John 5 · Verse 24

John 5:24

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 5:24, King James Version

John 5:24 in other translations

BSBTruly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
WEB“Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
ASVVerily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.
YLT‘Verily, verily, I say to you--He who is hearing my word, and is believing Him who sent me, hath life age-during, and to judgment he doth not come, but hath passed out of the death to the life.
DARBYVerily, verily, I say unto you, that he that hears my word, and believes him that has sent me, has life eternal, and does not come into judgment, but is passed out of death into life.
BBETruly I say to you, The man whose ears are open to my word and who has faith in him who sent me, has eternal life; he will not be judged, but has come from death into life.
WebsterVerily, verily, I say to you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but hath passed from death to life.

What does John 5:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
24. believeth on him that sent me--that is, believeth in Him as having sent Me. I have spoken of the Son's right not only to heal the sick but to raise from the dead, and quicken whom He will: And now I say unto you, That life-giving operation has already passed upon all who receive My words as the Sent of the Father on the great errand of mercy. hath everlasting life--immediately on his believing (compare Joh 3:18; 1Jo 5:12, 13). is passed--"hath passed over" from death unto life--What a transition! (Compare 1Jo 3:14).

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 24. He that heareth my word. To hear, in this place, evidently denotes not the outward act of hearing, but to receive in a proper manner; to suffer it to make its proper impression on the mind; to obey. The word hear is often used in this sense, Mt 11:15, Jn 8:47, Acts 3:23. Many persons outwardly hear the gospel who neither understand nor obey it.

My word. My doctrine, my teaching. All that Jesus taught about himself, as well as about the Father.

On him that sent me. On the Father, who, in the plan of redemption, is represented as sending his Son to save men. See Jn 3:17. Faith in God, who sent his Son, is here represented as being connected with everlasting life; but there can be no faith in him who sent his Son, without faith also in him who is sent. The belief of one of the true doctrines of religion is connected with, and will lead to, the belief of all.

Hath everlasting life. The state of man by nature is represented as death in sin, Eph 2:1. Religion is the opposite of this, or is life. The dead regard not anything. They are unaffected by the cares, pleasures, amusements of the world. They hear neither the voice of merriment nor the tread of the living over their graves. So with sinners. They are unmoved with the things of religion. They hear not the voice of God; they see not his loveliness; they care not for his threatenings. But religion is life. The Christian lives with God, and feels and acts as if there was a God. Religion, and its blessings here and hereafter, are one and the same. The happiness of heaven is living unto God--being sensible of his presence, and glory, and power--and rejoicing in that. There shall be no more death there, Rev 21:4. This life, or this religion, whether on earth or in heaven, is the same--the same joys extended and expanded for ever. Hence, when a man is converted, it is said that he has everlasting life; not merely shall have, but is already in possession of that life or happiness which shall be everlasting. It is life begun, expanded, ripening for the skies. He has already entered on his inheritance--that inheritance which is everlasting.

Shall not come into condemnation. He was by nature under condemnation. See Jn 3:18. Here it is declared that he shall not return to that state, or he will not be again condemned. This promise is sure; it is made by the Son of God, and there is no one that can pluck them out of his hand, Jn 10:28. Comp. Rev 8:1.

But is passed from death unto life. Has passed over from a state of spiritual death to the life of the Christian. The word translated is passed would be better expressed by has passed. It implies that he has done it voluntarily; that none compelled him; and that the passage is made unto everlasting life. Because Christ is the author of this life in the soul, he is called the life (Jn 1:4); and as he has always existed, and is the source of all life, he is called the eternal life, 1Jn 5:20.

(v) "passed from death" 1Jn 3:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 He that heareth my word - My doctrine - and believeth on him that sent me - he who credits my Divine mission, that I am come to give light and life to the world by my doctrine and death - hath eternal life - the seed of this life is sown in his heart the moment he believes - and shall not come into condemnation, εις κρισιν, into judgment - that which will speedily come on this unbelieving race; and that which shall overwhelm the wicked in the great day. But is passed from death unto life - Μεταβεβηκεν, Has changed his country, or place of abode. Death is the country where every Christless soul lives. The man who knows not God lives a dying life, or a living death; but he who believes in the Son of God passes over from the empire of death, to the empire of life. Reader! thou wast born in death: hast thou yet changed the place of thy natural residence? Remember that to live in sin is to live in death; and those who live and die thus shall die eternally.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 5:24-29
Our Lord declared his authority and character, as the Messiah. The time was come when the dead should hear his voice, as the Son of God, and live. Our Lord first refers to his raising those who were dead in sin, to newness of life, by the power of the Spirit, and then to his raising the dead in their graves. The office of Judge of all men, can only be exercised by one who has all knowledge, and almighty power. May we believe His testimony; thus our faith and hope will be in God, and we shall not come into condemnation. And may His voice reach the hearts of those dead in sin; that they may do works meet for repentance, and prepare for the solemn day.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 5:24 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.

ἈμὴνAmēnAmenG281
ἀμὴνamēnAmenG281
λέγωlegōI sayG3004
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ὁhothe [one]G3588
τὸνtontheG3588
λόγονlogonwordG3056
μουmouof MineG3165
ἀκούωνakouōnhearingG191
καὶkaiandG2532
πιστεύωνpisteuōnbelievingG4100
τῷtōin the [One]G3588
πέμψαντίpempsantihaving sentG3992
μεmeMeG3165
ἔχειecheihe hasG2192
ζωὴνzōēnlifeG2222
αἰώνιονaiōnioneternalG166
καὶkaiandG2532
εἰςeisintoG1519
κρίσινkrisinjudgmentG2920
οὐκouknotG3756
ἔρχεται,erchetaicomes,G2064
ἀλλὰallabutG235
μεταβέβηκενmetabebēkenhas passedG3327
ἐκekout ofG1537
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θανάτουthanatoudeathG2288
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὴνtēn<the>G3588
ζωήν.¶zōēnlife.G2222

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

Cross references for John 5:24

  • John 3:36

    He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

  • 1 John 5:11-13

    And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

  • John 6:40

    And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

  • John 3:18

    He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

  • Romans 8:1

    There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

  • John 11:26

    And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

  • John 6:47

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

  • John 10:27-30

    My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.

  • John 3:16

    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.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:9

    For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

  • Romans 10:11-13

    For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

  • John 20:31

    But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
He that.
3:16,18,36; 6:40,47; 8:51; 11:26; 12:44; 20:31; Mr 16:16; Ro 10:11-13
1Pe 1:21; 1Jo 5:1,11-13
and shall not.
10:27-30; Ro 8:1,16,17,28-30,33,34; 1Th 5:9; 2Th 2:13,14; 1Pe 1:5
but.
1Jo 3:14

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

Context

  • John 5:23

    That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

  • John 5:24

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

  • John 5:25

    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.

Read all of John 5

John 5:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		De cierto, de cierto os digo: El que oye mi palabra, y cree al que me ha enviado, tiene vida eterna; y no vendrá á condenación, mas pasó de muerte á vida.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		En vérité, en vérité, je vous dis que celui qui entend ma parole, et qui croit celui qui m’a envoyé, a la vie éternelle et ne vient pas en jugement; mais il est passé de la mort à la vie.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch: Wer mein Wort hört und glaubt dem, der mich gesandt hat, hat ewiges Leben und kommt nicht ins Gericht, sondern er ist aus dem Tode in das Leben übergegangen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Amen, amen dico vobis, quia qui verbum meum audit, et credit ei qui misit me, habet vitam æternam, et in judicium non venit, sed transiit a morte in vitam.