He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
Parallel translations
- WEB He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”
- BSB “Who is He, Sir?” he replied. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”
- NKJV He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
- NASB He answered by saying, “And who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?”
- NLT The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
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 man eagerly responds, ready to believe in the Son of God if only he can be shown who He is. His humble openness contrasts with the hardened Pharisees.
Overview
The man's reply is teachable and earnest, addressing Jesus as 'Lord' and seeking to know the One he should trust. Unlike the religious leaders who claimed to see yet refused the light, he longs to believe. His readiness sets the stage for Jesus' self-revelation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Rom 10:14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
- Song 5:9What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
- Prov 30:3–4I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
- Matt 11:3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
- John 1:38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 9:36 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.