For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
English Standard Version (ESV)
It’s easy to read this as just saying Jesus has authority. But notice the phrasing: "For not even the Father judges anyone..." This isn't about the Father abdicating his role; it's about the Son's divine commission. The Father entrusts all judgment to the Son as a necessary part of the Son's work to both give life and to reveal who truly belongs to God.
For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious. He's been explaining that his power to heal and give life comes directly from the Father, and that he only does what he sees the Father doing. This verse clarifies that the Father has fully entrusted the Son with the authority to judge, making the Son the ultimate arbiter of life and death, just as He is the source of life.
The Father judges no one? That sounds strange at first. How can the God of justice not judge?
This verse reveals a profound unity between the Father and the Son. When it says the Father judges no one, it doesn't mean judgment ceases. Instead, it highlights that the Father delegates this crucial role to the Son.
Divine Delegation
The Father, who is the ultimate source of all authority, has intentionally given all judgment to the Son. This isn't a sign of the Father's weakness or absence, but a clear demonstration of their shared purpose and divine strategy. It's a functional unity: the Father's will and justice are perfectly expressed through the Son's actions.
Correlated Powers
This delegation of judgment is directly linked to the Son's power to give life, mentioned just before. Both powers—to quicken (give life) and to judge—reside in the Son. Those He chooses to give life to are separated from those He does not. This 'judgment' is inherent in the act of bestowing life.
If the Father entrusts all judgment to the Son, what does that mean for how we approach both of them?
The reason the Father has committed all judgment to the Son is crucial: "that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father."
The Ultimate Purpose of Judgment
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This isn't just about assigning sentences; it's about establishing the rightful place of honor for the Son. By giving Him the authority to judge, the Father ensures that everyone will ultimately recognize and acknowledge the Son's divine status and authority.
Integrated Worship
To honor the Son is, therefore, inseparable from honoring the Father. Jesus states it plainly: "Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him." This means our worship and reverence for God are incomplete, even invalid, if they don't include the Son. He is the visible manifestation of the invisible Father.
Understand the original words
Patēr · Greek Noun
The first person of the Trinity, the source of all things, who reveals himself through His Son and is the object of worship and obedience.
krisis · Greek Noun
The act of evaluating, distinguishing, or rendering a verdict; in a theological sense, it refers to God's righteous assessment of human actions, motives, and hearts, leading to rewards or punishment.
Huios · Greek Noun
The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, who is eternally equal with the Father, the Agent of creation, and the Savior of the world.
This passage shows Abraham's understanding of God's righteous character as a judge, establishing the concept of divine judgment as a fundamental attribute of God that is now entrusted to the Son.
Psalm 96:13This psalm speaks of the Lord coming to judge the earth, a prophetic anticipation of the Son's role in universal judgment, highlighting that this authority is not arbitrary but rooted in righteousness.
Matthew 28:18Jesus declares that 'all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,' which directly correlates with the Father giving 'all judgment to the Son' in John 5:22, underscoring the Son's supreme authority.
Acts 10:42Peter testifies that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead, echoing the truth that all judgment has been committed to Him by the Father.
Romans 2:16Paul mentions that God will judge people's secrets 'through Christ Jesus,' reinforcing the idea that judgment, both now and in the future, is administered by the Son according to God's decree.
ellicottJohn 5:22: "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"
(22) For the Father judgeth no man. —Better, For not even doth the Father judge any man; and if not the Father, to whom judgment belongs, then none other but the Son to whom He hath committed all judgment. To judge (comp. John 5:29 ) is the opposite of to quicken in the previous verse. The fact that the Son hath power to judge is correlative with His power to quicken whom He will. The spiritual life given…
vincentJohn 5:22: "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"
For the Father (οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ)The A.V. misses the climax in οὐδὲ; not even the Father, who might be expected to be judge.Hath committed (δέδωκεν)Rev., given. The habitual word for the bestowment of the privileges and functions of the Son. See John 5:36; John 3:35; John 6:37, John 6:39; John 10:29, etc.All judgment (τὴν κρίσιν πᾶσαν)Literally, the judgment wholly.
It’s easy to read this as just saying Jesus has authority. But notice the phrasing: "For not even the Father judges anyone..." This isn't about the Father abdicating his role; it's about the Son's divine commission. The Father entrusts all judgment to the Son as a necessary part of the Son's work to both give life and to reveal who truly belongs to God.
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious. He's been explaining that his power to heal and give life comes directly from the Father, and that he only does what he sees the Father doing. This verse clarifies that the Father has fully entrusted the Son with the authority to judge, making the Son the ultimate arbiter of life and death, just as He is the source of life.
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious. He's been explaining that his power to heal and give life comes directly from the Father, and that he only does what he sees the Father doing. This verse clarifies that the Father has fully entrusted the Son with the authority to judge, making the Son the ultimate arbiter of life and death, just as He is the source of life.
"For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son," — It’s easy to read this as just saying Jesus has authority. But notice the phrasing: "For not even the Father judges anyone..." This isn't about the Father abdicating his role; it's about the Son'…
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Last reviewed October 2026