KJV: The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
YLT: The Jews, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us his flesh to eat?'
Darby: The Jews therefore contended among themselves, saying, How can he give us this flesh to eat?
ASV: The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
| Ἐμάχοντο | Were arguing |
|
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural Root: μάχομαι Sense: to fight. |
|
| ἀλλήλους | one another |
|
Parse: Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural Root: ἀλλήλων Sense: one another, reciprocally, mutually. |
|
| Ἰουδαῖοι | Jews |
|
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: Ἰουδαῖος Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race. |
|
| λέγοντες | saying |
|
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: λέγω Sense: to say, to speak. |
|
| Πῶς | How |
|
Parse: Adverb Root: πῶς Sense: how, in what way. |
|
| δύναται | is able |
|
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: δύναμαι Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom. |
|
| οὗτος | this [man] |
|
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: οὗτος Sense: this. |
|
| ἡμῖν | us |
|
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Plural Root: ἐγώ Sense: I, me, my. |
|
| δοῦναι | to give |
|
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active Root: διδῶ Sense: to give. |
|
| σάρκα | flesh |
|
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: σάρξ Sense: flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts. |
|
| ‹αὐτοῦ› | of Him |
|
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
|
| φαγεῖν | to eat |
|
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active Root: ἐσθίω Sense: to eat. |
|
Greek Commentary for John 6:52
Imperfect (inchoative) middle of μαχομαι machomai to fight in armed combat (Acts 7:26), then to wage a war of words as here and 2 Timothy 2:24. They were already murmuring (John 6:41), now they began bitter strife with one another over the last words of Jesus (John 6:43-51), some probably seeing a spiritual meaning in them. There was division of opinion about Jesus in Jerusalem also later (John 7:12, John 7:40; John 9:16; John 10:19). How can? The very idiom used by Nicodemus in John 3:4, John 3:9. Here scornful disbelief. This man Contemptuous use pictured in John 6:42. His flesh to eat As if we were cannibals! Some MSS. do not have αυτου autou but the meaning is clear. The mystical appropriation of Christ by the believer (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:17) they could not comprehend, though some apparently were against this literal interpretation of “flesh” (σαρχ sarx). [source]
The murmuring (John 6:41) now breaks out into open contention among the Jews themselves. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 6:52
Rev., more correctly, there arose. The word σχίσμα , division, from σχίζω , to cleave, describes a fact which continually recurs in John's narrative. See John 6:52, John 6:60, John 6:66; John 7:12, John 7:25sqq.; John 8:22; John 9:16, John 9:17; John 10:19, John 10:24, John 10:41; John 11:37sqq.; John 12:19, John 12:29, John 12:42; John 16:18, John 16:19. [source]
As in John 7:43 in the crowd (also in John 7:12, John 7:31), so now among the hostile Jews (Pharisees) some of whom had previously professed belief in him (John 8:31). The direct reference of παλιν palin (again) may be to John 9:16 when the Pharisees were divided over the problem of the blind man. Division of opinion about Jesus is a common thing in John‘s Gospel (John 6:52, John 6:60, John 6:66; John 7:12, John 7:25.; John 8:22; John 9:16.; John 10:19, John 10:24, John 10:41; John 11:41.; John 12:19, John 12:29, John 12:42; John 16:18.). [source]
Present active participle for continual or habitual eating like πιστευετε pisteuete in John 6:29. The verb τρωγω trōgō is an old one for eating fruit or vegetables and the feeding of animals. In the N.T. it occurs only in John 6:54, John 6:56, John 6:58; John 13:18; Matthew 24:38. Elsewhere in the Gospels always εστιω esthiō or επαγον ephagon (defective verb with εστιω esthiō). No distinction is made here between επαγον ephagon (John 6:48, John 6:50, John 6:52, John 6:53, John 6:58) and τρωγω trōgō (John 6:54, John 6:56, John 6:57, John 6:58). Some men understand Jesus here to be speaking of the Lord‘s Supper by prophetic forecast or rather they think that John has put into the mouth of Jesus the sacramental conception of Christianity by making participation in the bread and wine the means of securing eternal life. To me that is a violent misinterpretation of the Gospel and an utter misrepresentation of Christ. It is a grossly literal interpretation of the mystical symbolism of the language of Jesus which these Jews also misunderstood. Christ uses bold imagery to picture spiritual appropriation of himself who is to give his life-blood for the life of the world (John 6:51). It would have been hopeless confusion for these Jews if Jesus had used the symbolism of the Lord‘s Supper. It would be real dishonesty for John to use this discourse as a propaganda for sacramentalism. The language of Jesus can only have a spiritual meaning as he unfolds himself as the true manna. [source]