And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
Parallel translations
- WEB What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.
- BSB He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.
- NKJV And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.
- NASB What He has seen and heard, of this He testifies; and no one accepts His testimony.
- NLT He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells 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 testifies to what he has seen and heard from heaven, yet people generally reject his witness. His firsthand divine testimony meets widespread unbelief.
Overview
Because Jesus comes from above, his testimony is direct knowledge of heavenly realities. The lament that 'no one' receives it echoes John's theme of the world's rejection of the light. Yet, as the next verse shows, those who do receive it confirm that God is true.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- John 3:11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
- John 15:15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
- John 8:26I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
- John 1:11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
- John 5:20For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
- John 3:33He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
- Isa 53:1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
- Isa 50:2Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
- John 3:26And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
- Rom 11:2–6God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
- Rom 10:16–21But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
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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 3:32 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.