Limitless Word
The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!”
John 7:46 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
  • BSB “Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.
  • NKJV The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
  • NASB The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken in this way!”
  • NLT “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.

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 officers answer that no one ever spoke like this man. Even those sent to arrest Jesus are struck by the unique power of His words.

Overview

The officers' confession testifies to the unparalleled authority and grace of Jesus' teaching, which disarmed even His would-be captors. Their response stands in contrast to the hardened unbelief of the leaders. It bears witness that Jesus' words carry a divine quality unlike any mere human teacher, befitting the Word made flesh.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • Matt 7:28–29When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching,
  • Luke 4:22All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
  • John 7:26Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ?

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 7:46YouTube · 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 7:46 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.