Now the rabbis exclaimed angrily, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" They affected to understand His words in the same literal sense as did Nicodemus when he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old?" John 3:4. To some extent they comprehended the meaning of Jesus, but they were not willing to acknowledge it. By misconstruing His words, they hoped to prejudice the people against Him.

Nu sagde de skriftkloge vredt: "Hvordan kan han give os sit kød at spise?" De foregav at forstå hans ord på den samme bogstavelige måde som Nikodemus, da han spurgte: "Hvorledes kan et menneske fødes, når det er gammelt?" Joh. 3,4. Til en vis grad forstod de, hvad Jesus mente, men de var ikke villige til at erkende det. De håbede, at de ved at forvanske hans ord kunne skade ham i folkets øjne.