John 12 · Verse 34

John 12:34

The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

John 12:34, King James Version

John 12:34 in other translations

BSB	The crowd replied, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever. So how can You say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
WEB	The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
ASV	The multitude therefore answered him, We have heard out of the law that the Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
YLT	the multitude answered him, ‘We heard out of the law that the Christ doth remain--to the age; and how dost thou say, That it behoveth the Son of Man to be lifted up? who is this--the Son of Man?'
DARBY	The crowd answered him, We have heard out of the law that the Christ abides for ever; and how sayest thou that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this, the Son of man?
BBE	Then the people in answer said to him, The law says that the Christ will have life without end: how say you then that it is necessary for the Son of man to be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?
Webster	The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?

What does John 12:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

34. We have heard out of the law--the scriptures of the Old Testament (referring to such places as Psa 89:28, 29; 110:4; Da 2:44; 7:13, 14). that Christ--the Christ "endureth for ever." and how sayest thou, The Son of Man must be lifted up, &c.--How can that consist with this "uplifting?" They saw very well both that He was holding Himself up as the Christ and a Christ to die a violent death; and as that ran counter to all their ideas of the Messianic prophecies, they were glad to get this seeming advantage to justify their unyielding attitude.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 34. We have heard out of the law. Out of the Old Testament; or rather we have been so taught by those who have interpreted the law to us.

That Christ. That the Messiah.

Abideth for ever. Will remain for ever, or will live for ever. The doctrine of many of them certainly was that the Messiah would not die; that he would reign as a prince for ever over the people. This opinion was founded on such passages of Scripture as these: Ps 110:4, "Thou art a priest for ever;" Dan 2:44, 8:13,14. In the interpretation of these passages they had overlooked such places as Isa 53:1-12; nor did they understand how the fact that he would reign for ever could be reconciled with the idea of his death. To us, who understand that his reign does not refer to a temporal, an earthly kingdom, it is easy.

How sayest thou, &c. We have understood by the title "the Son of man" the same as the Messiah, and that he is to reign for ever. How can he be put to death?

Who is this Son of man? "The Son of man we understand to be the Messiah spoken of by Daniel, who is to reign for ever. To him, therefore, you cannot refer when you say that he must be lifted up, or must die. Who is it--what other Son of man is referred to but the Messiah? Either ignorantly or wilfully, they supposed he referred to some one else than the Messiah.

(k) "We have heard" Ps 89:36,37, 110:4, Isa 9:7 (l) "out of the law" Rom 5:18, Ps 72:17-19

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 34 We have heard out of the law - That is, out of the sacred writings. The words here are quoted from Psa 110:4; but the Jews called every part of the sacred writings by the name, The Law, in opposition to the words or sayings of the scribes. See on Joh 10:34 (note). That Christ abideth for ever - There was no part of the law nor of the Scripture that said the Messiah should not die; but there are several passages that say as expressly as they can that Christ must die, and die for the sin of the world too. See especially Isa 53:1, etc.; Dan 9:24, Dan 9:27. But as there were several passages that spoke of the perpetuity of his reign, as Isa 9:7; Eze 37:25; Dan 7:14, they probably confounded the one with the other, and thus drew the conclusion, The Messiah cannot die; for the Scripture hath said, his throne, kingdom, and reign shall be eternal. The prophets, as well as the evangelists and apostles, speak sometimes of the Divine, sometimes of the human nature of Christ: when they speak of the former, they show forth its glory, excellence, omnipotence, omniscience, and eternity; when they speak of the latter, they show forth its humiliations, afflictions, sufferings, and death. And those who do not make the proper distinction between the two natures of Christ, the human and the Divine, will ever make blunders as well as the Jews. It is only on the ground of two natures in Christ that the Scriptures which speak of him, either in the Old or New Testament, can be possibly understood. No position in the Gospel is plainer than this, God was manifest in the flesh.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 12:34-36

The people drew false notions from the Scriptures, because they overlooked the prophecies that spoke of Christ's sufferings and death. Our Lord warned them that the light would not long continue with them, and exhorted them to walk in it, before the darkness overtook them. Those who would walk in the light must believe in it, and follow Christ's directions. But those who have not faith, cannot behold what is set forth in Jesus, lifted up on the cross, and must be strangers to its influence as made known by the Holy Spirit; they find a thousand objections to excuse their unbelief.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 12:34 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἈπεκρίθηApekrithēAnsweredG611

οὖνounthereforeG3767

αὐτῷautōto HimG846

ὁhotheG3588

ὄχλος·ochloscrowd;G3793

ἡμεῖςhēmeisWe ourselvesG3165

ἠκούσαμενēkousamenheardG191

ἐκekfromG1537

τοῦtoutheG3588

νόμουnomoulawG3551

ὅτιhotithatG3754

ὁhotheG3588

χριστὸςchristosChristG5547

μένειmeneiabidesG3306

εἰςeistoG1519

τὸνtontheG3588

αἰῶνα,aiōnaage,G165

καὶkaiandG2532

πῶςpōshowG4459

λέγειςlegeissayG3004

σὺsuyou yourselfG4771

ὅτιhotithatG3754

δεῖdeiit behoovesG1163

ὑψωθῆναιhupsōthēnaito be lifted upG5312

τὸνtontheG3588

υἱὸνhuionSonG5207

τοῦtou<the>G3588

ἀνθρώπου;anthrōpouof Man?G444

τίςtisWhoG5101

ἐστινestinisG1510

οὗτοςhoutosthisG3778

ὁho<the>G3588

υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207

τοῦtou<the>G3588

ἀνθρώπου;¶anthrōpouof Man?G444

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 12:34

Ezekiel 37:24-25
And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
Isaiah 9:7
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Daniel 7:14
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Psalms 110:4
The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Daniel 2:44
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Daniel 7:27
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
2 Samuel 7:13
He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
John 3:14-16
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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.
Psalms 89:36-37
His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
John 5:25-27
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Micah 4:7
And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
Matthew 22:42-45
Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the law.
10:34; 15:25; Ro 3:19; 5:18
Christ.
2Sa 7:13; Ps 72:7,17-19; 89:36,37; 110:4; Isa 9:7; 53:8
Eze 37:24,25; Da 2:44; 7:14,27; Mic 4:7
who.
3:14-16; 5:25-27; 8:53-58; Mt 16:13; 21:10; 22:42-45

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

John 12:33
This he said, signifying what death he should die.
John 12:34
The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
John 12:35
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

Read all of John 12

John 12:34 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Respondióle la gente: Nosotros hemos oído de la ley, que el Cristo permanece para siempre: ¿cómo pues dices tú: Conviene que el Hijo del hombre sea levantado? ¿Quién es este Hijo del hombre?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	La foule lui répondit: Nous, nous avons appris de la loi, que le Christ demeure éternellement: et comment, toi, dis-tu qu’il faut que le fils de l’homme soit élevé? Qui est ce fils de l’homme?
German Elberfelder 1871	Die Volksmenge antwortete ihm: Wir haben aus dem Gesetz gehört, daß der Christus bleibe in Ewigkeit, und wie sagst du, daß der Sohn des Menschen erhöht werden müsse? Wer ist dieser, der Sohn des Menschen?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Respondit ei turba: Nos audivimus ex lege, quia Christus manet in æternum: et quomodo tu dicis: Oportet exaltari Filium hominis? quis est iste Filius hominis?