John 5 · Verse 21

John 5:21

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
John 5:21, King James Version

John 5:21 in other translations

BSBFor just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.
WEBFor as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.
ASVFor as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
YLT‘For, as the Father doth raise the dead, and doth make alive, so also the Son doth make alive whom he willeth;
DARBYFor even as the Father raises the dead and quickens them, thus the Son also quickens whom he will:
BBEIn the same way, as the Father gives life to the dead, even so the Son gives life to those to whom he is pleased to give it.
WebsterFor as the Father raiseth the dead, and reviveth them; even so the Son reviveth whom he will.

What does John 5:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 5:21-23
21-23. raiseth the dead and quickeneth them--one act in two stages. This is His absolute prerogative as God. so the Son quickeneth them--that is, raiseth up and quickeneth. whom he will--not only doing the same divine act, but doing it as the result of His own will, even as the Father does it. This statement is of immense importance in relation to the miracles of Christ, distinguishing them from similar miracles of prophets and apostles, who as human instruments were employed to perform super-natural actions, while Christ did all as the Father's commissioned Servant indeed, but in the exercise of His own absolute right of action.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. As the Father raiseth up the dead. God has power to raise the dead. By his power it had been done in at least two instances--by the prophet Elijah, in the case of the son of the widow of Sarepta (1Kgs 17:22), and by the prophet Elisha, in the case of the Shunamite's son, 2Kgs 4:32-35. The Jews did not doubt that God had power to raise the dead. Jesus here expressly affirms it, and says he has the same power.

Quickeneth them. Gives them life. This is the sense of the word quickeneth throughout the Bible.

Even so. In the same manner. By the same authority and power. The power of raising the dead must be one of the highest attributes of the divinity. As Jesus affirms that he has the power to do this in the same manner as the Father, so it follows that he must be equal with God.

The Son quickeneth. Gives life to. This may either refer to his raising the dead from their graves, or to his giving spiritual life to those who are dead in trespasses and sins. The former he did in the case of Lazarus and the widow's son at Nain, Jn 11:43,44; Lk 7:14,15. The latter he did in the case of all those who were converted by his power, and still does it in any instance of conversion. Whom he will. It was in the power of Jesus to raise up any of the dead as well as Lazarus. It depended on his will whether Lazarus and the widow's son should come to life. So it depends on his will whether sinners shall live. He has power to renew them, and the renewing of the heart is as much the result of his will as the raising of the dead.

(s) "the Son quickeneth" Lk 8:54, Jn 11:25, 17:2

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 As the Father raised up the dead - This he did in the case of the widow's son at Sarepta, 1Kgs 17:22, by the ministry of the Prophet Elijah. And again, in the case of the Shunamite's son, 2Kgs 4:32-35, by the ministry of the Prophet Elisha. The Son quickeneth whom he will - He raiseth from death to life whomsoever he pleases. So he did, for he raised the ruler's daughter, Mar 5:35-42; the widow's son at Nain, Luk 7:11-15; and Lazarus, at Bethany, John 11:14-44. Whom he will. Here our Lord points out his sovereign power and independence; he gives life according to his own will - not being obliged to supplicate for the power by which it was done, as the prophets did; his own will being absolute and sufficient in every case.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 5:17-23

The Divine power of the miracle proved Jesus to be the Son of God, and he declared that he worked with, and like unto his Father, as he saw good. These ancient enemies of Christ understood him, and became more violent, charging him not only with sabbath-breaking, but blasphemy, in calling God his own Father, and making himself equal with God. But all things now, and at the final judgment, are committed to the Son…

Read the full comment on John 5:17-23 →

John 5:21 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.

ὥσπερhōsperEven asG5618
γὰρgarforG1063
ὁhotheG3588
πατὴρpatērFatherG3962
ἐγείρειegeireiraises upG1453
τοὺςtoustheG3588
νεκροὺςnekrousdeadG3498
καὶkaiandG2532
ζῳοποιεῖ,zōopoieigives life,G2227
οὕτωςhoutōsthusG3779
καὶkaialsoG2532
ὁhotheG3588
υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207
οὓςhousto whomG3739
θέλειtheleiHe wishesG2309
ζῳοποιεῖ.zōopoieigives life.G2227

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

Cross references for John 5:21

  • Romans 8:11

    But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

  • Deuteronomy 32:39

    See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

  • John 11:25

    Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

  • Acts 26:8

    Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

  • Luke 7:14-15

    And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

  • John 17:2

    As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

  • John 11:43-44

    And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

  • Luke 8:54-55

    And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

  • 2 Kings 5:7

    And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

  • 1 Kings 17:21

    And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.

  • 2 Kings 4:32-35

    And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

  • Romans 4:17-19

    (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
as.
De 32:39; 1Ki 17:21; 2Ki 4:32-35; 5:7; Ac 26:8; Ro 4:17-19
even.
11:25,43,44; 17:2; Lu 7:14,15; 8:54,55

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

Context

  • John 5:20

    For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

  • John 5:21

    For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

  • John 5:22

    For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

Read all of John 5

John 5:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque como el Padre levanta los muertos, y les da vida, así también el Hijo á los que quiere da vida.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car comme le Père réveille les morts et les vivifie, de même aussi le Fils vivifie ceux qu’il veut;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn gleichwie der Vater die Toten auferweckt und lebendig macht, also macht auch der Sohn lebendig, welche er will.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sicut enim Pater suscitat mortuos, et vivificat, sic et Filius, quos vult, vivificat.