸ The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou hearest the found thereof, but canst not tell, whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. ⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things?

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

2 Corinthians 2:11
Lest Satan get an advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear lest as the serpent deceived Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from simplicity toward Christ.

1 Timothy 2:14
And Adam was not deceived; but the woman being deceived 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.