^2:19Jesus replied,⁴² “Destroy⁴³ this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” ^2:20Then the Jewish leaders⁴⁴ said to him, “This temple has been under construction⁴⁵ for forty-six years,⁴⁶ and are you going to raise it up in three days?” ^2:21But Jesus⁴⁷ was speaking about the temple of his body.⁴⁸

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John 2:19: Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Footnotes

42 Grk “answered and said to them.”
43 The imperative here is really more than a simple conditional imperative (= “if you destroy”); its semantic force here is more like the ironical imperative found in the prophets (Amos 4:4, Isa 8:9) = “Go ahead and do this and see what happens.”
44 See the note on this phrase in v. .
45 A close parallel to the aorist οἰκοδομήθη (oikodomēthē) can be found in Ezra 5:16 (), where it is clear from the following verb that the construction had not yet been completed. Thus the phrase has been translated “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years.” Some, however, see the term ναός (naos) here as referring only to the sanctuary and the aorist verb as consummative, so that the meaning would be “this temple was built forty-six years ago” (so ). Ultimately in context the logic of the authorities’ reply appears to fit more naturally if it compares length of time for original construction with length of time to reconstruct it.
46 According to Josephus ( 15.11.1 [15.380]), work on this temple was begun in the 18th year of Herod the Great’s reign, which would have been 19 b.c. (The reference in the is probably more accurate than the date given in 1.21.1 [1.401]). Forty-six years later would be around the Passover of a.d. 27/28.
47 Grk “that one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This Greek term is frequently used as a way of referring to Jesus in the Johannine letters (cf. 1 John 2:6; 3:3, 5, 7, 16; 4:17).
48 The genitive “of his body” (τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, tou sōmatos autou) is a genitive of apposition, clarifying which temple Jesus was referring to. Thus, Jesus not only was referring to his physical resurrection, but also to his participation in the resurrection process. The New Testament thus records the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as all performing the miracle of Christ’s resurrection. Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. For the author, the temple is not just the building, it is Jesus’ resurrected body. Compare the nonlocalized worship mentioned in John 4:21–23, and also Rev 21:22 (there is to be no temple in the New Jerusalem; the Lord and the Lamb are its temple). John points to the fact that, as the place where men go in order to meet God, the temple has been supplanted and replaced by Jesus himself, in whose resurrected person people may now encounter God (see John 1:18, 14:6).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.”

Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?”

But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

NLTNew Living Translation

“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

“What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up!” Then the Jews said, “This temple has been under construction forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

KJV 1900King James Version

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.

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