John 6:52

The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

BSB

At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

KJV

The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

ASV

The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

BBE

Then the Jews had an angry discussion among themselves, saying, How is it possible for this man to give us his flesh for food?

Original Greek

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Ἐμάχοντο Emachonto Were arguing G3164 οὖν oun therefore G3767 πρὸς pros with G4314 ἀλλήλους allēlous one another G240 οἱ hoi the G3588 Ἰουδαῖοι Ioudaioi Jews G2453 λέγοντες legontes saying G3004 πῶς pōs How G4459 δύναται dunatai is able G1410 οὗτος houtos this [man] G3778 ἡμῖν hēmin us G3165 δοῦναι dounai to give G1325 τὴν tēn the G3588 σάρκα sarka flesh G4561 αὐτοῦ autou of Him G846 φαγεῖν;¶ phagein to eat G5315

The early church

"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" If thou seekest to know the "how," why askedst not thou this in the matter of the loaves, how He extended five to so great a number? Because they then only thought of being satisfied, not of seeing the miracle. "But," saith some one, "their experience then taught them." Then by reason of that experience these words ought to have been readily received. For to this end He wrought beforehand that strange miracle, that taught by it they might no longer disbelieve what should be said by Him afterwards.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on John
The Jews, therefore, strove among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" They strove, and that among themselves, since they understood not, neither wished to take the bread of concord: "for they who eat such bread do not strive with one another; for we being many are one bread, one body." And by this bread, "God makes people of one sort to dwell in a house."
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Tractates on John
(Tr. xxvi. s. 14) The Jews not understanding what was the bread of peace, strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat? Whereas they who eat the bread strive not among themselves, for God makes them to dwell together in unity.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
The Jews thought that our Lord would divide His flesh into pieces, and give it them to eat: and so mistaking Him, strove.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
For it is not the flesh of man simply, but of God: and it makes man divine, by inebriating him, as it were, with divinity.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 52–59

The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purchased by the breaking his body, and the shedding of his blood. Also, because they are meat and drink to our souls. Eating this flesh and drinking this blood mean believing in Christ. We partake of Christ and his benefits by faith. The soul that rightly knows its state and wants, finds whatever can calm the conscience, and promote true holiness, in the redeemer, God manifest in the flesh. Meditating upon the cross of Christ gives life to our repentance, love, and gratitude. We live by him, as our bodies live by our food. We live by him, as the members by the head, the branches by the root: because he lives we shall live also.

Read Matthew Henry on John 6 →

Cross-references

9

Topics

BlindnessMurmuring

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.