John 3:10

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

John 3:10 in Other Translations

10 Jesus answered and said unto him,Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?

10 Jesus said, "You're a respected teacher of Israel and you don't know these basics?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?

10 Jesus told Nicodemus, "You're a well-known teacher of Israel. Can't you understand this?

10 "Are you a teacher of Israel and don't know these things?" Jesus replied.

10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus. "Don't you understand these things?

John 3:10 Meaning and Commentary

John 3:10

Jesus answered and said unto him
Upbraiding him with his continued and invincible ignorance, which was aggravated by his dignified character:

art thou a master in Israel?
or "of Israel", as all the Oriental versions render it, as it literally may be rendered he was one of the (larvy ymkx) , "wise men", or "doctors of Israel" ^F18, so often mentioned by the Jews. One of the Jewish doctors was answered, by a boy, just in such language as is here used; who, not understanding the direction he gave him about the way into the city, said to him, (larvy lv Mkx awh hta) , "art thou he, a doctor", or "master of Israel?" did not I say to thee so? &c. ^F19. He was not a common teacher; not a teacher of babes, nor a teacher in their synagogues, or in their "Midrashim", or divinity schools, but in their great sanhedrim; and the article before the word used will admit it to be rendered, "that master", doctor, or teacher; that famous, and most excellent one, who was talked of all over Jerusalem and Judea, as a surpassing one: and now, though he was not only an Israelite, with whom were the laws, statutes, judgments, and oracles of God, the writings of Moses, and the prophets; but a teacher of Israelites, and in the highest class of teachers, and of the greatest fame among them, yet was he ignorant of the first and most important things in religion:

and knowest not these things?
which were so plainly to be suggested in the sacred writings, with which he was; or ought to have been conversant: for the same things Christ had been speaking of, are there expressed by a circumcision of the heart; by a birth, a nation's being born at once; by sanctification; by the grace of God signified under the metaphor of water; and by quickening persons, comparable to dry bones, through the wind blowing, and breathing into them, ( Deuteronomy 30:6 ) ( Isaiah 49:21 ) ( 66:8 ) ( Ezekiel 36:25 ) ( Ezekiel 37:9 Ezekiel 37:10 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Derech Eretz, fol. 18. 1.
F19 Echa Rabbati, fol. 44. 4.

John 3:10 In-Context

8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

Cross References

• 1. Luke 2:46