“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
Parallel translations
- WEB They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
- KJV Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
- BSB “Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”
- NKJV Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
- NASB Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
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 asks for this bread always, much like the Samaritan woman asked for living water. They want the gift without yet grasping that the gift is Jesus Himself.
Overview
Echoing John 4:15, the people request the bread continually, still thinking in physical terms. Their words are sincere yet uncomprehending. Jesus will answer by declaring that He Himself is the bread, turning their request toward the only true satisfaction found in Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- John 4:15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.”
- John 6:26Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled.
- Ps 4:6Many say, “Who will show us any good?” Yahweh, let the light of your face shine on us.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 6:34 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.