Verse of the Day
Author Spotlight
Loading featured author...
Report Issue
See a formatting issue or error?
Let us know →
Verse Takeaways
1
A Statement, Not a Command
While often read as a command, most commentators note that Jesus is likely making an observation: "You search the Scriptures..." He is not necessarily criticizing their diligence but highlighting the tragic irony that their intense study of the text was failing to lead them to its central subject.
See 3 Verse Takeaways
Book Overview
John
Author
Audience
Composition
Teaching Highlights
Outline
+ 5 more
See Overview
Commentaries
8
Albert Barnes
On John 5:39
18th Century
Theologian
Search the scriptures. The word translated search here means to search diligently or anxiously. It is applied t…
AT Robertson
On John 5:39
Ye search (εραυνατε). Proper spelling as the papyri show rather than ερευνατε, the old form (from ερευνα, search) as in 7:52. The …
Charles Ellicott
On John 5:39
19th Century
Bishop
Search the scriptures.—Better, You search the Scriptures. The question of whether the mood is imperative or indicative—wh…
Go Ad-Free
Go ad-free and create your own bookmark library
Charles Spurgeon
On John 5:32–40
19th Century
Preacher
They were great Bible-readers, great students of the letter, but they would not come to Christ; and therefore the Scriptures themselves became a to…
Expositor's Bible Commentary
On John 5:39
Jesus’ final witness is the Scriptures. After the destruction of the temple of Solomon in 586 B. C., the Jewish scholars of the Exile substituted t…
John Calvin
On John 5:39
16th Century
Theologian
Search the Scriptures. We have said that the statement which Christ previously made — that He has the Father as a witness in heaven — refe…
John Gill
On John 5:39
17th Century
Pastor
Search the Scriptures
The writings of Moses, and the prophets, which were of divine inspiration and authority, and a…
Matthew Henry
On John 5:39–44
17th Century
Minister
The Jews considered that eternal life was revealed to them in their Scriptures, and that they had it, because they had the word of God in their han…