John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:38 in other translations
| BSB | Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” |
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| WEB | He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” |
| ASV | He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. |
| YLT | he who is believing in me, according as the Writing said, Rivers out of his belly shall flow of living water;' |
| DARBY | He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. |
| BBE | He who has faith in me, out of his body, as the Writings have said, will come rivers of living water. |
| Webster | He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. |
What does John 7:38 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 7:37-39
37-39. the last day, that great day of the feast--the eighth (Le 23:39). It was a sabbath, the last feast day of the year, and distinguished by very remarkable ceremonies. "The generally joyous character of this feast broke out on this day into loud jubilation, particularly at the solemn moment when the priest, as was done on every day of this festival, brought forth, in golden vessels, water from the stream of…
Barnes' Notes
As the scripture hath said. This is a difficult expression, from the fact that no such expression as follows is to be found literally in the Old Testament. Some have proposed to connect it with what precedes--"He that believeth on me, as the Old Testament has commanded or required"-- but to this there are many objections. The natural and obvious meaning here is, doubtless, the true one; and Jesus probably intended to say, not that there was any particular place in the Old Testament that affirmed this in so many words, but that this was the substance of what the Scriptures taught, or this was the spirit of their declarations. Hence the Syriac translates it in the plural--the Scriptures. Probably there is a reference more particularly to Isa 58:11, than to any other single passage: "Thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not." See also Isa 44:3,4, Joel 3:18.
Out of his belly. Out of his midst, or out of his heart. The word belly is often put for the midst of a thing, the centre, and the heart, Mt 12:40. It means here that from the man shall flow; that is, his piety shall be of such a nature that it will extend its blessings to others. It shall be like a running fountain-- perhaps in allusion to statues or ornamented reservoirs in gardens, in which pipes were placed from which water was continually flowing. The Jews used the same figure: "His two reins are like fountains of water, from which the law flows." And again: "When a man turns himself to the Lord, he shall be as a fountain filled with living water, and his streams shall flow to all the nations and tribes of men" (Kuinoel).
Rivers. This word is used to express abundance, or a full supply. It means here that those who are Christians shall diffuse large, and liberal, and constant blessings on their fellow-men; or, as Jesus immediately explains it, that they shall be the instruments by which the Holy Spirit shall be poured down on the world.
Living water. Fountains, ever-flowing streams. That is, the gospel shall be constant and life-giving in its blessings. We learn here,
1st. That it is the nature of Christian piety to be diffusive.
2nd. That no man can believe on Jesus who does not desire that others should also, and who will not seek it.
3rd. That the desire is large and liberal--that the Christian desires the salvation of all the world.
4th. That the faith of the believer is to be connected with the influence of the Holy Spirit, and in that way Christians are to be like rivers of living water.
(h) "out if his belly" Prov 18:4, Isa 58:11, Jn 4:14
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 7:37-39
On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the…
John 7:38 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.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for John 7:38
- John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
- Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
- Isaiah 58:11
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
- Isaiah 12:3
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
- John 4:10
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
- Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
- Zechariah 14:8
And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
- Proverbs 18:4
The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.
- Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
- Isaiah 59:21
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.
- Ezekiel 47:1-12
Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. …
- Job 32:18-19
For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me. Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- John 7:37
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
- John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
- John 7:39
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 7:38 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | El que cree en mí, como dice la Escritura, ríos de agua viva correrán de su vientre. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Celui qui croit en moi, selon ce qu’a dit l’écriture, des fleuves d’eau vive couleront de son ventre. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Wer an mich glaubt, gleichwie die Schrift gesagt hat, aus dessen Leibe werden Ströme lebendigen Wassers fließen. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Qui credit in me, sicut dicit Scriptura, flumina de ventre ejus fluent aquæ vivæ. |