John 3:4

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Νικόδημος, Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν, καὶ γεννηθῆναι;

Transliteration

Legei pros auton ho Nikodēmos, How dunatai anthrōpos gennēthēnai gerōn ōn? not dunatai eis tēn koilian tēs mētros autou deuteron eiselthein, kai gennēthēnai?

Grammar Details

*Legei*: present, 3rd singular - says/tells
*pros*: preposition + accusative - to/toward
*auton*: personal pronoun, accusative, masculine - him
*Nikodēmos*: nominative, masculine, singular - Nicodemus
*dunatai*: present, middle/passive, 3rd singular - is able/can
*anthrōpos*: nominative, masculine, singular - man/person
*gennēthēnai*: aorist, passive, infinitive - to be born
*gerōn*: nominative, masculine, singular - old man/elderly
*ōn*: present participle, nominative, masculine, singular - being
*koilian*: accusative, feminine, singular - womb/belly
*mētros*: genitive, feminine, singular - of mother
*autou*: personal pronoun, genitive, masculine - his
*deuteron*: adverb - second time/again
*eiselthein*: aorist, infinitive - to enter/go in
*kai*: conjunction - and

Word Meanings

*gerōn*: old/aged/elderly
*koilian*: womb/belly/abdomen
*deuteron*: second time/again/for a second time

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

John 3:3 : 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot {G1410} see the kingdom of God.
John 4:11-12 : 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank {G1537} thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
1 Cor 2:14 : 14 Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he {G3756} cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.
John 6:53 : 53 Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except {G3361} ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves.
John 6:60 : 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when the heard [this], said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
1 Cor 1:18 : 18 For the word of the cross is to them that perish {G3303} foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

John 3:1-3
3 verses
91%
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
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3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot {G1410} see the kingdom of God.
John 3:5-14
10 verses
90%
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot {G1410} enter into the kingdom of God!
6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew.
8The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest {G1492} not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?
11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, [even] the Son of man, who is in heaven.
14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up;
John 7:50
76%
50Nicodemus saith unto them (he that came to him before, being one of them),
John 1:13
75%
13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1 Pet 1:23
71%
23having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth.
Matt 18:3
70%
3and said, Truly I say unto you, Except you turn, and become as little sons, you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
John 6:62
69%
62[ What] then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?
John 1:50-51
2 verses
69%
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51And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
John 3:26-27
2 verses
69%
26And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
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John 3:31
68%
31He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
Luke 18:17
68%
17Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter {G1519} therein.
John 9:34
67%
34They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
John 9:1-3
3 verses
67%
1And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth.
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Mark 10:15
67%
15Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.
John 8:23
67%
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John 4:13
67%
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Job 25:4
66%
4How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
John 10:1
66%
1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Matt 3:13
66%
13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
1 John 3:9
66%
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John 6:42
66%
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66%
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66%
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John 9:26
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John 8:41
66%
41Ye do the works of your father. {G3767} They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God.
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65%
21but how he now seeth, we know not; or who opened his eyes, we know not: ask him; he is of age; he shall speak for himself.
John 9:32
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32Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind.
John 21:18
65%
18Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
John 3:22
65%
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1 Cor 15:46
65%
46Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.
John 4:46
65%
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John 9:30
65%
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John 2:21
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21But he spake of the temple of his body.
John 9:10
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10They said therefore unto him, How then were thine eyes opened?
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