^6:60Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things,⁹⁹ said, “This is a difficult¹⁰⁰ saying!¹⁰¹ Who can understand it?”¹⁰²^6:61When Jesus was aware¹⁰³ that his disciples were complaining¹⁰⁴ about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended?¹⁰⁵^6:62Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?¹⁰⁶^6:63The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help!¹⁰⁷ The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.¹⁰⁸^6:64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)¹⁰⁹^6:65So Jesus added,¹¹⁰ “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.”¹¹¹

Peter’s Confession

^6:66After this many of his disciples quit following him¹¹² and did not accompany him¹¹³ any longer.

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Footnotes

99 The words “these things” are not present in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the English reader.
100 Or “hard,” “demanding.”
101 Or “teaching”; Grk “word.”
102 Or “obey it”; Grk “hear it.” The Greek word ἀκούω (akouō) could imply hearing with obedience here, in the sense of “obey.” It could also point to the acceptance of what Jesus had just said, (i.e., “who can accept what he said?” However, since the context contains several replies by those in the crowd of hearers that suggest uncertainty or confusion over the meaning of what Jesus had said (6:42; 6:52), the meaning “understand” is preferred here.
103 Grk “When Jesus knew within himself.”
104 Or “were grumbling.”
105 Or “Does this cause you to no longer believe?” (Grk “cause you to stumble?”) Does this cause you to be offended? It became apparent to some of Jesus’ followers at this point that there would be a cost involved in following him. They had taken offense at some of Jesus’ teaching (perhaps the graphic imagery of “eating his flesh” and “drinking his blood,” and Jesus now warned them that if they thought this was a problem, there was an even worse cause for stumbling in store: his upcoming crucifixion (John 6:61b–62). Jesus asked, in effect, “Has what I just taught caused you to stumble? What will you do, then, if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?” This ascent is to be accomplished through the cross; for John, Jesus’ departure from this world and his return to the Father form one continual movement from cross to resurrection to ascension.
106 Or “he was formerly?”
107 Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”
108 Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”
109 This is a parenthetical comment by the author.
110 Grk “And he said”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
111 Grk “unless it has been permitted to him by the Father.”
112 Grk “many of his disciples went back to what lay behind.”
113 Grk “were not walking with him.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”

Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and the one who would betray him.) He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the Father.”

From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him.

NLTNew Living Translation

Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Thus many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This saying is hard! Who can understand it?” But Jesus, because he knew within himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? The Spirit is the one who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “Because of this I said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.”

For this reason many of his disciples drew back and were not walking with him any longer.

KJV 1900King James Version

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

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