He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe.
Parallel Translations
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He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe.
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And he that sawe it bare recorde and his recorde is true. And he knoweth that he sayth true that ye myght beleve also.
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And he that sawe it, bare recorde, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might beleeue it.
Cross-references (14)
Passages linked to John 19:35 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- John 21:24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.
- John 15:27 You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
- Hebrews 2:3-4 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation—which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?
- 1 John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
- John 20:31 but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
- Acts 10:39 We are witnesses of everything he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they also killed, hanging him on a tree.
- Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
- 1 Peter 5:1 Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed.
- John 11:15 I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”
- John 11:42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude standing around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
- John 14:29 Now I have told you before it happens so that when it happens, you may believe.
- John 17:20-21 Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.
- John 19:26 Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
- 1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 35 And he that saw it bare record, and…
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
Ver. 35. And he that saw it, &c.] Nothing so sure as sight. One eyewitness is more than ten ear-witnesses. {a} It is probable that the apostles that were so conversant with our Saviour had their dairies, wherein they recorded his daily oracles, and other occurrences, and out of which they compiled the Gospels.
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His record is true] The gospel is called the testimony, Isa 8:20, because it beareth witness to itself. The law is called light ( lex, lux), because by itself it is seen to be of God, as the sun is seen by its own light.
{a} Plus valet oculatus testis unus quam auriti decem. Ex quibus postea Historia Evangelica est contexta. Scult. Annal.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Nor was this a fable, for John saw it,…
Nor was this a fable, for John saw it, and bare record, and knew it to be true; and published it, that men might believe that it was him in whom all the legal types and figures had their completion.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he that saw it, bare record,.... Meaning himself,…
And he that saw it, bare record,.... Meaning himself, John the evangelist, the writer of this Gospel, who, in his great modesty, frequently conceals himself, under one circumlocution or another; he was an eyewitness of this fact, not only of the piercing of his side with a spear, but of the blood and water flowing out of it; which he saw with his eyes, and bore record of to others, and by this writing; and was ready to attest it in any form it should be desired:
and his record is true; though it is not mentioned by any of the other evangelists, none of them but himself being present at that time:
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and he knoweth that he saith true; meaning either God or Christ, who knew all things; and so it is a sort of appeal to God or Christ, for the truth of what he affirmed, as some think; or rather himself, who was fully assured that he was under no deception, and was far from telling an untruth; having seen the thing done with his eyes, and being led into the mystery of it by the Divine Spirit; see Jo1 5:6 wherefore he could, and did declare it with the strongest asseverations:
that ye might believe; the truth of the fact, and in Christ, both for the expiation of the guilt of sin, and cleansing from the filth of it; both for sanctifying and justifying grace, which the water and the blood were an emblem of.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain His testimony is true - Valid, unexceptionable. And he…
His testimony is true - Valid, unexceptionable. And he knoweth - And his conscience beareth him witness, that he testifieth this for no other end, than that ye may believe.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 35. He that saw it] Most probably John…
Verse 35. He that saw it] Most probably John himself, who must have been pretty near the cross to have been able to distinguish between the blood and the water, as they issued from the side of our blessed Lord.
And he knoweth] This appears to be an appeal to the Lord Jesus, for the truth of the testimony which he had now delivered. But why such a solemn appeal, unless there was something miraculous in this matter? It might appear to him necessary:
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1. Because the other evangelists had not noticed it.
2. Because it contained the most decisive proof of the death of Christ: as a wound such as this was could not have been inflicted, (though other causes had been wanting,) without occasioning the death of the person; and on his dying for men depended the salvation of the world. And,
3. Because two important prophecies were fulfilled by this very circumstance, both of which designated more particularly the person of the Messiah. A bone of him shall not be broken, Ex 12:46; Nu 9:12; Ps 34:20. They shall look upon him whom they pierced, Zec 12:10; Ps 22:16.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain He that saw it - John himself. He is…
He that saw it - John himself. He is accustomed to speak of himself in the third person.
His record is true - His testimony is true. Such was the known character of this writer, such his sacred regard for truth, that he could appeal to that with full assurance that all would put confidence in him. He often appeals thus to the fact that his testimony was known to be true. It would be well if all Christians had such a character that their word would be assuredly believed.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain And he that saw it bare record--hath borne witness.
And he that saw it bare record--hath borne witness.
and his witness is true, and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe--This solemn way of referring to his own testimony in this matter has no reference to what he says in his Epistle about Christ's "coming by water and blood" (see on Jo1 5:6), but is intended to call attention both to the fulfilment of Scripture in these particulars, and to the undeniable evidence he was thus furnishing of the reality of Christ's death, and consequently of His resurrection; perhaps also to meet the growing tendency, in the Asiatic churches, to deny the reality of our Lord's body, or that "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (Jo1 4:1-3).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 35. He that saw—The apostle, speaking of himself in…
35. He that saw—The apostle, speaking of himself in the third person, and solemnly asseverating his own truth and accuracy. But what is the point which the Evangelist here designs so strongly to attest? Plainly the double fact by which the predictions in Joh_19:36-37 are fulfilled: namely, the fact that no bone was broken, but that the side was pierced.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 35. And he … is true] Rather, He that…
35. And he … is true] Rather, He that hath seen hath borne witness and his witness is true (comp. Joh_1:19; Joh_1:32; Joh_1:34, Joh_8:13-14, Joh_12:17). Besides the change from ‘record’ to witness, for the sake of marking by uniform translation S. John’s fondness for this verb and substantive, the correction from ‘saw’ to hath seen must be noted. The use of the perfect rather than the aorist is evidence that the writer himself is the person who saw. If he were appealing to the witness of another person he would almost certainly have written, as the A. V., ‘he that saw.’ The inference that the author is the person who saw becomes still more clear if we omit the centre of the verse, which is somewhat parenthetical: ‘He that hath seen hath borne witness, in order that ye all also may believe.’ The natural sense of this statement is that the narrator is appealing to his own experience. Thus the Apostolic authorship of the Gospel is again confirmed. (See Westcott, Introduction, p. xxvii.)
is true] Not simply truthful, but genuine, perfect: it fulfils the conditions of sufficient evidence. (See on Joh_1:9 and comp. Joh_8:16, Joh_7:28)
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saith true] Better, saith things that are true. There is no tautology, as in the A. V. S. John first says that his evidence is adequate; he then adds that the contents of it are true. Testimony may be sufficient (e.g. of a competent eyewitness) but false: or it may be insufficient (e.g. of half-witted child) but true. S. John declares that his testimony is both sufficient and true; both alêthinos and alêthês.
that ye might] Better, that ye also may; ye as well as the witness who saw for himself.
Why does S. John attest thus earnestly the trustworthiness of his narrative at this particular point? Four reasons may be assigned. This incident proved (1) the reality of Christ’s humanity against Docetic views; and these verses therefore are conclusive evidence against the theory that the Fourth Gospel is the work of a Docetic Gnostic (see on Joh_4:22): (2) the reality of Christ’s Divinity, against Ebionite views; while His human form was no mere phantom, but flesh and blood, yet He was not therefore a mere man, but the Son of God: (3) the reality of Christ’s death, and therefore of His Resurrection, against Jewish insinuations of trickery (comp. Mat_28:13-15): (4) the clear and unexpected fulfilment of two Messianic prophecies.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (35) And he that saw it bare record, and…
(35) And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true.—Comp. Joh_1:7. It may be better to render the word here, as elsewhere, by “witness,” in order that we may get the full force of its frequent recurrence. The writer speaks of himself in the third person (comp. Introduction, p. 375), laying stress upon the specially important fact that it was an eye-witness—“he that saw it”—who testified to the fact, and one who therefore knew it to be true. The word rendered “true” in this clause is the emphatic word for “ideally true,” which is familiar to the readers of this Gospel. (Comp. Note on Joh_1:9.) It answers to the idea of what evidence should be, because it is the evidence of one who himself saw what he witnesses.
And he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.—The witness was ideally true, and therefore the things witnessed were actually true. He cannot doubt this, and he testifies it in order that others may find in these truths ground for, and the confirmation of, their faith.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain He that hath seen hath borne, and is now…
He that hath seen hath borne, and is now bearing, herein and hereby, witness, and his witness is veritable the highest and surest kind of witness, that of direct observation, staggering, confounding the ordinary sense, but proving that the Son of God died in his human bodyand he knoweth, by his own inward experience, that he saith true things, that ye also may believe. A vehement effort has been made to sever this testimony from the evangelist, and refer it to a third person ekeinov , and suppose that it took place during John"s absence from the cross (so Weisse, Schweizer, Hilgenfeld, and others); but, as Meyer, Godet, etc., affirm there is no necessity whatever for such an interpretation. Ekeinov is used of the subject of the sentence when it is clear from the context that the speaker himself is that subject. (see Joh_9:37) Concerning a third person, the writer could not have written, "He knoweth that he saith true things, that ye may believe," but rather, "We know that he saith true things, that we may believe." But John here speaks strongly of his own invincible conviction, and, as in Joh_21:24, it is here given to induce a stronger faith on the part of his readers not of himself and his readers in the supernatural death, in the signs that accompanied it, adapted to convince the bystanders of its marvel, and to fill up the prophetic picture, Hilgenfeld, with strange perversity, urges that the clever forger of the narrative "falls out of his part" and forgets himself (see Luthardt on "Authorship of the Fourth Gospel," p. 180). The symbolical and allegorical explanations are numerous. E.g. Toplady"s well-known hymn, "Rock of Ages," contains the words"Let the water and the blood, From thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and power.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain And he that saw it bare record, and his…
Joh_19:35
And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true
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The Gospel witness
I.
THE SIGHT--the whole crucifixion, but especially what constituted its essence as an evangelical fact, viz., the issue of blood and water, an emphatic testimony to the Redeemers death. This is one of the most important texts of the Bible. If no one saw Christ die, how can we be sure that He did die; and unless we are sure of His death we are left in uncertainty as to His atonement and resurrection, and consequently as to our salvation and futurity. John saw a sight
1. Most wonderful. Great is the mystery of godliness all through--nowhere more than here. That God should become incarnate is inexplicable, no less so that being incarnate He should die. Learn here
(1) The limits of human reason.
(2) The very manhood of Christ.
2. Most painful--to all whose feelings are not utterly brutalized. The death-bed of an ordinary friend, or even a stranger, under the best circumstances, is sufficiently painful; but what must such a man as John have felt as he saw such a Friend nailed to the cruel tree? Learn here
(1) The inhumanity of man.
(2) The feelings with which we should contemplate Christ crucified.
3. Most beneficent. Such a mysterious scene enacted, and such dreadful sufferings endured voluntarily, must have been for some adequate purpose. Martyrdom for truth falls far short of it. The only adequate motive is Joh_3:16; 1Jn_2:2. God incarnate was crucified to save a world.
II. THE TRUE RECORD.
1. Such an event actually took place.
(1) John could not have been mistaken; if the senses were deceptive here, when all was so striking, then they are trustworthy nowhere.
(2) John was not a madman--his Gospel and Epistles are a sufficient proof of that.
(3) John was not a deceiver; he suffered the loss of all things, and imperilled his life for the sheer sake of recording what he saw.
2. What took place John was bound to record.
(1) Not simply as an important historical fact, although he had responsibilities here.
(2) But as a display of Divine mercy, and the sole means of human salvation. Woe is me, he might have said, if I write not the gospel.
3. This record he knew to be true. Because
(1) He saw what he recorded.
(2) He knew that he was a truthful man.
(3) Reading what he had written he was sure that it was in accordance with the whole of the facts. Nothing essential was omitted; nothing false or superfluous was included.
III. THE EVANGELICAL PURPOSE.
1. Not personal display. John was a deep thinker and a graphic writer; but it was the furthest from his intention to pose as a philosopher, or to excite admiration as a rhetorician.
2. Not to excite emotion. How different the narrative from the scenic and heart-harrowing descriptions in books of devotion and pulpit declamations.
3. But to create belief. Hence the record is clear, earnest, tender, and full of subtle spiritual influence.
Learn the qualifications of a true Gospel witness.
1. He must have actually seen what he endeavours to describe. Theory and hearsay are worthless here. There must be clear, positive experience of Christ crucified.
2. Fidelity. He must confine himself to what he has seen--not his fancies or speculations, but what he knows of Christs love and salvation.
3. A sense of responsibility. He has a medicine that has cured him, and can cure every one. He is wicked therefore to keep it to himself.
4. A sincere and self-abnegating motive--not to court admirers but to win believers. (J. W. Burn.)
The evidences of truth
The truth we receive from another may either derive its authority from the teacher, or reflect on him the authority it contains. As the receiver of money may argue, either that money is good because it is an honest man who pays it, or that the man is honest because he pays good money, so in the communication of truth, it may be a valid inference, either that the doctrine is true because it is a trustworthy man who teaches it, or that the man who teaches it is a veracious and trustworthy because his doctrine is true. (J. Caird, D. D.)
Testimony dependent on the character of the witness
Dr. Weyland was once lecturing on the weight of evidence furnished by human testimony, and was illustrating its sufficiency for establishing the truth of miracles. But, said one of his students, what would you say, doctor, if I stated that as I was coming up College Street, I saw the lamp-post at the corner dance? I should ask you where you had been, my son, was the quiet reply.
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 19:35 John was at the foot of the cross…
19:35 John was at the foot of the cross (19:26). He was not simply a collector of traditions about Jesus, but an eyewitness giving an accurate account of the events of Jesus’ life (cp. 21:24). This same confidence can be seen in the opening of John’s first letter (1 Jn 1:1-4).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.