They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Parallel translations
- WEB They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do?
- BSB So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?
- NKJV Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?
- NASB So they said to Him, “What then are You doing as a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing?
- NLT They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?
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
The crowd demands a sign so they may believe, even though they had just been fed. Their request exposes the unbelief that no sign alone can cure.
Overview
Astonishingly, those who ate the multiplied loaves now ask for proof. Their question hints they want manna-like bread daily, as the next verse shows. John repeatedly demonstrates that signs do not create saving faith; the heart must be drawn by the Father to truly believe.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- John 12:37But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
- John 6:36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
- 1 Cor 1:22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
- John 10:38But 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.
- John 20:25–29The 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.
- Isa 7:11–14Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
- Mark 15:32Let 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.
- Heb 2:4God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
- Matt 12:38–39Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
- Mark 8:11And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
- Matt 16:1–4The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
- 1 Kgs 13:3And 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.
- Acts 4:30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
- 1 Kgs 13:5The 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.
- Luke 11:29–30And 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.
- John 2:18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
- Exod 4:8And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
- Isa 5:19That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
- John 4:8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
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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 6:30 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.