John 6 · Verse 26

John 6:26

Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

John 6:26, King James Version

John 6:26 in other translations

BSB	Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
WEB	Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.
ASV	Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled.
YLT	Jesus answered them and said, ‘Verily, verily, I say to you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were satisfied;
DARBY	Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say to you, Ye seek me not because ye have seen signs, but because ye have eaten of the loaves and been filled.
BBE	Jesus, answering them, said, Truly I say to you, You come after me, not because you saw signs, but because you were given the bread and had enough.
Webster	Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say to you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were satisfied.

What does John 6:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

26. Ye seek me, &c.--Jesus does not put them through their difficulty, says nothing of His treading on the waves of the sea, nor even notices their question, but takes advantage of the favorable moment for pointing out to them how forward, flippant, and superficial were their views, and how low their desires. "Ye seek Me not because ye saw the miracles"--literally, "the signs," that is, supernatural tokens of a higher presence, and a divine commission, "but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled." From this He proceeds at once to that other Bread, just as, with the woman of Samaria, to that other Water (Joh 4:9-15). We should have supposed all that follows to have been delivered by the wayside, or wherever they happened first to meet. But from Joh 6:59 we gather that they had probably met about the door of the synagogue--"for that was the day in which they assembled in their synagogues" [Lightfoot]--and that on being asked, at the close of the service, if He had any word of exhortation to the people, He had taken the two breads, the perishing and the living bread, for the subject of His profound and extraordinary discourse.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 26. Ye seek me, not because, &c. The miracles which Jesus wrought were proofs that he came from God. To seek him because they had seen them, and were convinced by them that he was the Messiah, would have been proper; but to follow him simply because their wants were supplied was mere selfishness of a gross kind. Yet, alas! many seek religion from no better motive than this. They suppose that it will add to their earthly happiness, or they seek only to escape from suffering or from the convictions of conscience, or they seek for heaven only as a place of enjoyment, and regard religion as valuable only for this. All this is mere selfishness. Religion does not forbid our regarding our own happiness, or seeking it in any proper way; but when this is the only or the prevailing motive, it is evident that we have never yet sought God aright. We are aiming at the loaves and fishes, and not at the honour of God and the good of his kingdom; and if this is the only or the main motive of our entering the church, we cannot be Christians.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 26 Ye seek me, not because ye saw, etc. - Though the miracle of the loaves was one of the most astonishing that ever was wrought upon earth; and though this people had, by the testimony of all their senses, the most convincing proof of its reality; yet we find many of them paid little attention to it, and regarded the omnipotent hand of God in it no farther than it went to satisfy the demands of their appetite! Most men are willing to receive temporal good from the hands of God; but there are few, very few, who are willing to receive spiritual blessings.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 6:22-27

Instead of answering the inquiry how he came there, Jesus blamed their asking. The utmost earnestness should be employed in seeking salvation, in the use of appointed means; yet it is to be sought only as the gift of the Son of man. Him the Father has sealed, proved to be God. He declared the Son of man to be the Son of God with power.

Read the full comment on John 6:22-27 →

John 6:26 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

αὐτοῖςautoisthemG846

ὁho<the>G3588

ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424

καὶkaiandG2532

εἶπεν·eipensaid;G2036

ἀμὴνamēnAmenG281

λέγωlegōI sayG3004

ὑμῖν·huminto you;G4771

ζητεῖτέzēteiteyou seekG2212

μεmeMeG3165

οὐχouchnotG3756

ὅτιhotibecauseG3754

εἴδετεeideteyou sawG1492

σημεῖα,sēmeiasigns,G4592

ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235

ὅτιhotibecauseG3754

ἐφάγετεephageteyou ateG5315

ἐκekofG1537

τῶνtōntheG3588

ἄρτωνartōnloavesG740

καὶkaiandG2532

ἐχορτάσθητε.echortasthētewere satisfied.G5526

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

Cross references for John 6:26

Philippians 3:19
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Philippians 2:21
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
James 4:3-4
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Acts 8:18-21
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
1 Timothy 6:5
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
Ezekiel 33:31
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
Romans 16:18
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Psalms 106:12-14
Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
John 6:2
And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
Psalms 78:37
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
John 6:24
When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Verily.
47,53; 3:3,5
Ye seek.
15,64; Ps 78:37; 106:12-14; Eze 33:31; Ac 8:18-21; Ro 16:18
Php 2:21; 3:19; 1Ti 6:5; Jas 4:3,4

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

Context

John 6:25
And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
John 6:26
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
John 6:27
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Read all of John 6

John 6:26 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Respondióles Jesús, y dijo: De cierto, de cierto os digo, que me buscáis, no porque habéis visto las señales, sino porque comisteis el pan y os hartasteis.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Jésus leur répondit et dit: En vérité, en vérité, je vous dis: Vous me cherchez, non parce que vous avez vu des miracles, mais parce que vous avez mangé des pains et que vous avez été rassasiés.
German Elberfelder 1871	Jesus antwortete ihnen und sprach: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch: Ihr suchet mich, nicht weil ihr Zeichen gesehen, sondern weil ihr von den Broten gegessen habt und gesättigt worden seid.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Respondit eis Jesus, et dixit: Amen, amen dico vobis: quæritis me non quia vidistis signa, sed quia manducastis ex panibus et saturati estis.