:"''actually eats''"—Greek '''τρώγων''' ''trogon''
:This word '''τρώγων''' ''trogon'' literally means, "eat, gnaw, munch, crunch" (the KJV "EATETH" keyed to [http://biblehub.com/greek/5176.htm Strong's number ''5176''. '''τρώγω''' ''trogo'']).
:The τρώγων ''trogon'' form of the word τρώγω ''trogo'' is found in the New Testament only in the Gospel of John 6:54-58, and 13:18 ("He who '''ate''' my bread..."). It has a literal, physical concrete meaning only, unlike the more common Greek word '''φαγεῖν''' ''phagein'' "eat" which has both a literal and figurative or metaphorical meaning . <br> See the blueletterbible.org definition of [https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=G5315 Strong's number G5315 '''φάγω''' ''phago'', to ''eat'', literally or figuratively (see blueletterbible.org)]; <br> compare the biblehub.com definition of [http://biblehub.com/greek/5315.htm Strong's number ''5315'' '''φάγω''' ''phago'', to ''eat, meat'', literally or figuratively](biblehub.com)].
:Biblical commentaries which unequivocally state that there is virtually no difference between the two words reveal that the writer is either incompetent and ignorant of Greek or is being dishonest. <br>There is no linguistic evidence that this word for ''eat, eats, eating, ate'', τρώγων, was used metaphorically as a figure of speech, but was simply only a ''literal'', physical concrete term for chewing and craunching or grinding teeth (somewhat noisily) while eating, as in eating bread or meat. <br>See again Strong's number ''5176'' '''τρώγω trogo''', its concrete physical meaning probably strengthened from a collateral form of the base of ''' trauma''' (wound) and ''' tribos''' (rut, worn track) through the idea of ''corrosion'' or ''wear''; or perhaps rather of a base of ''' trugon''' (dove, murmuring, cooing sound) and ''' trizo''' (to ''creak'' or ''squeak'') through the idea of a ''craunching'' sound; to ''gnaw'' or ''chew'', generally to simply ''eat''.<br>The ''New American Bible'' (1986) footnote to John 6:54-58 states that the verb τρώγων used in these verses is not the classical Greek verb used of human eating, but that of animal eating: "munch", "gnaw". And it says this may be part of John's emphasis on the reality of the flesh and blood of Jesus, but also says the same verb eventually became the ordinary verb in Greek meaning "eat". However, it does not say that it ever became a metaphorical term allowing a figurative meaning, such as delighting in the Lord's doctrinal teaching and "eating it up" and eagerly engaging in a long and involved deep study of the New Testament as "really sinking your teeth into it".
:Instead, the Jews and even some of Jesus' own disciples actually understood him as intentionally expressing the ''literal meaning'' of chewing his flesh with their teeth, in John 6:52, 60, in which they understood that he literally meant to eat him. This unequivocal statement of Jesus provoked a response of incredulity: "''How can this man give us his flesh to eat?''" and, "''This saying is hard; who can listen to it?''" (or "''who can accept it?''"). This is identical to the objection raised against the doctrine of the [[real presence]] by [[Berengar of Tours]], [[Ulrich Zwingli]] and others. Jesus responds to them by '''re-emphasizing''' what he said. He does not privately explain to his closest disciples, the apostles, that they and the others who had left him did not understand his meaning. He does not say that he was speaking parabolically, symbolically, spiritually. Instead, astonishingly, ''he only says to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"''