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If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
John 13:17 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
  • KJV If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
  • BSB If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
  • NKJV If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
  • NLT Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus says they are blessed if they not only know these things but do them. It ties true blessing to obedient practice, not mere understanding.

Overview

Knowledge alone is insufficient; the blessing belongs to those who put Christ's example into practice. This echoes the biblical theme that hearers must be doers (cf. Jas 1:22). The verse calls believers to a faith that works itself out in humble, loving action.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 18

  • Luke 11:28But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”
  • Jas 4:17To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.
  • Jas 1:25But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
  • Matt 7:24–25“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.
  • Exod 40:16Moses did so. According to all that Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
  • Luke 12:47–48That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,
  • Ezek 36:27I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.
  • Rev 22:14Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.
  • Ps 19:11Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.
  • Jas 2:20–24But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
  • Ps 119:1–5ALEPH Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to Yahweh’s law.
  • Heb 11:7–8By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
  • Gal 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.
  • Gen 6:22Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.
  • Matt 12:50For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
  • John 15:14You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.
  • 2 Cor 5:14–15For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died.
  • Matt 22:38–41This is the first and great commandment.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 13:17YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 13:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.