John 6 · Verse 68

John 6:68

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
John 6:68, King James Version

John 6:68 in other translations

BSBSimon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
WEBSimon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
ASVSimon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
YLTSimon Peter, therefore, answered him, ‘Sir, unto whom shall we go? thou hast sayings of life age-during;
DARBYSimon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast words of life eternal;
BBEThen Simon Peter gave this answer: Lord, to whom are we to go? you have the words of eternal life;
WebsterThen Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

What does John 6:68 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 6:66-71

66-71. From that time, &c.--or, in consequence of this. Those last words of our Lord seemed to have given them the finishing stroke--they could not stand it any longer. walked no more--Many a journey, it may be, they had taken with Him, but now they gave Him up finally!

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 68. Simon Peter answered him. With characteristic ardour and promptness. Peter was probably one of the oldest of the apostles, and it was his character to be first and most ardent in his professions.

To whom shall we go? This implied their firm conviction that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he alone was able to save them. It is one of Peter's noble confessions--the instinctive promptings of a pious heart and of ardent love. There was no one else who could teach them. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes were corrupt, and unable to guide them aright; and, though the doctrines of Jesus were mysterious, yet they were the only doctrines that could instruct and save them.

Thou hast, &c. The meaning of this is, thou teachest the doctrines which lead to eternal life. And from this we may learn,

1st. That we are to expect that some of the doctrines of the Bible will be mysterious.

2nd. That, though they are difficult to be understood, yet we should not therefore reject them.

3rd. That nothing would be gained by rejecting them. The atheist, the infidel--nay, the philosopher, believes, or professes to believe, propositions quite as mysterious as any in the Bible.

4th. That poor, lost, sinful man has nowhere else to go but to Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and if the sinner betakes himself to any other way he will wander and die.

5th. We should, therefore, on no account forsake the teachings of the Son of God. The words that he speaks are spirit and are life.

(b) "the words of eternal" Acts 5:20, 7:38

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 68 Simon Peter answered - With his usual zeal and readiness, speaking in behalf of the whole, To whom shall we go? Where shall we find a more gracious master - a more powerful Redeemer - a more suitable Savior? Thou alone hast the words of eternal life. None can teach the doctrine of salvation but thyself; and none can confer the gift of eternal life but thou alone. Reader, let me ask, whither art thou going? Has the world - the devil - the flesh - the words of eternal life? Art thou turning thy back upon God and Christ? For thy zealous services, what has Satan to give thee? Death! hell! and eternal misery! O stop! Cleave to Jesus; he will give thee that happiness which, in vain, thou seekest in the pleasures of sin.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 6:66-71

When we admit into our minds hard thoughts of the words and works of Jesus, we enter into temptation, which, if the Lord in mercy prevent not, will end in drawing back. The corrupt and wicked heart of man often makes that an occasion for offence, which is matter of the greatest comfort. Our Lord had, in the foregoing discourse, promised eternal life to his followers; the disciples fastened on that plain saying, and…

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John 6:68 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
οὖνounthereforeG3767
αὐτῷautōHimG846
ΣίμωνSimōnSimonG4613
Πέτρος·PetrosPeter;G4074
κύριε,kurieLord,G2962
πρὸςprostoG4314
τίναtinawhomG5101
ἀπελευσόμεθα;apeleusomethawill we go?G565
ῥήματαrhēmatadeclarationsG4487
ζωῆςzōēsof lifeG2222
αἰωνίουaiōnioueternalG166
ἔχεις,echeisYou have,G2192

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

Cross references for John 6:68

  • Psalms 73:25

    Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Acts 4:12

    Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

  • John 6:63

    It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

  • Acts 5:20

    Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

  • Matthew 16:16

    And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

  • Acts 7:38

    This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

  • 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 5:39-40

    Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

  • John 17:8

    For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
to whom.
Ps 73:25
thou hast.
40,63; 5:24,39,40; Ac 4:12; 5:20; 7:38; 1Jo 5:11-13

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

Context

  • John 6:67

    Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

  • John 6:68

    Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

  • John 6:69

    And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Read all of John 6

John 6:68 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y respondióle Simón Pedro: Señor, ¿á quién iremos? tú tienes palabras de vida eterna.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Simon Pierre lui répondit: Seigneur, auprès de qui nous en irions-nous? Tu as les paroles de la vie éternelle;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Simon Petrus antwortete ihm: Herr, zu wem sollen wir gehen? Du hast Worte ewigen Lebens;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit ergo Jesus ad duodecim: Numquid et vos vultis abire?