John 6 · Verse 30

John 6:30

They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
John 6:30, King James Version

John 6:30 in other translations

BSBSo they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?
WEBThey said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see and believe you? What work do you do?
ASVThey said therefore unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee? what workest thou?
YLTThey said therefore to him, ‘What sign, then, dost thou, that we may see and may believe thee? what dost thou work?
DARBYThey said therefore to him, What sign then doest thou that we may see and believe thee? what dost thou work?
BBESo they said, What sign do you give us, so that we may see and have faith in you? What do you do?
WebsterThey said therefore to him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

What does John 6:30 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 6:28-31

28-31. What shall we do ... the works of God--such works as God will approve. Different answers may be given to such a question, according to the spirit which prompts the inquiry. (See Ho 6:6-8; Lu 3:12-14). Here our Lord, knowing whom He had to deal with, shapes His reply accordingly.

Read the full comment on John 6:28-31 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 30. What sign showest thou? On the word sign compare Is 7:14. What miracle dost thou work to prove that thou art the Messiah? They had just seen the miracle of the loaves in the desert, which was sufficient to show that he was the Messiah, and it would seem from the preceding narrative that those who crossed the lake to see him supposed that he was the Christ. It seems wonderful that they should so soon ask for farther evidence that he was sent from God; but it is not improbable that this question was put by other Jews, rulers of the synagogue, who happened to be present, and who had not witnessed his miracles. Those men were continually asking for signs and proofs that he was the Messiah. See Mt 12:38,39, Mk 8:11, Lk 9:29. As Jesus claimed the right of teaching them, and as it was manifest that he would teach them differently from what they supposed Moses to teach, it was natural to ask him by what authority he claimed the right to be heard.

(n) "sign?" Mt 12:38, 1Cor 1:22

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 30 What sign - Τι σημειον, What miracle; so the word is evidently used, Joh 2:11, Joh 2:23, and in many other places. That we may see, and believe thee - That, having seen the miracle, we may believe thee to be the promised Messiah. They had already seen the miracle of the five loaves, and did not believe; and it was impossible for them to see any thing more descriptive of unlimited power and goodness. Even miracles themselves are lost on persons whose hearts are fixed on the perishing things of the world, and whose minds are filled with prejudice against the truth.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 6:28-35

Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, now gave them the true Bread for the…

Read the full comment on John 6:28-35 →

John 6:30 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.

ΕἶπονEiponThey saidG2036
οὖνounthereforeG3767
αὐτῷ·autōto Him;G846
τίtiWhatG5101
οὖνounthenG3767
ποιεῖςpoieisdoG4160
σὺsuYou yourselfG4771
σημεῖονsēmeion[as a] signG4592
ἵναinathatG2443
ἴδωμενidōmenwe may seeG1492
καὶkaiandG2532
πιστεύσωμένpisteusōmenmay believeG4100
σοι;soiYou?G4771
τίtiWhatG5101
ἐργάζῃ;ergazēwork do You perform?G2038

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

Cross references for John 6:30

  • John 12:37

    But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

  • John 6:36

    But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

  • John 10:38

    But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:22

    For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

  • Mark 15:32

    Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

  • Acts 4:30

    By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

  • 1 Kings 13:3

    And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

  • 1 Kings 13:5

    The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

  • Mark 8:11

    And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

  • Luke 11:29-30

    And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

  • John 20:25-29

    The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. …

  • John 2:18

    Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What.
2:18; 4:8; Ex 4:8; 1Ki 13:3,5; Isa 7:11-14; Mt 12:38,39; 16:1-4
Mr 8:11; Lu 11:29,30; Ac 4:30; 1Co 1:22; Heb 2:4
see.
36; 10:38; 12:37; 20:25-29; Isa 5:19; Mr 15:32

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

Context

  • John 6:29

    Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

  • John 6:30

    They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

  • John 6:31

    Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

Read all of John 6

John 6:30 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Dijéronle entonces: ¿Qué señal pues haces tú, para que veamos, y te creamos? ¿Qué obras?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ils lui dirent donc: Quel miracle fais-tu donc, toi, afin que nous le voyions, et que nous te croyions? Quelle œuvre fais-tu?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprachen sie zu ihm: Was tust du nun für ein Zeichen, auf daß wir sehen und dir glauben? was wirkst du?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixerunt ergo ei: Quod ergo tu facis signum ut videamus et credamus tibi? quid operaris?