The Meaning of John 6:32 Explained

John 6:32

KJV: Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

YLT: Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread out of the heaven; but my Father doth give you the true bread out of the heaven;

Darby: Jesus therefore said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, It is not Moses that has given you the bread out of heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven.

ASV: Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  Jesus  said  unto them,  Verily,  verily,  I say  unto you,  Moses  gave  you  not  that bread  from  heaven;  but  my  Father  giveth  you  the true  bread  from  heaven. 

What does John 6:32 Mean?

Context Summary

John 6:30-40 - The Father's Will Jesus' Law Of Life
On the day following, our Lord had to encounter, first the demand of the people for a continuation of the miracle of the preceding night, John 6:25-40; second, the murmur of "the Jews," that is, their religious leaders, John 6:41-51; third, the growing heat of His opponents, John 6:52-59; and lastly, the failure of many of His disciples, John 6:60-71. But His mountain prayer had prepared Him, John 6:15.
The manna was only a type of His mission to meet the hunger of the human spirit for truth, and love, and hope. He is the true bread from heaven, God's best gift (of the reality of which all material substances are but emblems), not only satisfying passing hunger but imparting life, and only waiting to be appropriated by any that will. Let us come to Him, turning from all else. To come is to cease to hunger, to trust is to lose our thirst. Jesus suffices for heaven; shall he not suffice also for earth? Note the identical clauses of John 6:37. All whom the Father gives to Christ come to Him; and all who come to Him prove that they are included in the Father's gift, bestowed before the worlds were made. See John 10:28-29; John 17:6. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 6

1  Jesus feeds five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes
15  Thereupon the people would have made him king;
16  but withdrawing himself, he walks on the sea to his disciples;
26  reproves the people flocking after him, and all the fleshly hearers of his word;
32  declares himself to be the bread of life to believers
66  Many disciples depart from him
68  Peter confesses him
70  Judas is a devil

Greek Commentary for John 6:32

It was not Moses that gave you [ου Μωυσης εδωκεν υμιν]
“Not Moses gave you.” Blunt and pointed denial (aorist active indicative of διδωμι — didōmi) that Moses was the giver of the bread from heaven (the manna). Moses was not superior to Christ on this score. But my Father Not “our Father,” but same claim as in John 5:17. Which caused so much anger in Jerusalem. Gives Present active indicative, not aorist Continual process. The true bread out of heaven “The bread out of heaven” as the manna and more “the genuine bread” of which that was merely a type. On αλητινος — alēthinos see John 1:9; John 4:23. [source]
Moses gave you not [οὐ Μωσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν]
The antithesis is between Moses and my Father. So Rev., rightly, “it was not Moses that gave you,” etc. - “but my Father giveth,” etc. Some editors change the perfect tense, δέδωκεν , hath given, to the aorist, ἔδωκεν , gave. [source]
The true bread from heaven [τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦοὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν]
The translation would gain by following the Greek order, “the bread out of heaven, the real bread.” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 6:32

John 6:51 I will give []
The ἐγω , I, is emphatic, in contrast with Moses (John 6:32). [source]
John 6:58 This is the bread [ουτος εστιν ο αρτος]
Summary and final explanation of the true manna (from John 6:32 on) as being Jesus Christ himself. [source]
Revelation 3:7 The holy, he that is true [ο αγιοσ ο αλητινος]
Separate articles (four in all) for each item in this description. “The holy, the genuine.” Asyndeton in the Greek. Latin Vulgate, Sanctus et Verus. αγιος — Hosea hagios is ascribed to God in Revelation 4:8; Revelation 6:10 (both αλητινος — hagios and αλητινος — alēthinos as here), but to Christ in Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; John 6:69; Acts 4:27, Acts 4:30; 1 John 2:20, a recognized title of the Messiah as the consecrated one set apart. Swete notes that αλητης — alēthinos is verus as distinguished from verax So it is applied to God in Revelation 6:10 and to Christ in Revelation 3:14; Revelation 19:11 as in John 1:9; John 6:32; John 15:1.He that hath the key of David (και ουδεις κλεισει — ho echōn tēn klein Daueid). This epithet comes from Isaiah 22:22, where Eliakim as the chief steward of the royal household holds the keys of power. Christ as the Messiah (Revelation 5:5; Revelation 22:16) has exclusive power in heaven, on earth, and in Hades (Matthew 16:19; Matthew 28:18; Romans 14:9; Philemon 2:9.; Revelation 1:18). Christ has power to admit and exclude of his own will (Matthew 25:10.; Ephesians 1:22; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 22:16).And none shall shut Charles calls the structure Hebrew (future active indicative of ο ανοιγων — kleiō), and not Greek because it does not correspond to the present articular participle just before και ουδεις ανοιγει — ho anoigōn (the one opening), but it occurs often in this book as in the very next clause, “and none openeth” (κλειων — kai oudeis anoigei) over against κλειει — kleiōn (present active participle, opening) though here some MSS. read kleiei (present active indicative, open). [source]

What do the individual words in John 6:32 mean?

Said therefore to them - Jesus Truly I say to you not Moses has given you the bread from - heaven but the Father of Me gives - TRUE
Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς Ἰησοῦς Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν οὐ Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀλλ’ Πατήρ μου δίδωσιν τὸν ἀληθινόν

Εἶπεν  Said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
Ἀμὴν  Truly 
Parse: Hebrew Word
Root: ἀμήν  
Sense: firm.
λέγω  I  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
Μωϋσῆς  Moses 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Μωσεύς 
Sense: the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion.
δέδωκεν  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
ἄρτον  bread 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄρτος  
Sense: food composed of flour mixed with water and baked.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
οὐρανοῦ  heaven 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: οὐρανός  
Sense: the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it.
Πατήρ  Father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
μου  of  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
δίδωσιν  gives 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀληθινόν  TRUE 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀληθινός  
Sense: that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name, real, true genuine.