John 7:38

Just like the Scriptures teach, streams of water shall flow out from within those who believe in me, and that water will cause them to live eternally.”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

In Context

37On each of the seven days of the celebration, the high priest poured out some water on the altar in the Temple to remember how God provided water for the people in the desolate area long ago. But the water he poured did not help anyone who was thirsty. So on the last day of the festival, which was the most important day, Jesus stood up in the Temple courtyard and said with a loud voice, “Those who are thirsty should come to me to drink what I will give them.

39When Jesus said that, he was referring to God’s Spirit, whom those who believed in Jesus would receive later. Up to that time God had not sent the Spirit to live within believers, because Jesus had not yet died and returned to his glorious home in heaven, from where he would send the Spirit.

Read all of John 7

Cross References

Deuteronomy 18:15Some day he will send from among you a prophet like me. He is the one who will tell you what will happen in the future, and he is the one whom you must heed.

Proverbs 10:11What righteous people say [MTY] is like a fountain that ◄gives life/enables people to live many years► [MET], but what wicked people say [MTY] hides the fact that they intend to act violently.

Isaiah 12:3You(pl), his people, will greatly enjoy being saved like [MET] you enjoy drinking water from a fountain.

Isaiah 58:11I, Yahweh, will guide you continually, and I will give you good things to satisfy you. I will enable you to remain strong and healthy. You will be like [SIM] a garden that is well watered, like [SIM] a spring that never dries up.

Ezekiel 47:1Then, in the vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple. There I saw water flowing out from under the entrance, flowing toward the east. The water was flowing from under the south side of the entrance, south of the altar.

John 4:10Jesus replied to her, “If you (sg) knew what God wanted to give you, and if you knew who I am, the one who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked me, and I would have given you water that gives life.”

Matthew Henry on John 7:38-45

The Gospel Invitation. 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the… Read the whole commentary →

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