7:11 “But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear.
5:11 On this topic we have much to say 17 and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish 18 in hearing.
1 tn Grk “you cannot hear,” but this is not a reference to deafness, but rather hearing in the sense of listening to something and responding to it.
2 tn Grk “my word.”
3 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
4 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).
5 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
6 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
7 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
8 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
9 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
10 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
11 sn They covered their ears to avoid hearing what they considered to be blasphemy.
12 tn Grk “said.”
13 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
14 tn Or “had heard.”
15 tn Or “word.”
16 tn In the historical setting it is likely that only men are referred to here. The Greek term ἀνήρ (anhr) usually refers to males or husbands rather than people in general. Thus to translate “of the people” would give a false impression of the number, since any women and children were apparently not included in the count.
17 tn Grk “concerning which the message for us is great.”
18 tn Or “dull.”