What Does John 2:23 Mean?
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many leaned their weight into his nature, as they watched the signs he did.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.THE KEY
The verb rendered “believed” here is rendered “commit himself” one verse later, so the passage measures trust by what is entrusted, not merely by what is seen.
THE MEANING
You can see what Jesus does and begin to lean your weight toward the nature revealed in him. Yet recognition can begin with a visible sign without reaching the depth of trust; the next line holds the crowd’s believing beside Jesus’ refusal to entrust himself to them. The verse lets both things be true at once.
THE ROOT
ἐπίστευσαν
episteusan
GROWS FROM
πείθ-
peith-
To persuade or win over; the trust that comes from being persuaded.
“believed” in this verse is episteusan. This verb belongs to the same trust-family as the word translated “commit himself” in the next verse. English uses two different expressions, while Greek makes the asymmetry visible: the crowd trusts him after seeing a sign, but he does not entrust himself to them.
ALSO GROWS
pistis: Trust, confidence; leaning your full weight on.
πίστις
The related noun names the trust the crowd places in Jesus when they see his works.
pistos: Firm, steady; trustworthy.
πιστός
This branch shows trust as steadiness, adding depth to a belief that begins with what the eyes can see.
THE PATTERN
Visible works can prompt trust, while the biblical witness also describes trust continuing when sight is absent.
And Israel saw the great hand that the LORD did upon the Egyptians, and the people stood in awe of the LORD, and they leaned their weight on the LORD and on his servant Moses.Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have perceived me, you have leaned your full weight. Flourishing are those who have not perceived, and yet have leaned their weight.For we walk by trust, not by sight.THE THREAD
But Jesus did not lean his weight on them, because he knew everyone.The verb translated “believed” here is the same trust-verb translated “commit himself” there. The crowd leans toward Jesus after seeing his signs, while Jesus does not entrust himself to them because he knows them.
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