What Does John 6:47 Mean in the King James?
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Trust in Jesus brings the life of the ages into present possession.
THE MEANING
Trust in Jesus means the life of the ages is already yours; the verse speaks of it as a present possession. Its doubled “Verily” makes that promise emphatic, while “believeth on me” describes trust directed toward a person.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that this life is only a future possession: the trusting one has it now.
THE ROOT
πιστεύων
pisteuōn
GROWS FROM
πειθ-
peith-
To persuade or bring to confidence; this word family carries the movement into trust.
“believeth” in this verse is pisteuōn. The Greek phrase is trust directed “into” Jesus: reliance placed in a person, not merely agreement with a statement. Its word family links trusting with both πίστις (pistis, trust) and πείθω (peithō, persuade).
ALSO GROWS
pistis: trust, reliance
πίστις
The noun names the trusting posture enacted here: dependence placed in the one trusted.
peithō: persuade, win confidence
πείθω
This branch shows trust as confidence formed and given, not a bare claim held in the mind.
αἰώνιον
aiōnion
GROWS FROM
αἰων-
aiōn-
An age or era, a span of time.
“everlasting” in this verse is aiōnion. The adjective grows from the word for an age, bringing the horizon of the ages into this promise. Joined to “hath,” it describes age-life as already possessed.
ALSO GROWS
aiōn: age, era
αἰών
The adjective in the verse carries this age-language into the description of life.
aiōnes: ages
αἰῶνες
The plural opens the phrase toward life belonging to the ages, beyond a single moment.
ζωήν
zōēn
GROWS FROM
ζω-
zō-
To live, to be alive.
This noun belongs to the family of words for living and living beings. Paired with “of the ages,” it names a quality of life already held, not merely a duration that lies ahead.
ALSO GROWS
zaō: live, be alive
ζάω
The verb makes the shared root concrete: the promise is life that is already lived.
zōon: living being, creature
ζῷον
This branch echoes life as livingness itself, giving “life” a more embodied sense than an abstract span.
THE PATTERN
Trust receives the life of the age as a present reality and way of living.
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.THE THREAD
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.This verse uses the same Greek trust word-family and the same present-tense claim: the trusting one “hath everlasting life.” Its parallel wording opens “believeth on me” as present reliance, with life already possessed.
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