John 8:38

8:38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the ¹  Father; ²  as for you, ³  practice the things you have heard from the ⁴  Father!”

John 8:44

8:44 You people ⁵  are from ⁶  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ⁷  He ⁸  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ⁹  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ¹⁰  he speaks according to his own nature, ¹¹  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ¹² 

¹ tc The first person pronoun μου (mou, “my”) may be implied, especially if ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) follows the second mention of “father” in this verse (as it does in the majority of mss); no doubt this implication gave rise to the reading μου found in most witnesses (א D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï it sy). No pronoun here is read by Ì^66,75 B C L 070 pc. This problem cannot be isolated from the second in the verse, however. See that discussion below.

² tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”

³ tn Grk “and you.”

⁴ tc A few significant witnesses lack ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here (Ì^66,75 B L W 070 pc), while the majority have the pronoun (א C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 565 892 Ï al lat sy). However, these mss do not agree on the placement of the pronoun: τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ποιεῖτε (tou patro" Jumwn poieite), τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν (tw patri Jumwn), and τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ταῦτα (tw patri Jumwn tauta) all occur. If the pronoun is read, then the devil is in view and the text should be translated as “you are practicing the things you have heard from your father.” If it is not read, then the same Father mentioned in the first part of the verse is in view. In this case, ποιεῖτε should be taken as an imperative: “you [must] practice the things you have heard from the Father.” The omission is decidedly the harder reading, both because the contrast between God and the devil is now delayed until v. 41, and because ποιεῖτε could be read as an indicative, especially since the two clauses are joined by καί (kai, “and”). Thus, the pronoun looks to be a motivated reading. In light of the better external and internal evidence the omission is preferred.

⁵ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.

⁶ tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), but the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil’s very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).

⁷ tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”

⁸ tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).

⁹ tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).

¹⁰ tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”

¹¹ tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”

¹² tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”