John 12:24

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν, Ἐὰν μὴ ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου πεσὼν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀποθάνῃ, αὐτὸς μόνος μένει: ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ, πολὺν καρπὸν φέρει.

Transliteration

Amēn, amēn, legō to you, if not the kokkos of the sitos having pesōn into the gē should apothanē, itself alone menei; if but apothanē, much karpon it pherei.

Grammar Details

• *Amēn*: Hebrew term transliterated into Greek, used as affirmation - truly/verily
• *legō*: present active indicative, 1st person singular - I say/tell
• *kokkos*: nominative masculine singular - grain/kernel/seed
• *sitos*: genitive masculine singular - of wheat/grain
• *pesōn*: aorist active participle, nominative masculine singular - having fallen
• *gē*: accusative feminine singular - earth/ground/soil
• *apothanē*: aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular - might/should die
• *menei*: present active indicative, 3rd person singular - remains/abides
• *karpon*: accusative masculine singular - fruit/harvest/yield
• *pherei*: present active indicative, 3rd person singular - bears/produces/brings forth

Word Meanings

• *Amēn*: truly/verily/certainly
• *kokkos*: grain/kernel/seed
• *pesōn*: falling/dropping/descending
• *gē*: earth/ground/soil/land
• *apothanē*: die/perish
• *menei*: remains/abides/stays/continues
• *karpon*: fruit/produce/result/yield
• *pherei*: bears/produces/brings forth/yields

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Verely verely I saye vnto you except ye wheate corne fall into the grounde and dye it bydeth alone. Yf it dye it brengeth forth moche frute.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Verely verely I saye vnto you: Excepte the wheatcorne fall in to the grounde, and dye, it bydeth alone: But yf it dye, it bryngeth forth moch frute.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Verely, verely I say vnto you, Except the wheate corne fall into the grounde and die, it bideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth foorth much fruite.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Ueryly, veryly, I say vnto you, except the wheate corne fall into the grounde, and dye, it abideth alone: If it dye, it bryngeth foorth much fruite.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ‹Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.›

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Most assuredly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  verily, verily, I say to you, if the grain of the wheat, having fallen to the earth, may not die, itself remaineth alone; and if it may die, it doth bear much fruit;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Truly I say to you, If a seed of grain does not go into the earth and come to an end, it is still a seed and no more; but through its death it gives much fruit.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain.

Referenced Verses

• 1 Cor 15:36-38 : 36 Foolish one, what you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare seed—perhaps of wheat or something else. 38 But God gives it a body as He has determined, and to each kind of seed its own body.
• Heb 2:9-9 : 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him—for whom and through whom everything exists—to bring many sons to glory by making the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
• Ps 22:22-31 : 22 Save me from the mouth of the lion; from the horns of wild oxen, you have answered me. 23 I will declare your name to my brothers; in the assembly, I will praise you. 24 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 25 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, nor has he hidden his face from him; when he cried to him for help, he heard. 26 From you comes my praise in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him. 27 The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him. May your hearts live forever! 28 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before you, 29 for the kingdom belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 30 All the rich of the earth will feast and bow down; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves alive. 31 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
• Ps 72:16 : 16 May there be an abundance of grain in the land, flourishing on the tops of the mountains. May its fruit wave like Lebanon, and may people flourish in the cities like the grass of the earth.
• Isa 53:10-12 : 10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer. When you make his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After his suffering, he will see the result and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
• John 12:32-33 : 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself." 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.
• Rev 7:9-9 : 9 After this, I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These people dressed in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' 15 For this reason, they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will spread his shelter over them. 16 They will no longer hunger or thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
• Ps 22:15 : 15 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts within me.