John 3 · Verse 4

John 3:4

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?

John 3:4, King James Version

John 3:4 in other translations

BSB	“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?”
WEB	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?”
ASV	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?
YLT	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?'
DARBY	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?
BBE	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?
Webster	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?

What does John 3:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

4. How, &c.--The figure of the new birth, if it had been meant only of Gentile proselytes to the Jewish religion, would have been intelligible enough to Nicodemus, being quite in keeping with the language of that day; but that Jews themselves should need a new birth was to him incomprehensible.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 4. How can a man, &c. 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 heathen 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--

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

2nd. 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.

3rd. 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.

4th. 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.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 3:1-8

Nicodemus was afraid, or ashamed to be seen with Christ, therefore came in the night. When religion is out of fashion, there are many Nicodemites. But though he came by night, Jesus bid him welcome, and hereby taught us to encourage good beginnings, although weak. And though now he came by night, yet afterward he owned Christ publicly. He did not talk with Christ about state affairs, though he was a ruler, but about…

Read the full comment on John 3:1-8 →

John 3:4 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.

ΛέγειLegeiSaysG3004

πρὸςprostoG4314

αὐτὸνautonHimG846

ὁho<the>G3588

Νικόδημος·NikodēmosNicodemus;G3530

πῶςpōsHowG4459

δύναταιdunataiis ableG1410

ἄνθρωποςanthrōposa manG444

γεννηθῆναιgennēthēnaito be bornG1080

γέρωνgerōnoldG1088

ὤν;ōnbeing?G1510

μὴmēNotG3361

δύναταιdunataiis he ableG1410

εἰςeisintoG1519

τὴνtēntheG3588

κοιλίανkoilianwombG2836

τῆςtēsof theG3588

μητρὸςmētrosmotherG3384

αὐτοῦautouof himG846

δεύτερονdeuterona second timeG1208

εἰσελθεῖνeiseltheinto enterG1525

καὶkaiandG2532

γεννηθῆναι;¶gennēthēnaito be born?G1080

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

Cross references for John 3:4

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
John 4:11-12
The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 6:53
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
John 6:60
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

How.
3; 4:11,12; 6:53,60; 1Co 1:18; 2:14

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

Context

John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:4
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?
John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Read all of John 3

John 3:4 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Dícele Nicodemo: ¿Cómo puede el hombre nacer siendo viejo? ¿puede entrar otra vez en el vientre de su madre, y nacer?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Nicodème lui dit: Comment un homme peut-il naître quand il est vieux? Peut-il entrer une seconde fois dans le sein de sa mère et naître?
German Elberfelder 1871	Nikodemus spricht zu ihm: Wie kann ein Mensch geboren werden, wenn er alt ist? kann er etwa zum zweiten Male in den Leib seiner Mutter eingehen und geboren werden?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Dicit ad eum Nicodemus: Quomodo potest homo nasci, cum sit senex? numquid potest in ventrem matris suæ iterato introire et renasci?