John 3:7

 John 3:7

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

a. ASV: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: 'Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above;  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above). [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NASB: Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ [New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.]

e. Peshitta Eastern Text:  Do not be surprised because I have told you that you all must be born again. [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

f. ESV: Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

NLT: [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

a. Marvel [Strong: 2296 thaumázō, thou-mad'-zo; from G2295; to wonder; by implication, to admire:—admire, have in admiration, marvel, wonder.]

b. not [Strong: 3361 mḗ, may; a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas G3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:—any but (that), × forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without.]

c. that [Strong: 3754 hóti, hot'-ee; neuter of G3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:—as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.]

d. [I] said [Strong: 2036 épō, ep'-o; a primary verb (used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from G2046, G4483, and G5346); to speak or say (by word or writing):—answer, bid, bring word, call, command, grant, say (on), speak, tell.]

e. [unto] thee [Strong: 4671 soí, soy; dative case of G4771; to thee:—thee, thine own, thou, thy.]

f. Ye [Strong: 5209 humas, hoo-mas'; accusative case of G5210; you (as the objective of a verb or preposition):—ye, you (+ -ward), your (+ own).]

g. must [Strong: 1163 deî, die; 3rd person singular active present of G1210; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is (was, etc.) necessary (as binding):—behoved, be meet, must (needs), (be) need(-ful), ought, should.]

h. [be] born [Strong: 1080 gennáō, ghen-nah'-o; from a variation of G1085; to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate:—bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.]

i. again [Strong: 509 ánōthen, an'-o-then; from G507; from above; by analogy, from the first; by implication, anew:—from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top.]

1). ICR Days of Praise 5/10/2024: The term “born again” has come into such common use in recent years, even in political campaigns, that its tremendous meaning has been all but lost. But Jesus—who ought to know, being none other than God incarnate—said, “Ye must be born again”! Furthermore, He said it to Nicodemus, one of the most religiously knowledgeable people of that day. He did not say to Nicodemus that “they must be born again,” meaning the unbelieving multitudes who were not as instructed in the things of God as they should be. Nor did He say that “we must be born again,” meaning all of us mortals including Himself. Rather, Jesus said, “Ye must be born again”! Even a man like Nicodemus must be born spiritually—born again (literally, “born from above”)—if he were ever to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). In answer to his question as to how this could be, Jesus said he must be born of the Spirit, supernaturally. But Nicodemus—as well as each of us—was born a sinner and was still a sinner, even failing to recognize Christ as Son of man and Son of God. How could he be born again? The answer is in a second imperative: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). If “ye must be born again,” then “even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” Christ must die for our sins before it can ever be possible that a lost sinner be born again. Since Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross to die for us, our burden of sin has also been lifted up and placed on Him. If we would enter God’s kingdom, we must be born again through faith in Him! There is no other way! HMM

2). Jesus here is giving the difference between being born of the flesh and born of the spirit. When Paul was writing his first epistle to the Corinthians about the resurrection, he mentioned not only the same difference but also its order.

a). 1 Corinthians 15:46-48 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

b). Hence when men and women are born it is of the flesh and when men and women get born again it is of the Spirit.