John 2:1

Turning Water into Wine

2:1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana ¹  in Galilee. ²  Jesus’ mother ³  was there,

John 6:1--8:59

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

6:1 After this ⁴  Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). ⁵  6:2 A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick. 6:3 So Jesus went on up the mountainside ⁶  and sat down there with his disciples. 6:4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover ⁷  was near.) ⁸  6:5 Then Jesus, when he looked up ⁹  and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?” 6:6 (Now Jesus ¹⁰  said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) ¹¹  6:7 Philip replied, ¹²  “Two hundred silver coins worth ¹³  of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.” 6:8 One of Jesus’ disciples, ¹⁴  Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 6:9 “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good ¹⁵  are these for so many people?”

6:10 Jesus said, “Have ¹⁶  the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) ¹⁷  So the men ¹⁸  sat down, about five thousand in number. 6:11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, ¹⁹  as much as they wanted. 6:12 When they were all satisfied, Jesus ²⁰  said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.” 6:13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves ²¹  left over by the people who had eaten.

6:14 Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus ²²  performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet ²³  who is to come into the world.” ²⁴  6:15 Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone. ²⁵ 

Walking on Water

6:16 Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ²⁶  6:17 got into a boat, and started to cross the lake ²⁷  to Capernaum. ²⁸  (It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.) ²⁹  6:18 By now a strong wind was blowing and the sea was getting rough. 6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, ³⁰  they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, ³¹  approaching the boat, and they were frightened. 6:20 But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” 6:21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat came to the land where they had been heading.

6:22 The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake ³²  realized that only one small boat ³³  had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded ³⁴  it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 6:23 But some boats from Tiberias ³⁵  came to shore ³⁶  near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ³⁷  6:24 So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats ³⁸  and came to Capernaum ³⁹  looking for Jesus.

Jesus’ Discourse About the Bread of Life

6:25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, ⁴⁰  they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” ⁴¹  6:26 Jesus replied, ⁴²  “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴³  you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. ⁴⁴  6:27 Do not work for the food that disappears, ⁴⁵  but for the food that remains to eternal life – the food ⁴⁶  which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.” ⁴⁷ 

6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds ⁴⁸  God requires?” ⁴⁹  6:29 Jesus replied, ⁵⁰  “This is the deed ⁵¹  God requires ⁵²  – to believe in the one whom he ⁵³  sent.” 6:30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 6:31 Our ancestors ⁵⁴  ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ⁵⁵ 

6:32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁵⁶  it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 6:33 For the bread of God is the one who ⁵⁷  comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 6:34 So they said to him, “Sir, ⁵⁸  give us this bread all the time!”

6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. ⁵⁹  6:36 But I told you ⁶⁰  that you have seen me ⁶¹  and still do not believe. 6:37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. ⁶²  6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 6:39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up ⁶³  at the last day. 6:40 For this is the will of my Father – for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up ⁶⁴  at the last day.” ⁶⁵ 

6:41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ⁶⁶  began complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 6:42 and they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 6:43 Jesus replied, ⁶⁷  “Do not complain about me to one another. ⁶⁸  6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, ⁶⁹  and I will raise him up at the last day. 6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ ⁷⁰  Everyone who hears and learns from the Father ⁷¹  comes to me. 6:46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God – he ⁷²  has seen the Father.) ⁷³  6:47 I tell you the solemn truth, ⁷⁴  the one who believes ⁷⁵  has eternal life. ⁷⁶  6:48 I am the bread of life. ⁷⁷  6:49 Your ancestors ⁷⁸  ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 6:50 This ⁷⁹  is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person ⁸⁰  may eat from it and not die. 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread ⁸¹  that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ⁸²  began to argue with one another, ⁸³  “How can this man ⁸⁴  give us his flesh to eat?” 6:53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁸⁵  unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, ⁸⁶  you have no life ⁸⁷  in yourselves. 6:54 The one who eats ⁸⁸  my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁸⁹  6:55 For my flesh is true ⁹⁰  food, and my blood is true ⁹¹  drink. 6:56 The one who eats ⁹²  my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. ⁹³  6:57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes ⁹⁴  me will live because of me. 6:58 This ⁹⁵  is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ⁹⁶  ate, but then later died. ⁹⁷  The one who eats ⁹⁸  this bread will live forever.”

Many Followers Depart

6:59 Jesus ⁹⁹  said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue ¹⁰⁰  in Capernaum. ¹⁰¹  6:60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, ¹⁰²  said, “This is a difficult ¹⁰³  saying! ¹⁰⁴  Who can understand it?” ¹⁰⁵  6:61 When Jesus was aware ¹⁰⁶  that his disciples were complaining ¹⁰⁷  about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? ¹⁰⁸  6:62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? ¹⁰⁹  6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! ¹¹⁰  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ¹¹¹  6:64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ¹¹²  6:65 So Jesus added, ¹¹³  “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.” ¹¹⁴ 

Peter’s Confession

6:66 After this many of his disciples quit following him ¹¹⁵  and did not accompany him ¹¹⁶  any longer. 6:67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” ¹¹⁷  6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 6:69 We ¹¹⁸  have come to believe and to know ¹¹⁹  that you are the Holy One of God!” ¹²⁰  6:70 Jesus replied, ¹²¹  “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” ¹²²  6:71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, ¹²³  for Judas, ¹²⁴  one of the twelve, was going to betray him.) ¹²⁵ 

The Feast of Tabernacles

7:1 After this ¹²⁶  Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. ¹²⁷  He ¹²⁸  stayed out of Judea ¹²⁹  because the Jewish leaders ¹³⁰  wanted ¹³¹  to kill him. 7:2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles ¹³²  was near. ¹³³  7:3 So Jesus’ brothers ¹³⁴  advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. ¹³⁵  7:4 For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself ¹³⁶  does anything in secret. ¹³⁷  If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 7:5 (For not even his own brothers believed in him.) ¹³⁸ 

7:6 So Jesus replied, ¹³⁹  “My time ¹⁴⁰  has not yet arrived, ¹⁴¹  but you are ready at any opportunity! ¹⁴²  7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it that its deeds are evil. 7:8 You go up ¹⁴³  to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast ¹⁴⁴  because my time ¹⁴⁵  has not yet fully arrived.” ¹⁴⁶  7:9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee.

7:10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus ¹⁴⁷  himself also went up, not openly but in secret. 7:11 So the Jewish leaders ¹⁴⁸  were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” ¹⁴⁹  7:12 There was ¹⁵⁰  a lot of grumbling ¹⁵¹  about him among the crowds. ¹⁵²  Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” ¹⁵³  7:13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish leaders. ¹⁵⁴ 

Teaching in the Temple

7:14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts ¹⁵⁵  and began to teach. ¹⁵⁶  7:15 Then the Jewish leaders ¹⁵⁷  were astonished ¹⁵⁸  and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” ¹⁵⁹  7:16 So Jesus replied, ¹⁶⁰  “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. ¹⁶¹  7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, ¹⁶²  he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. ¹⁶³  7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority ¹⁶⁴  desires ¹⁶⁵  to receive honor ¹⁶⁶  for himself; the one who desires ¹⁶⁷  the honor ¹⁶⁸  of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, ¹⁶⁹  and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps ¹⁷⁰  the law! Why do you want ¹⁷¹  to kill me?”

7:20 The crowd ¹⁷²  answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! ¹⁷³  Who is trying to kill you?” ¹⁷⁴  7:21 Jesus replied, ¹⁷⁵  “I performed one miracle ¹⁷⁶  and you are all amazed. ¹⁷⁷  7:22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision ¹⁷⁸  (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child ¹⁷⁹  on the Sabbath. 7:23 But if a male child ¹⁸⁰  is circumcised ¹⁸¹  on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, ¹⁸²  why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well ¹⁸³  on the Sabbath? 7:24 Do not judge according to external appearance, ¹⁸⁴  but judge with proper ¹⁸⁵  judgment.”

Questions About Jesus’ Identity

7:25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem ¹⁸⁶  began to say, “Isn’t this the man ¹⁸⁷  they are trying ¹⁸⁸  to kill? 7:26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, ¹⁸⁹  and they are saying nothing to him. ¹⁹⁰  Do the rulers really know that this man ¹⁹¹  is the Christ? ¹⁹²  7:27 But we know where this man ¹⁹³  comes from. ¹⁹⁴  Whenever the Christ ¹⁹⁵  comes, no one will know where he comes from.” ¹⁹⁶ 

7:28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, ¹⁹⁷  cried out, ¹⁹⁸  “You both know me and know where I come from! ¹⁹⁹  And I have not come on my own initiative, ²⁰⁰  but the one who sent me ²⁰¹  is true. You do not know him, ²⁰²  7:29 but ²⁰³  I know him, because I have come from him ²⁰⁴  and he ²⁰⁵  sent me.”

7:30 So then they tried to seize Jesus, ²⁰⁶  but no one laid a hand on him, because his time ²⁰⁷  had not yet come. 7:31 Yet many of the crowd ²⁰⁸  believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ ²⁰⁹  comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?” ²¹⁰ 

7:32 The Pharisees ²¹¹  heard the crowd ²¹²  murmuring these things about Jesus, ²¹³  so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers ²¹⁴  to arrest him. ²¹⁵  7:33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, ²¹⁶  and then ²¹⁷  I am going to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me ²¹⁸  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”

7:35 Then the Jewish leaders ²¹⁹  said to one another, “Where is he ²²⁰  going to go that we cannot find him? ²²¹  He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed ²²²  among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? ²²³  7:36 What did he mean by saying, ²²⁴  ‘You will look for me ²²⁵  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Teaching About the Spirit

7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, ²²⁶  Jesus stood up and shouted out, ²²⁷  “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. ²²⁸  Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him ²²⁹  will flow rivers of living water.’” ²³⁰  7:39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, ²³¹  because Jesus was not yet glorified.) ²³² 

Differing Opinions About Jesus

7:40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd ²³³  began to say, “This really ²³⁴  is the Prophet!” ²³⁵  7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” ²³⁶  But still others said, “No, ²³⁷  for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? ²³⁸  7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant ²³⁹  of David ²⁴⁰  and comes from Bethlehem, ²⁴¹  the village where David lived?” ²⁴²  7:43 So there was a division in the crowd ²⁴³  because of Jesus. ²⁴⁴  7:44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. ²⁴⁵ 

Lack of Belief

7:45 Then the officers ²⁴⁶  returned ²⁴⁷  to the chief priests and Pharisees, ²⁴⁸  who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” ²⁴⁹  7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, ²⁵⁰  “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? ²⁵¹  7:48 None of the rulers ²⁵²  or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? ²⁵³  7:49 But this rabble ²⁵⁴  who do not know the law are accursed!”

7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus ²⁵⁵  before and who was one of the rulers, ²⁵⁶  said, ²⁵⁷  7:51 “Our law doesn’t condemn ²⁵⁸  a man unless it first hears from him and learns ²⁵⁹  what he is doing, does it?” ²⁶⁰  7:52 They replied, ²⁶¹  “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? ²⁶²  Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet ²⁶³  comes from Galilee!”

A Woman Caught in Adultery

7:53 ²⁶⁴ [[And each one departed to his own house. 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²⁶⁵  8:2 Early in the morning he came to the temple courts again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach ²⁶⁶  them. 8:3 The experts in the law ²⁶⁷  and the Pharisees ²⁶⁸  brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them 8:4 and said to Jesus, ²⁶⁹  “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 8:5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death ²⁷⁰  such women. ²⁷¹  What then do you say?” 8:6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against ²⁷²  him.) ²⁷³  Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. ²⁷⁴  8:7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight ²⁷⁵  and replied, ²⁷⁶  “Whoever among you is guiltless ²⁷⁷  may be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8:8 Then ²⁷⁸  he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

8:9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, ²⁷⁹  until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 8:10 Jesus stood up straight ²⁸⁰  and said to her, “Woman, ²⁸¹  where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 8:11 She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]] ²⁸² 

Jesus as the Light of the World

8:12 Then Jesus spoke out again, ²⁸³  “I am the light of the world. ²⁸⁴  The one who follows me will never ²⁸⁵  walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 8:13 So the Pharisees ²⁸⁶  objected, ²⁸⁷  “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” ²⁸⁸  8:14 Jesus answered, ²⁸⁹  “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people ²⁹⁰  do not know where I came from or where I am going. ²⁹¹  8:15 You people ²⁹²  judge by outward appearances; ²⁹³  I do not judge anyone. ²⁹⁴  8:16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, ²⁹⁵  because I am not alone when I judge, ²⁹⁶  but I and the Father who sent me do so together. ²⁹⁷  8:17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. ²⁹⁸  8:18 I testify about myself ²⁹⁹  and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

8:19 Then they began asking ³⁰⁰  him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.” ³⁰¹  8:20 (Jesus ³⁰²  spoke these words near the offering box ³⁰³  while he was teaching in the temple courts. ³⁰⁴  No one seized him because his time ³⁰⁵  had not yet come.) ³⁰⁶ 

Where Jesus Came From and Where He is Going

8:21 Then Jesus ³⁰⁷  said to them again, ³⁰⁸  “I am going away, and you will look for me ³⁰⁹  but will die in your sin. ³¹⁰  Where I am going you cannot come.” 8:22 So the Jewish leaders ³¹¹  began to say, ³¹²  “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 8:23 Jesus replied, ³¹³  “You people ³¹⁴  are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. 8:24 Thus I told you ³¹⁵  that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, ³¹⁶  you will die in your sins.”

8:25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, ³¹⁷  “What I have told you from the beginning. 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge ³¹⁸  about you, but the Father ³¹⁹  who sent me is truthful, ³²⁰  and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.” ³²¹  8:27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.) ³²² 

8:28 Then Jesus said, ³²³  “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, ³²⁴  and I do nothing on my own initiative, ³²⁵  but I speak just what the Father taught me. ³²⁶  8:29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, ³²⁷  because I always do those things that please him.” 8:30 While he was saying these things, many people ³²⁸  believed in him.

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans ³²⁹  who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, ³³⁰  you are really ³³¹  my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³²  8:33 “We are descendants ³³³  of Abraham,” they replied, ³³⁴  “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ³³⁵  ‘You will become free’?” 8:34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ³³⁶  everyone who practices ³³⁷  sin is a slave ³³⁸  of sin. 8:35 The slave does not remain in the family ³³⁹  forever, but the son remains forever. ³⁴⁰  8:36 So if the son ³⁴¹  sets you free, you will be really free. 8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. ³⁴²  But you want ³⁴³  to kill me, because my teaching ³⁴⁴  makes no progress among you. ³⁴⁵  8:38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the ³⁴⁶  Father; ³⁴⁷  as for you, ³⁴⁸  practice the things you have heard from the ³⁴⁹  Father!”

8:39 They answered him, ³⁵⁰  “Abraham is our father!” ³⁵¹  Jesus replied, ³⁵²  “If you are ³⁵³  Abraham’s children, you would be doing ³⁵⁴  the deeds of Abraham. 8:40 But now you are trying ³⁵⁵  to kill me, a man who has told you ³⁵⁶  the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ³⁵⁷  8:41 You people ³⁵⁸  are doing the deeds of your father.”

Then ³⁵⁹  they said to Jesus, ³⁶⁰  “We were not born as a result of immorality! ³⁶¹  We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, ³⁶²  “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. ³⁶³  I ³⁶⁴  have not come on my own initiative, ³⁶⁵  but he ³⁶⁶  sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept ³⁶⁷  my teaching. ³⁶⁸  8:44 You people ³⁶⁹  are from ³⁷⁰  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ³⁷¹  He ³⁷²  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ³⁷³  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ³⁷⁴  he speaks according to his own nature, ³⁷⁵  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ³⁷⁶  8:45 But because I am telling you ³⁷⁷  the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty ³⁷⁸  of any sin? ³⁷⁹  If I am telling you ³⁸⁰  the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to ³⁸¹  God listens and responds ³⁸²  to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, ³⁸³  because you don’t belong to God.” ³⁸⁴ 

8:48 The Judeans ³⁸⁵  replied, ³⁸⁶  “Aren’t we correct in saying ³⁸⁷  that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” ³⁸⁸  8:49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, ³⁸⁹  but I honor my Father – and yet ³⁹⁰  you dishonor me. 8:50 I am not trying to get ³⁹¹  praise for myself. ³⁹²  There is one who demands ³⁹³  it, and he also judges. ³⁹⁴  8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, ³⁹⁵  if anyone obeys ³⁹⁶  my teaching, ³⁹⁷  he will never see death.” ³⁹⁸ 

8:52 Then ³⁹⁹  the Judeans ⁴⁰⁰  responded, ⁴⁰¹  “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! ⁴⁰²  Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet ⁴⁰³  you say, ‘If anyone obeys ⁴⁰⁴  my teaching, ⁴⁰⁵  he will never experience ⁴⁰⁶  death.’ ⁴⁰⁷  8:53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? ⁴⁰⁸  And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 8:54 Jesus replied, ⁴⁰⁹  “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. ⁴¹⁰  The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people ⁴¹¹  say, ‘He is our God.’ 8:55 Yet ⁴¹²  you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, ⁴¹³  I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey ⁴¹⁴  his teaching. ⁴¹⁵  8:56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed ⁴¹⁶  to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” ⁴¹⁷ 

8:57 Then the Judeans ⁴¹⁸  replied, ⁴¹⁹  “You are not yet fifty years old! ⁴²⁰  Have ⁴²¹  you seen Abraham?” 8:58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴²²  before Abraham came into existence, ⁴²³  I am!” ⁴²⁴  8:59 Then they picked up ⁴²⁵  stones to throw at him, ⁴²⁶  but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area. ⁴²⁷ 

[2:1]  ¹ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:1]  ² sn Cana in Galilee was not a very well-known place. It is mentioned only here, in 4:46, and 21:2, and nowhere else in the NT. Josephus (Life 16 [86]) says he once had his quarters there. The probable location is present day Khirbet Cana, 8 mi (14 km) north of Nazareth, or Khirbet Kenna, 4 mi (7 km) northeast of Nazareth.

[2:1]  ³ tn Grk “in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother.”

[6:1]  ⁴ tn Again, μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta) is a vague temporal reference. How Jesus got from Jerusalem to Galilee is not explained, which has led many scholars (e.g., Bernard, Bultmann, and Schnackenburg) to posit either editorial redaction or some sort of rearrangement or dislocation of material (such as reversing the order of chaps. 5 and 6, for example). Such a rearrangement of the material would give a simple and consistent connection of events, but in the absence of all external evidence it does not seem to be supportable. R. E. Brown (John [AB], 1:236) says that such an arrangement is attractive in some ways but not compelling, and that no rearrangement can solve all the geographical and chronological problems in John.

[6:1]  ⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Only John in the New Testament refers to the Sea of Galilee by the name Sea of Tiberias (see also John 21:1), but this is correct local usage. In the mid-20’s Herod completed the building of the town of Tiberias on the southwestern shore of the lake; after this time the name came into use for the lake itself.

[6:3]  ⁷ sn Up on the mountainside does not necessarily refer to a particular mountain or hillside, but may simply mean “the hill country” or “the high ground,” referring to the high country east of the Sea of Galilee (known today as the Golan Heights).

[6:4]  ¹⁰ sn Passover. According to John’s sequence of material, considerable time has elapsed since the feast of 5:1. If the feast in 5:1 was Pentecost of a.d. 31, then this feast would be the Passover of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion.

[6:4]  ¹¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “when he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).

[6:6]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:6]  ¹⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:7]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “Philip answered him.”

[6:7]  ²⁰ tn Grk “two hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be an amount worth about eight months’ pay.

[6:8]  ²² tn Grk “one of his disciples.”

[6:9]  ²⁵ tn Grk “but what are these”; the word “good” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[6:10]  ²⁸ tn Grk “Make.”

[6:10]  ²⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author (suggesting an eyewitness recollection).

[6:10]  ³⁰ tn Here “men” has been used in the translation because the following number, 5,000, probably included only adult males (see the parallel in Matt 14:21).

[6:11]  ³¹ tn Grk “likewise also (he distributed) from the fish.”

[6:12]  ³⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:13]  ³⁷ sn Note that the fish mentioned previously (in John 6:9) are not emphasized here, only the five barley loaves. This is easy to understand, however, because the bread is of primary importance for the author in view of Jesus’ upcoming discourse on the Bread of Life.

[6:14]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:14]  ⁴¹ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

[6:14]  ⁴² sn An allusion to Deut 18:15.

[6:15]  ⁴³ sn Jesus, knowing that his “hour” had not yet come (and would not, in this fashion) withdrew again up the mountainside alone. The ministry of miracles in Galilee, ending with this, the multiplication of the bread (the last public miracle in Galilee recorded by John) aroused such a popular response that there was danger of an uprising. This would have given the authorities a legal excuse to arrest Jesus. The nature of Jesus’ kingship will become an issue again in the passion narrative of the Fourth Gospel (John 18:33ff.). Furthermore, the volatile reaction of the Galileans to the signs prepares for and foreshadows the misunderstanding of the miracle itself, and even the misunderstanding of Jesus’ explanation of it (John 6:22-71).

[6:16]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “sea.” The Greek word indicates a rather large body of water, but the English word “sea” normally indicates very large bodies of water, so the word “lake” in English is a closer approximation.

[6:17]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in the previous verse.

[6:17]  ⁵⁰ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:17]  ⁵¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:19]  ⁵² tn Grk “about twenty-five or thirty stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[6:19]  ⁵³ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16. John uses the phrase ἐπί (epi, “on”) followed by the genitive (as in Mark, instead of Matthew’s ἐπί followed by the accusative) to describe Jesus walking “on the lake.”

[6:22]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:22]  ⁵⁶ tc Most witnesses have after “one” the phrase “which his disciples had entered” (ἐκεῖνο εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ekeino ei" }o enebhsan Joi maqhtai autou) although there are several permutations of this clause ([א* D] Θ [˹³ 33] Ï [sa]). The witnesses that lack this expression are, however, significant and diffused (Ì⁷⁵ א² A B L N W Ψ 1 565 579 1241 al lat). The clarifying nature of the longer reading, the multiple variants from it, and the weighty testimony for the shorter reading all argue against the authenticity of the longer text in any of its variations.

[6:22]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “entered.”

[6:23]  ⁵⁸ map For location see Map1 E2; Map2 C2; Map3 C3; Map4 D1; Map5 G4.

[6:23]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “boats from Tiberias landed”; Grk “came.”

[6:23]  ⁶⁰ tc D 091 a e sy^s,c lack the phrase “after the Lord had given thanks” (εὐχαριστήσαντος τοῦ κυρίου, eucaristhsanto" tou kuriou), while almost all the rest of the witnesses ({Ì⁷⁵ א A B L W Θ Ψ 0141 [˹] ˹³ 33 Ï as well as several versions and fathers}) have the words (though {l672 l950 sy^p pbo} read ᾿Ιησοῦ [Ihsou, “Jesus”] instead of κυρίου). Although the shorter reading has minimal support, it is significant that this Gospel speaks of Jesus as Lord in the evangelist’s narrative descriptions only in 11:2; 20:18, 20; 21:12; and possibly 4:1 (but see tc note on “Jesus” there). There is thus but one undisputed preresurrection text in which the narrator calls Jesus “Lord.” This fact can be utilized on behalf of either reading: The participial phrase could be seen as a scribal addition harking back to 6:11 but which does not fit Johannine style, or it could be viewed as truly authentic and in line with what John indisputably does elsewhere even if rarely. On balance, in light of the overwhelming support for these words it is probably best to retain them in the text.

[6:24]  ⁶¹ tn Or “embarked in the boats.”

[6:24]  ⁶² map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:25]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:25]  ⁶⁵ sn John 6:25-31. The previous miracle of the multiplication of the bread had taken place near the town of Tiberias (cf. John 6:23). Jesus’ disciples set sail for Capernaum (6:17) and were joined by the Lord in the middle of the sea. The next day boats from Tiberias picked up a few of those who had seen the multiplication (certainly not the whole 5,000) and brought them to Capernaum. It was to this group that Jesus spoke in 6:26-27. But there were also people from Capernaum who had gathered to see Jesus, who had not witnessed the multiplication, and it was this group that asked Jesus for a miraculous sign like the manna (6:30-31). This would have seemed superfluous if it were the same crowd that had already seen the multiplication of the bread. But some from Capernaum had heard about it and wanted to see a similar miracle repeated.

[6:26]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:26]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:26]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “because you ate of the loaves of bread and were filled.”

[6:27]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “perishes” (this might refer to spoiling, but is more focused on the temporary nature of this kind of food).

[6:27]  ⁷¹ tn The referent (the food) has been specified for clarity by repeating the word “food” from the previous clause.

[6:27]  ⁷² tn Grk “on this one.”

[6:28]  ⁷³ tn Grk “the works.”

[6:28]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “What must we do to work the works of God?”

[6:29]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:29]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “the work.”

[6:29]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “This is the work of God.”

[6:29]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “that one” (i.e., God).

[6:31]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:31]  ⁸⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 78:24 (referring to the events of Exod 16:4-36).

[6:32]  ⁸² tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:33]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “he who.”

[6:34]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “Lord.” The Greek κύριος (kurios) means both “Sir” and “Lord.” In this passage it is not at all clear at this point that the crowd is acknowledging Jesus as Lord. More likely this is simply a form of polite address (“sir”).

[6:35]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “the one who believes in me will not possibly thirst, ever.”

[6:36]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “But I said to you.”

[6:36]  ⁹⁵ tc A few witnesses lack με (me, “me”; א A a b e q sy^s,c), while the rest of the tradition has the word (Ì^66,75vid rell). It is possible that the mss that lack the pronoun preserve the original wording here, with the rest of the witnesses adding the pronoun for clarity’s sake. This likelihood increases since the object is not required in Greek. Without it, however, ambiguity increases: The referent could be “me” or it could be “signs,” reaching back to vv. 26 and 30. However, the oblique form of ἐγώ (egw, the first person personal pronoun) occurs some two dozen times in this chapter alone, yet it vacillates between the emphatic form and the unemphatic form. Although generally the unemphatic form is used with verbs, there are several exceptions to this in John (cf. 8:12; 12:26, 45, 48; 13:20; 14:9). If the pronoun is a later addition here, one wonders why it is so consistently the unemphatic form in the mss. Further, that two unrelated Greek witnesses lack this small word could easily be due to accidental deletion. Finally, the date and diversity of the witnesses for the pronoun are so weighty that it is likely to be authentic and should thus be retained in the text.

[6:37]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “drive away”; Grk “cast out.”

[6:39]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or “resurrect them all,” or “make them all live again”; Grk “raise it up.” The word “all” is supplied to bring out the collective nature of the neuter singular pronoun αὐτό (auto) in Greek. The plural pronoun “them” is used rather than neuter singular “it” because this is clearer in English, which does not use neuter collective singulars in the same way Greek does.

[6:40]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “resurrect him,” or “make him live again.”

[6:40]  ¹⁰⁴ sn Notice that here the result (having eternal life and being raised up at the last day) is produced by looking on the Son and believing in him. Compare John 6:54 where the same result is produced by eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood. This suggests that the phrase in 6:54 (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood in terms of the phrase here (looks on the Son and believes in him).

[6:41]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “Then the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (6:25). Likewise, the designation “Judeans” does not fit here because the location is Galilee rather than Judea.

[6:43]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:43]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “Do not grumble among yourselves.” The words “about me” are supplied to clarify the translation “complain to one another” (otherwise the Jewish opponents could be understood to be complaining about one another, rather than complaining to one another about Jesus).

[6:44]  ¹¹² tn Or “attracts him,” or “pulls him.” The word is used of pulling or dragging, often by force. It is even used once of magnetic attraction (A. Oepke, TDNT 2:503).

[6:45]  ¹¹⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 54:13.

[6:45]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “listens to the Father and learns.”

[6:46]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “this one.”

[6:46]  ¹¹⁹ sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Although some would attribute these words to Jesus himself, the switch from first person in Jesus’ preceding and following remarks to third person in v. 46 suggests that the author has added a clarifying comment here.

[6:47]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:47]  ¹²² tc Most witnesses (A C² D Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat and other versions) have “in me” (εἰς ἐμέ, eis eme) here, while the Sinaitic and Curetonian Syriac versions read “in God.” These clarifying readings are predictable variants, being motivated by the scribal tendency toward greater explicitness. That the earliest and best witnesses (Ì^66,75vid א B C* L T W Θ 892 pc) lack any object is solid testimony to the shorter text’s authenticity.

[6:47]  ¹²³ tn Compare John 6:40.

[6:48]  ¹²⁴ tn That is, “the bread that produces (eternal) life.”

[6:49]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:50]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “Here.”

[6:50]  ¹³¹ tn Grk “someone” (τις, tis).

[6:51]  ¹³³ tn Grk “And the bread.”

[6:52]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “Then the Jews began to argue.” Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (6:25). See also the note on the phrase “the Jews who were hostile to Jesus” in v. 41.

[6:52]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “with one another, saying.”

[6:52]  ¹³⁸ tn Grk “this one,” “this person.”

[6:53]  ¹³⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:53]  ¹⁴⁰ sn Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. These words are at the heart of the discourse on the Bread of Life, and have created great misunderstanding among interpreters. Anyone who is inclined toward a sacramental viewpoint will almost certainly want to take these words as a reference to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or the Eucharist, because of the reference to eating and drinking. But this does not automatically follow: By anyone’s definition there must be a symbolic element to the eating which Jesus speaks of in the discourse, and once this is admitted, it is better to understand it here, as in the previous references in the passage, to a personal receiving of (or appropriation of) Christ and his work.

[6:53]  ¹⁴¹ tn That is, “no eternal life” (as opposed to physical life).

[6:54]  ¹⁴² tn Or “who chews”; Grk ὁ τρώγων (Jo trwgwn). The alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) may simply reflect a preference for one form over the other on the author’s part, rather than an attempt to express a slightly more graphic meaning. If there is a difference, however, the word used here (τρώγω) is the more graphic and vivid of the two (“gnaw” or “chew”).

[6:54]  ¹⁴³ sn Notice that here the result (has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day) is produced by eating (Jesus’) flesh and drinking his blood. Compare John 6:40 where the same result is produced by “looking on the Son and believing in him.” This suggests that the phrase here (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood by the phrase in 6:40 (looks on the Son and believes in him).

[6:55]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Or “real.”

[6:55]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Or “real.”

[6:56]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Or “who chews.” On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:56]  ¹⁴⁹ sn Resides in me, and I in him. Note how in John 6:54 eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood produces eternal life and the promise of resurrection at the last day. Here the same process of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood leads to a relationship of mutual indwelling (resides in me, and I in him). This suggests strongly that for the author (and for Jesus) the concepts of ‘possessing eternal life’ and of ‘residing in Jesus’ are virtually interchangeable.

[6:57]  ¹⁵¹ tn Or “who chews”; Grk “who eats.” Here the translation “consumes” is more appropriate than simply “eats,” because it is the internalization of Jesus by the individual that is in view. On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:58]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or “This one.”

[6:58]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:58]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not just like your ancestors ate and died.” The cryptic Greek expression has been filled out in the translation for clarity.

[6:58]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Or “who chews.” On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:59]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:59]  ¹⁵⁸ sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).

[6:59]  ¹⁵⁹ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:60]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The words “these things” are not present in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the English reader.

[6:60]  ¹⁶¹ tn Or “hard,” “demanding.”

[6:60]  ¹⁶² tn Or “teaching”; Grk “word.”

[6:60]  ¹⁶³ tn Or “obey it”; Grk “hear it.” The Greek word ἀκούω (akouw) could imply hearing with obedience here, in the sense of “obey.” It could also point to the acceptance of what Jesus had just said, (i.e., “who can accept what he said?” However, since the context contains several replies by those in the crowd of hearers that suggest uncertainty or confusion over the meaning of what Jesus had said (6:42; 6:52), the meaning “understand” is preferred here.

[6:61]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “When Jesus knew within himself.”

[6:61]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Or “were grumbling.”

[6:61]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or “Does this cause you to no longer believe?” (Grk “cause you to stumble?”)

[6:62]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Or “he was formerly?”

[6:63]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”

[6:63]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”

[6:64]  ¹⁷² sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.

[6:65]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Grk “And he said”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:65]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Grk “unless it has been permitted to him by the Father.”

[6:66]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Grk “many of his disciples went back to what lay behind.”

[6:66]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Grk “were not walking with him.”

[6:67]  ¹⁸¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “do you?”).

[6:69]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Grk “And we.”

[6:69]  ¹⁸⁵ sn See 1 John 4:16.

[6:69]  ¹⁸⁶ tc The witnesses display a bewildering array of variants here. Instead of “the Holy One of God” (ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ, Jo {agio" tou qeou), Tertullian has ὁ Χριστός (Jo Cristo", “the Christ”); C³ Θ* ˹ 33 565 lat read ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (Jo Cristo" Jo Juio" tou qeou, “the Christ, the Son of God”); two versional witnesses (b sy^c) have ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (“the Son of God”); the Byzantine text as well as many others (Ψ 0250 ˹³ 33 Ï) read ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (Jo Cristo" Jo Juio" tou qeou tou zwnto", “the Christ, the Son of the living God”); and Ì⁶⁶ as well as a few versions have ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ (“the Christ, the Holy One of God”). The reading ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ is, however, well supported by Ì⁷⁵ א B C* D L W as well as versional witnesses. It appears that Peter’s confession in the Synoptic Gospels (especially Matt 16:16) supplied the motivation for the variations. Although the witnesses in Matt 16:16; Mark 8:29; and Luke 9:20 vary considerably, the readings are all intra-synoptic, that is, they do not pull in “the Holy One of God” but reflect various permutations of “Christ”/“Christ of God”/“Christ, the Son of God”/“Christ, the Son of the living God.” The wording “the Holy One of God” (without “Christ”) in important witnesses here is thus unique among Peter’s confessions, and best explains the rise of the other readings.

[6:70]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

[6:70]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Although most translations render this last phrase as “one of you is a devil,” such a translation presupposes that there is more than one devil. This finds roots in the KJV in which the Greek word for demon was often translated “devil.” In fact, the KJV never uses the word “demon.” (Sixty-two of the 63 NT instances of δαιμόνιον [daimonion] are translated “devil” [in Acts 17:18 the plural has been translated “gods”]. This can get confusing in places where the singular “devil” is used: Is Satan or one of the demons in view [cf. Matt 9:33 (demon); 13:39 (devil); 17:18 (demon); Mark 7:26 (demon); Luke 4:2 (devil); etc.]?) Now regarding John 6:70, both the construction in Greek and the technical use of διάβολος (diabolos) indicate that the one devil is in view. To object to the translation “the devil” because it thus equates Judas with Satan does not take into consideration that Jesus often spoke figuratively (e.g., “destroy this temple” [John 2:19]; “he [John the Baptist] is Elijah” [Matt 11:14]), even equating Peter with the devil on one occasion (Mark 8:33). According to ExSyn 249, “A curious phenomenon has occurred in the English Bible with reference to one particular monadic noun, διάβολος. The KJV translates both διάβολος and δαιμόνιον as ‘devil.’ Thus in the AV translators’ minds, ‘devil’ was not a monadic noun. Modern translations have correctly rendered δαιμόνιον as ‘demon’ and have, for the most part, recognized that διάβολος is monadic (cf., e.g., 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 20:2). But in John 6:70 modern translations have fallen into the error of the King James translators. The KJV has ‘one of you is a devil.’ So does the RSV, NRSV, ASV, NIV, NKJV, and the JB [Jerusalem Bible]. Yet there is only one devil…The legacy of the KJV still lives on, then, even in places where it ought not.”

[6:71]  ¹⁹⁰ sn At least six explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning “man of Kerioth” (there are at least two villages that had that name). See D. A. Carson, John, 304.

[6:71]  ¹⁹¹ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:71]  ¹⁹² sn This parenthetical statement by the author helps the reader understand Jesus’ statement one of you is the devil in the previous verse. This is the first mention of Judas in the Fourth Gospel, and he is immediately identified (as he is in the synoptic gospels, Matt 10:4, Mark 3:19, Luke 6:16) as the one who would betray Jesus.

[7:1]  ¹⁹³ sn Again, the transition is indicated by the imprecise temporal indicator After this. Clearly, though, the author has left out much of the events of Jesus’ ministry, because chap. 6 took place near the Passover (6:4). This would have been the Passover between winter/spring of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion (assuming a date of a.d. 33 for the crucifixion), or the Passover of winter/spring a.d. 29, assuming a date of a.d. 30 for the crucifixion.

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Grk “were seeking.”

[7:2]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Or “feast of the Tents” (the feast where people lived in tents or shelters, which was celebrated in the autumn after harvest). John’s use of σκηνοπηγία (skhnophgia) for the feast of Tabernacles constitutes the only use of this term in the New Testament.

[7:2]  ¹⁹⁷ sn Since the present verse places these incidents at the feast of Tabernacles (a.d. 29 or 32, depending on whether one dates the crucifixion in a.d. 30 or 33) there would have been a 6-month interval during which no events are recorded. The author is obviously selective in his approach; he is not recording an exhaustive history (as he will later tell the reader in John 21:25). After healing the paralytic on the Sabbath in Jerusalem (John 5:1-47), Jesus withdrew again to Galilee because of mounting opposition. In Galilee the feeding of the 5,000 took place, which marked the end of the Galilean ministry for all practical purposes. John 7:1-9 thus marks Jesus’ final departure from Galilee.

[7:3]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Grk “his brothers.”

[7:3]  ²⁰⁰ tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”

[7:4]  ²⁰² tn Or “seeks to be well known.”

[7:4]  ²⁰³ sn No one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret means, in effect: “if you’re going to perform signs to authenticate yourself as Messiah, you should do them at Jerusalem.” (Jerusalem is where mainstream Jewish apocalyptic tradition held that Messiah would appear.)

[7:5]  ²⁰⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:6]  ²⁰⁸ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

[7:6]  ²⁰⁹ tn Or “my opportunity.”

[7:6]  ²¹⁰ tn Or “is not yet here.”

[7:6]  ²¹¹ tn Grk “your time is always ready.”

[7:8]  ²¹¹ sn One always speaks of “going up” to Jerusalem in Jewish idiom, even though in western thought it is more common to speak of south as “down” (Jerusalem lies south of Galilee). The reason for the idiom is that Jerusalem was identified with Mount Zion in the OT, so that altitude was the issue.

[7:8]  ²¹² tc Most mss (Ì^66,75 B L T W Θ Ψ 070 0105 0250 Ë^1,13 Ï sa), including most of the better witnesses, have “not yet” (οὔπω, oupw) here. Those with the reading οὐκ are not as impressive (א D K 1241 al lat), but οὐκ is the more difficult reading here, especially because it stands in tension with v. 10. On the one hand, it is possible that οὐκ arose because of homoioarcton: A copyist who saw oupw wrote ouk. However, it is more likely that οὔπω was introduced early on to harmonize with what is said two verses later. As for Jesus’ refusal to go up to the feast in v. 8, the statement does not preclude action of a different kind at a later point. Jesus may simply have been refusing to accompany his brothers with the rest of the group of pilgrims, preferring to travel separately and “in secret” (v. 10) with his disciples.

[7:8]  ²¹³ tn Although the word is καιρός (kairos) here, it parallels John’s use of ὥρα (Jwra) elsewhere as a reference to the time appointed for Jesus by the Father – the time of his return to the Father, characterized by his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification). In the Johannine literature, synonyms are often interchanged for no apparent reason other than stylistic variation.

[7:8]  ²¹⁴ tn Or “my time has not yet come to an end” (a possible hint of Jesus’ death at Jerusalem); Grk “my time is not yet fulfilled.”

[7:10]  ²¹⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:11]  ²¹⁷ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:11]  ²¹⁸ tn Grk “Where is that one?”

[7:12]  ²²⁰ tn Grk “And there was.”

[7:12]  ²²¹ tn Or “complaining.”

[7:12]  ²²² tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).

[7:12]  ²²³ tn Or “the crowd.”

[7:13]  ²²³ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:14]  ²²⁶ tn Grk “to the temple.”

[7:14]  ²²⁷ tn Or “started teaching.” An ingressive sense for the imperfect verb (“began to teach” or “started teaching”) fits well here, since the context implies that Jesus did not start his teaching at the beginning of the festival, but began when it was about half over.

[7:15]  ²²⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:15]  ²³⁰ tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.

[7:15]  ²³¹ tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).

[7:16]  ²³² tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:16]  ²³³ tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:17]  ²³⁵ tn Grk “his will.”

[7:17]  ²³⁶ tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”

[7:18]  ²³⁸ tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

[7:18]  ²³⁹ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ²⁴⁰ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ²⁴¹ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ²⁴² tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ²⁴³ tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

[7:19]  ²⁴¹ tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”

[7:19]  ²⁴² tn Grk “seek.”

[7:20]  ²⁴⁴ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).

[7:20]  ²⁴⁵ tn Grk “You have a demon!”

[7:20]  ²⁴⁶ tn Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?”

[7:21]  ²⁴⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:21]  ²⁴⁸ tn Grk “I did one deed.”

[7:21]  ²⁴⁹ sn The “one miracle” that caused them all to be amazed was the last previous public miracle in Jerusalem recorded by the author, the healing of the paralyzed man in John 5:1-9 on the Sabbath. (The synoptic gospels record other Sabbath healings, but John does not mention them.)

[7:22]  ²⁵⁰ tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”

[7:22]  ²⁵¹ tn Grk “a man.” While the text literally reads “circumcise a man” in actual fact the practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day after birth (see Phil 3:5) is primarily what is in view here.

[7:23]  ²⁵³ tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.

[7:23]  ²⁵⁴ tn Grk “receives circumcision.”

[7:23]  ²⁵⁵ sn If a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken. The Rabbis counted 248 parts to a man’s body. In the Talmud (b. Yoma 85b) R. Eleazar ben Azariah (ca. a.d. 100) states: “If circumcision, which attaches to one only of the 248 members of the human body, suspends the Sabbath, how much more shall the saving of the whole body suspend the Sabbath?” So absolutely binding did rabbinic Judaism regard the command of Lev 12:3 to circumcise on the eighth day, that in the Mishnah m. Shabbat 18.3; 19.1, 2; and m. Nedarim 3.11 all hold that the command to circumcise overrides the command to observe the Sabbath.

[7:23]  ²⁵⁶ tn Or “made an entire man well.”

[7:24]  ²⁵⁶ tn Or “based on sight.”

[7:24]  ²⁵⁷ tn Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”

[7:25]  ²⁵⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:25]  ²⁶⁰ tn Grk “Is it not this one.”

[7:25]  ²⁶¹ tn Grk “seeking.”

[7:26]  ²⁶² tn Or “speaking openly.”

[7:26]  ²⁶³ sn They are saying nothing to him. Some people who had heard Jesus were so impressed with his teaching that they began to infer from the inactivity of the opposing Jewish leaders a tacit acknowledgment of Jesus’ claims.

[7:26]  ²⁶⁴ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:26]  ²⁶⁵ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:27]  ²⁶⁵ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:27]  ²⁶⁶ sn We know where this man comes from. The author apparently did not consider this objection worth answering. The true facts about Jesus’ origins were readily available for any reader who didn’t know already. Here is an instance where the author assumes knowledge about Jesus that is independent from the material he records.

[7:27]  ²⁶⁷ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:27]  ²⁶⁸ sn The view of these people regarding the Messiah that no one will know where he comes from reflects the idea that the origin of the Messiah is a mystery. In the Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 97a) Rabbi Zera taught: “Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article, and a scorpion.” Apparently OT prophetic passages like Mal 3:1 and Dan 9:25 were interpreted by some as indicating a sudden appearance of Messiah. It appears that this was not a universal view: The scribes summoned by Herod at the coming of the Magi in Matt 2 knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. It is important to remember that Jewish messianic expectations in the early 1st century were not monolithic.

[7:28]  ²⁶⁸ tn Grk “the temple.”

[7:28]  ²⁶⁹ tn Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”

[7:28]  ²⁷⁰ sn You both know me and know where I come from! Jesus’ response while teaching in the temple is difficult – it appears to concede too much understanding to his opponents. It is best to take the words as irony: “So you know me and know where I am from, do you?” On the physical, literal level, they did know where he was from: Nazareth of Galilee (at least they thought they knew). But on another deeper (spiritual) level, they did not: He came from heaven, from the Father. Jesus insisted that he has not come on his own initiative (cf. 5:37), but at the bidding of the Father who sent him.

[7:28]  ²⁷¹ tn Grk “And I have not come from myself.”

[7:28]  ²⁷² tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:28]  ²⁷³ tn Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”

[7:29]  ²⁷¹ tn Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).

[7:29]  ²⁷² tn The preposition παρά (para) followed by the genitive has the local sense preserved and can be used of one person sending another. This does not necessarily imply origin in essence or eternal generation.

[7:29]  ²⁷³ tn Grk “and that one.”

[7:30]  ²⁷⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:30]  ²⁷⁵ tn Grk “his hour.”

[7:31]  ²⁷⁷ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).

[7:31]  ²⁷⁸ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:31]  ²⁷⁹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “will he?”).

[7:32]  ²⁸⁰ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:32]  ²⁸¹ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).

[7:32]  ²⁸² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:32]  ²⁸³ tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing “police” duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (see K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

[7:32]  ²⁸⁴ tn Grk “to seize him.” In the context of a deliberate attempt by the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees to detain Jesus, the English verb “arrest” conveys the point more effectively.

[7:33]  ²⁸³ tn Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”

[7:33]  ²⁸⁴ tn The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[7:34]  ²⁸⁶ tn Grk “seek me.”

[7:35]  ²⁸⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse (7:32, 45).

[7:35]  ²⁹⁰ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:35]  ²⁹¹ tn Grk “will not find him.”

[7:35]  ²⁹² sn The Jewish people dispersed (Grk “He is not going to the Diaspora”). The Greek term diaspora (“dispersion”) originally meant those Jews not living in Palestine, but dispersed or scattered among the Gentiles.

[7:35]  ²⁹³ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “is he?”).

[7:36]  ²⁹² tn Grk “What is this word that he said.”

[7:36]  ²⁹³ tn Grk “seek me.”

[7:37]  ²⁹⁵ sn There is a problem with the identification of this reference to the last day of the feast, the greatest day: It appears from Deut 16:13 that the feast went for seven days. Lev 23:36, however, makes it plain that there was an eighth day, though it was mentioned separately from the seven. It is not completely clear whether the seventh or eighth day was the climax of the feast, called here by the author the “last great day of the feast.” Since according to the Mishnah (m. Sukkah 4.1) the ceremonies with water and lights did not continue after the seventh day, it seems more probable that this is the day the author mentions.

[7:37]  ²⁹⁶ tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”

[7:38]  ²⁹⁸ tn An alternate way of punctuating the Greek text of vv. 37-38 results in this translation: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38 has been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. Certainly Jesus picks up on the literal water used in the ceremony and uses it figuratively. But what does the figure mean? According to popular understanding, it refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believer. There is some difficulty in locating an OT text which speaks of rivers of water flowing from within such a person, but Isa 58:11 is often suggested: “The Lord will continually lead you, he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water.” Other passages which have been suggested are Prov 4:23 and 5:15; Isa 44:3 and 55:1; Ezek 47:1 ff.; Joel 3:18; and Zech 13:1 and 14:8. The meaning in this case is that when anyone comes to believe in Jesus the scriptures referring to the activity of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life are fulfilled. “When the believer comes to Christ and drinks he not only slakes his thirst but receives such an abundant supply that veritable rivers flow from him” (L. Morris, John [NICNT], 424-25). In other words, with this view, the believer himself becomes the source of the living water. This is the traditional understanding of the passage, often called the “Eastern interpretation” following Origen, Athanasius, and the Greek Fathers. It is supported by such modern scholars as Barrett, Behm, Bernard, Cadman, Carson, R. H. Lightfoot, Lindars, Michaelis, Morris, Odeberg, Schlatter, Schweizer, C. H. Turner, M. M. B. Turner, Westcott, and Zahn. In addition it is represented by the following Greek texts and translations: KJV, RSV, NASB, NA²⁷, and UBS⁴. D. A. Carson, John, 322-29, has a thorough discussion of the issues and evidence although he opts for the previous interpretation. There is another interpretation possible, however, called the “Western interpretation” because of patristic support by Justin, Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Irenaeus. Modern scholars who favor this view are Abbott, Beasley-Murray, Bishop, Boismard, Braun, Brown, Bullinger, Bultmann, Burney, Dodd, Dunn, Guilding, R. Harris, Hoskyns, Jeremias, Loisy, D. M. Stanley, Thüsing, N. Turner, and Zerwick. This view is represented by the translation in the RSV margin and by the NEB. It is also sometimes called the “christological interpretation” because it makes Jesus himself the source of the living water in v. 38, by punctuating as follows: (37b) ἐάν τι διψᾷ ἐρχέσθω πρός με, καὶ πινέτω (38) ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ. Καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. Three crucial questions are involved in the solution of this problem: (1) punctuation; (2) determining the antecedent of αὐτοῦ (autou); and (3) the source of the scripture quotation. With regard to (1) Ì⁶⁶ does place a full stop after πινέτω (pinetw), but this may be theologically motivated and could have been added later. Grammatical and stylistic arguments are inconclusive. More important is (2) the determination of the antecedent of αὐτοῦ. Can any other Johannine parallels be found which make the believer the source of the living water? John 4:14 is often mentioned in this regard, but unlike 4:14 the water here becomes a source for others also. Neither does 14:12 provide a parallel. Furthermore, such an interpretation becomes even more problematic in light of the explanation given in v. 39 that the water refers to the Holy Spirit, since it is extremely difficult to see the individual believer becoming the ‘source’ of the Spirit for others. On the other hand, the Gospel of John repeatedly places Jesus himself in this role as source of the living water: 4:10, of course, for the water itself; but according to 20:22 Jesus provides the Spirit (cf. 14:16). Furthermore, the symbolism of 19:34 is difficult to explain as anything other than a deliberate allusion to what is predicted here. This also explains why the Spirit cannot come to the disciples unless Jesus “departs” (16:7). As to (3) the source of the scripture quotation, M. E. Boismard has argued that John is using a targumic rendering of Ps 78:15-16 which describes the water brought forth from the rock in the wilderness by Moses (“Les citations targumiques dans le quatrième évangile,” RB 66 [1959]: 374-78). The frequency of Exodus motifs in the Fourth Gospel (paschal lamb, bronze serpent, manna from heaven) leads quite naturally to the supposition that the author is here drawing on the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water (Num 20:8 ff.). That such imagery was readily identified with Jesus in the early church is demonstrated by Paul’s understanding of the event in 1 Cor 10:4. Jesus is the Rock from which the living water – the Spirit – will flow. Carson (see note above) discusses this imagery although he favors the traditional or “Eastern” interpretation. In summary, the latter or “Western” interpretation is to be preferred.

[7:38]  ²⁹⁹ tn Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”

[7:38]  ³⁰⁰ sn An OT quotation whose source is difficult to determine; Isa 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zech 14:8 have all been suggested.

[7:39]  ³⁰¹ tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT mss supply the participle δεδομένον (dedomenon), this is followed in the translation to avoid misunderstanding by the modern English reader that prior to this time the Spirit did not exist. John’s phrase is expressed from a human standpoint and has nothing to do with the preexistence of the third Person of the Godhead. The meaning is that the era of the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived; the Spirit was not as yet at work in a way he later would be because Jesus had not yet returned to his Father. Cf. also Acts 19:2.

[7:39]  ³⁰² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:40]  ³⁰⁴ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

[7:40]  ³⁰⁵ tn Or “truly.”

[7:40]  ³⁰⁶ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

[7:41]  ³⁰⁷ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:41]  ³⁰⁸ tn An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ (gar) which begins the clause.

[7:41]  ³⁰⁹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does he?”).

[7:42]  ³¹⁰ tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).

[7:42]  ³¹¹ sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.

[7:42]  ³¹² sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.

[7:42]  ³¹³ tn Grk “the village where David was.”

[7:43]  ³¹³ tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

[7:43]  ³¹⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:44]  ³¹⁶ sn Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.

[7:45]  ³¹⁹ tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

[7:45]  ³²⁰ tn Grk “came.”

[7:45]  ³²¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:45]  ³²² tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.

[7:47]  ³²² tn Grk “answered them.”

[7:47]  ³²³ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have you?”).

[7:48]  ³²⁵ sn The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).

[7:48]  ³²⁶ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).

[7:49]  ³²⁸ tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.

[7:50]  ³³¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:50]  ³³² tn Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:50]  ³³³ tn Grk “said to them.”

[7:51]  ³³⁴ tn Grk “judge.”

[7:51]  ³³⁵ tn Grk “knows.”

[7:51]  ³³⁶ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does it?”).

[7:52]  ³³⁷ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[7:52]  ³³⁸ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).

[7:52]  ³³⁹ tc At least one early and important ms (Ì^66*) places the article before “prophet” (ὁ προφήτης, Jo profhths), making this a reference to the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut 18:15.

[7:53]  ³⁴⁰ tc This entire section, 7:53-8:11, traditionally known as the pericope adulterae, is not contained in the earliest and best mss and was almost certainly not an original part of the Gospel of John. Among modern commentators and textual critics, it is a foregone conclusion that the section is not original but represents a later addition to the text of the Gospel. B. M. Metzger summarizes: “the evidence for the non-Johannine origin of the pericope of the adulteress is overwhelming” (TCGNT 187). External evidence is as follows. For the omission of 7:53-8:11: Ì^66,75 א B L N T W Δ Θ Ψ 0141 0211 33 565 1241 1424* 2768 al. In addition codices A and C are defective in this part of John, but it appears that neither contained the pericope because careful measurement shows that there would not have been enough space on the missing pages to include the pericope 7:53-8:11 along with the rest of the text. Among the mss that include 7:53-8:11 are D Ï lat. In addition E S Λ 1424^mg al include part or all of the passage with asterisks or obeli, 225 places the pericope after John 7:36, ˹ places it after John 21:25, {115} after John 8:12, ˹³ after Luke 21:38, and the corrector of 1333 includes it after Luke 24:53. (For a more complete discussion of the locations where this “floating” text has ended up, as well as a minority opinion on the authenticity of the passage, see M. A. Robinson, “Preliminary Observations regarding the Pericope Adulterae Based upon Fresh Collations of nearly All Continuous-Text Manuscripts and All Lectionary Manuscripts containing the Passage,” Filologia Neotestamentaria 13 [2000]: 35-59, especially 41-42.) In evaluating this ms evidence, it should be remembered that in the Gospels A is considered to be of Byzantine texttype (unlike in the epistles and Revelation, where it is Alexandrian), as are E F G (mss with the same designation are of Western texttype in the epistles). This leaves D as the only major Western uncial witness in the Gospels for the inclusion. Therefore the evidence could be summarized by saying that almost all early mss of the Alexandrian texttype omit the pericope, while most mss of the Western and Byzantine texttype include it. But it must be remembered that “Western mss” here refers only to D, a single witness (as far as Greek mss are concerned). Thus it can be seen that practically all of the earliest and best mss extant omit the pericope; it is found only in mss of secondary importance. But before one can conclude that the passage was not originally part of the Gospel of John, internal evidence needs to be considered as well. Internal evidence in favor of the inclusion of 8:1-11 (7:53-8:11): (1) 7:53 fits in the context. If the “last great day of the feast” (7:37) refers to the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles, then the statement refers to the pilgrims and worshipers going home after living in “booths” for the week while visiting Jerusalem. (2) There may be an allusion to Isa 9:1-2 behind this text: John 8:12 is the point when Jesus describes himself as the Light of the world. But the section in question mentions that Jesus returned to the temple at “early dawn” (῎Ορθρου, Orqrou, in 8:2). This is the “dawning” of the Light of the world (8:12) mentioned by Isa 9:2. (3) Furthermore, note the relationship to what follows: Just prior to presenting Jesus’ statement that he is the Light of the world, John presents the reader with an example that shows Jesus as the light. Here the woman “came to the light” while her accusers shrank away into the shadows, because their deeds were evil (cf. 3:19-21). Internal evidence against the inclusion of 8:1-11 (7:53-8:11): (1) In reply to the claim that the introduction to the pericope, 7:53, fits the context, it should also be noted that the narrative reads well without the pericope, so that Jesus’ reply in 8:12 is directed against the charge of the Pharisees in 7:52 that no prophet comes from Galilee. (2) The assumption that the author “must” somehow work Isa 9:1-2 into the narrative is simply that – an assumption. The statement by the Pharisees in 7:52 about Jesus’ Galilean origins is allowed to stand without correction by the author, although one might have expected him to mention that Jesus was really born in Bethlehem. And 8:12 does directly mention Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the world. The author may well have presumed familiarity with Isa 9:1-2 on the part of his readers because of its widespread association with Jesus among early Christians. (3) The fact that the pericope deals with the light/darkness motif does not inherently strengthen its claim to authenticity, because the motif is so prominent in the Fourth Gospel that it may well have been the reason why someone felt that the pericope, circulating as an independent tradition, fit so well here. (4) In general the style of the pericope is not Johannine either in vocabulary or grammar (see D. B. Wallace, “Reconsidering ‘The Story of the Woman Taken in Adultery Reconsidered’,” NTS 39 [1993]: 290-96). According to R. E. Brown it is closer stylistically to Lukan material (John [AB], 1:336). Interestingly one important family of mss (˹³) places the pericope after Luke 21:38. Conclusion: In the final analysis, the weight of evidence in this case must go with the external evidence. The earliest and best mss do not contain the pericope. It is true with regard to internal evidence that an attractive case can be made for inclusion, but this is by nature subjective (as evidenced by the fact that strong arguments can be given against such as well). In terms of internal factors like vocabulary and style, the pericope does not stand up very well. The question may be asked whether this incident, although not an original part of the Gospel of John, should be regarded as an authentic tradition about Jesus. It could well be that it is ancient and may indeed represent an unusual instance where such a tradition survived outside of the bounds of the canonical literature. However, even that needs to be nuanced (see B. D. Ehrman, “Jesus and the Adulteress,” NTS 34 [1988]: 24–44).

[8:1]  ³⁴³ sn The Mount of Olives is a hill running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, lying east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It was named for the large number of olive trees that grew on it.

[8:2]  ³⁴⁶ tn An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.

[8:3]  ³⁴⁹ tn Or “The scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[8:3]  ³⁵⁰ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:4]  ³⁵² tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:5]  ³⁵⁵ sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.

[8:5]  ³⁵⁶ sn The accusers themselves subtly misrepresented the law. The Mosaic law stated that in the case of adultery, both the man and woman must be put to death (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), but they mentioned only such women.

[8:6]  ³⁵⁸ tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”

[8:6]  ³⁵⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53–8:11.

[8:6]  ³⁶⁰ tn Or possibly “Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger.” The Greek verb καταγράφω (katagrafw) may indicate only the action of writing on the ground by Jesus, but in the overall context (Jesus’ response to the accusation against the woman) it can also be interpreted as implying that what Jesus wrote was a counteraccusation against the accusers (although there is no clue as to the actual content of what he wrote, some scribes added “the sins of each one of them” either here or at the end of v. 8 [U 264 700 al]).

[8:7]  ³⁶¹ tn Or “he straightened up.”

[8:7]  ³⁶² tn Grk “and said to them.”

[8:7]  ³⁶³ tn Or “sinless.”

[8:8]  ³⁶⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.

[8:9]  ³⁶⁷ tn Or “beginning from the eldest.”

[8:10]  ³⁷⁰ tn Or “straightened up.”

[8:10]  ³⁷¹ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[8:11]  ³⁷³ tc The earliest and best mss do not contain 7:53–8:11 (see note on 7:53).

[8:12]  ³⁷⁶ tn Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”

[8:12]  ³⁷⁷ sn The theory proposed by F. J. A. Hort (The New Testament in the Original Greek, vol. 2, Introduction; Appendix, 87-88), that the backdrop of 8:12 is the lighting of the candelabra in the court of women, may offer a plausible setting to the proclamation by Jesus that he is the light of the world. The last time that Jesus spoke in the narrative (assuming 7:53-8:11 is not part of the original text, as the textual evidence suggests) is in 7:38, where he was speaking to a crowd of pilgrims in the temple area. This is where he is found in the present verse, and he may be addressing the crowd again. Jesus’ remark has to be seen in view of both the prologue (John 1:4, 5) and the end of the discourse with Nicodemus (John 3:19-21). The coming of Jesus into the world provokes judgment: A choosing up of sides becomes necessary. The one who comes to the light, that is, who follows Jesus, will not walk in the darkness. The one who refuses to come, will walk in the darkness. In this contrast, there are only two alternatives. So it is with a person’s decision about Jesus. Furthermore, this serves as in implicit indictment of Jesus’ opponents, who still walk in the darkness, because they refuse to come to him. This sets up the contrast in chap. 9 between the man born blind, who receives both physical and spiritual sight, and the Pharisees (John 9:13, 15, 16) who have physical sight but remain in spiritual darkness.

[8:12]  ³⁷⁸ tn The double negative οὐ μή (ou mh) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.

[8:13]  ³⁷⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:13]  ³⁸⁰ tn Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”

[8:13]  ³⁸¹ sn Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus’ own statement about his testimony in 5:31.

[8:14]  ³⁸² tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[8:14]  ³⁸³ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.

[8:14]  ³⁸⁴ sn You people do not know where I came from or where I am going. The ignorance of the religious authorities regarding Jesus’ origin works on two levels at once: First, they thought Jesus came from Galilee (although he really came from Bethlehem in Judea) and second, they did not know that he came from heaven (from the Father), and this is where he would return. See further John 7:52.

[8:15]  ³⁸⁵ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.

[8:15]  ³⁸⁶ tn Or “judge according to external things”; Grk “according to the flesh.” These translations are given by BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 5.

[8:15]  ³⁸⁷ sn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement “I do not judge anyone”? It is clear that Jesus did judge (even in the next verse). The point is that he didn’t practice the same kind of judgment that the Pharisees did. Their kind of judgment was condemnatory. They tried to condemn people. Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save it (3:17). Nevertheless, and not contradictory to this, the coming of Jesus did bring judgment, because it forced people to make a choice. Would they accept Jesus or reject him? Would they come to the light or shrink back into the darkness? As they responded, so were they judged – just as 3:19-21 previously stated. One’s response to Jesus determines one’s eternal destiny.

[8:16]  ³⁸⁸ tn Grk “my judgment is true.”

[8:16]  ³⁸⁹ tn The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:16]  ³⁹⁰ tn The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:17]  ³⁹¹ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

[8:18]  ³⁹⁴ tn Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”

[8:19]  ³⁹⁷ tn Grk “Then they were saying to him.” The imperfect verb has been translated with ingressive force here because of the introduction of a new line of questioning by the Pharisees. Jesus had just claimed his Father as a second witness; now his opponents want to know who his father is.

[8:19]  ³⁹⁸ sn If you knew me you would know my Father too. Jesus’ reply is based on his identity with the Father (see also John 1:18; 14:9).

[8:20]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:20]  ⁴⁰¹ tn The term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazofulakion) can be translated “treasury” or “treasure room” in this context. BDAG 186 s.v. 1 notes, “It can be taken in this sense J 8:20 (sing.) in (or at) the treasury.” BDAG 186 s.v. 2 argues that the occurrences of this word in the synoptic gospels also refer to the treasury: “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.

[8:20]  ⁴⁰² tn Grk “the temple.”

[8:20]  ⁴⁰³ tn Grk “his hour.”

[8:20]  ⁴⁰⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[8:21]  ⁴⁰³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:21]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn The expression οὖν πάλιν (oun palin) indicates some sort of break in the sequence of events, but it is not clear how long. The author does not mention the interval between 8:12-20 and this next recorded dialogue. The feast of Tabernacles is past, and the next reference to time is 10:22, where the feast of the Dedication is mentioned. The interval is two months, and these discussions could have taken place at any time within that interval, as long as one assumes something of a loose chronological framework. However, if the material in the Fourth Gospel is arranged theologically or thematically, such an assumption would not apply.

[8:21]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Grk “you will seek me.”

[8:21]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn The expression ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε (en th Jamartia Jumwn apoqaneisqe) is similar to an expression found in the LXX at Ezek 3:18, 20 and Prov 24:9. Note the singular of ἁμαρτία (the plural occurs later in v. 24). To die with one’s sin unrepented and unatoned would be the ultimate disaster to befall a person. Jesus’ warning is stern but to the point.

[8:22]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. It was the Pharisees who had begun this line of questioning in John 8:13, and there has been no clear change since then in the identity of Jesus’ opponents.

[8:22]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn The imperfect verb has been translated with ingressive force (“began to say”) because the comments that follow were occasioned by Jesus’ remarks in the preceding verse about his upcoming departure.

[8:23]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[8:23]  ⁴¹⁰ tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:24]  ⁴¹² tn Grk “thus I said to you.”

[8:24]  ⁴¹³ tn Grk “unless you believe that I am.” In this context there is an implied predicate nominative (“he”) following the “I am” phrase. What Jesus’ hearers had to acknowledge is that he was who he claimed to be, i.e., the Messiah (cf. 20:31). This view is also reflected in English translations like NIV (“if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be”), NLT (“unless you believe that I am who I say I am”), and CEV (“if you don’t have faith in me for who I am”). For a different view that takes this “I am” and the one in 8:28 as nonpredicated (i.e., absolute), see R. E. Brown, John (AB), 1:533-38. Such a view refers sees the nonpredicated “I am” as a reference to the divine Name revealed in Exod 3:14, and is reflected in English translations like NAB (“if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins”) and TEV (“you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’”).

[8:25]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:26]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Or “I have many things to pronounce in judgment about you.” The two Greek infinitives could be understood as a hendiadys, resulting in one phrase.

[8:26]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:26]  ⁴²⁰ tn Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).

[8:26]  ⁴²¹ tn Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”

[8:27]  ⁴²¹ sn They did not understand…about his Father is a parenthetical note by the author. This type of comment, intended for the benefit of the reader, is typical of the “omniscient author” convention adopted by the author, who is writing from a postresurrection point of view. He writes with the benefit of later knowledge that those who originally heard Jesus’ words would not have had.

[8:28]  ⁴²⁴ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all mss).

[8:28]  ⁴²⁵ tn Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24.

[8:28]  ⁴²⁶ tn Grk “I do nothing from myself.”

[8:28]  ⁴²⁷ tn Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”

[8:29]  ⁴²⁷ tn That is, “he has not abandoned me.”

[8:30]  ⁴³⁰ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.

[8:31]  ⁴³³ tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).

[8:31]  ⁴³⁴ tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”

[8:31]  ⁴³⁵ tn Or “truly.”

[8:32]  ⁴³⁶ tn Or “the truth will release you.” The translation “set you free” or “release you” (unlike the more traditional “make you free”) conveys more the idea that the hearers were currently in a state of slavery from which they needed to be freed. The following context supports precisely this idea.

[8:33]  ⁴³⁹ tn Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).

[8:33]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Grk “They answered to him.”

[8:33]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Or “How is it that you say.”

[8:34]  ⁴⁴² tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:34]  ⁴⁴³ tn Or “who commits.” This could simply be translated, “everyone who sins,” but the Greek is more emphatic, using the participle ποιῶν (poiwn) in a construction with πᾶς (pas), a typical Johannine construction. Here repeated, continuous action is in view. The one whose lifestyle is characterized by repeated, continuous sin is a slave to sin. That one is not free; sin has enslaved him. To break free from this bondage requires outside (divine) intervention. Although the statement is true at the general level (the person who continually practices a lifestyle of sin is enslaved to sin) the particular sin of the Jewish authorities, repeatedly emphasized in the Fourth Gospel, is the sin of unbelief. The present tense in this instance looks at the continuing refusal on the part of the Jewish leaders to acknowledge who Jesus is, in spite of mounting evidence.

[8:34]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[8:35]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Or “household.” The Greek work οἰκία (oikia) can denote the family as consisting of relatives by both descent and marriage, as well as slaves and servants, living in the same house (more the concept of an “extended family”).

[8:35]  ⁴⁴⁶ sn Jesus’ point is that while a slave may be part of a family or household, the slave is not guaranteed a permanent place there, while a son, as a descendant or blood relative, will always be guaranteed a place in the family (remains forever).

[8:36]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn Or “Son.” The question is whether “son” is to be understood as a direct reference to Jesus himself, or as an indirect reference (a continuation of the generic illustration begun in the previous verse).

[8:37]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).

[8:37]  ⁴⁵² tn Grk “you are seeking.”

[8:37]  ⁴⁵³ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:37]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn Or “finds no place in you.” The basic idea seems to be something (in this case Jesus’ teaching) making headway or progress where resistance is involved. See BDAG 1094 s.v. χωρέω 2.

[8:38]  ⁴⁵⁴ 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.

[8:38]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”

[8:38]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Grk “and you.”

[8:38]  ⁴⁵⁷ 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.

[8:39]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[8:39]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”

[8:39]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:39]  ⁴⁶⁰ tc Although most mss (C W Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï) have the imperfect ἦτε (hte, “you were”) here, making this sentence a proper second class condition, the harder reading, ἐστε (este, “you are”), is found in the better witnesses (Ì^66,75 א B D L 070 pc lat).

[8:39]  ⁴⁶¹ tc Some important mss (Ì⁶⁶ B* [700]) have the present imperative ποιεῖτε (poieite) here: “If you are Abraham’s children, then do,” while many others (א² C K L N Δ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 565 579 892 pm) add the contingent particle ἄν (an) to ἐποιεῖτε (epoieite) making it a more proper second class condition by Attic standards. The simple ἐποιεῖτε without the ἄν is the hardest reading, and is found in some excellent witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א* B² D W Γ Θ 070 0250 1424 pm).

[8:40]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Grk “seeking.”

[8:40]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Grk “has spoken to you.”

[8:40]  ⁴⁶² tn The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.

[8:41]  ⁴⁶³ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:41]  ⁴⁶⁴ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א B L W 070 it sy^s,p co) lack the conjunction here, while the earliest witnesses along with many others read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì^66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 ˹³ 33 Ï). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the combined testimony of two early papyri for the conjunction is impressive, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 52). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁷ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:41]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:41]  ⁴⁶⁶ sn We were not born as a result of immorality! is ironic, because Jesus’ opponents implied that it was not themselves but Jesus who had been born as a result of immoral behavior. This shows they did not know Jesus’ true origin and were not aware of the supernatural events surrounding his birth. The author does not even bother to refute the opponents’ suggestion but lets it stand, assuming his readers will know the true story.

[8:42]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:42]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”

[8:42]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[8:42]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Grk “from myself.”

[8:42]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).

[8:43]  ⁴⁶⁹ 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.

[8:43]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:44]  ⁴⁷² tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.

[8:44]  ⁴⁷³ 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).

[8:44]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”

[8:44]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).

[8:44]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).

[8:44]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”

[8:44]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”

[8:44]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”

[8:45]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Or “because I tell you.”

[8:46]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn Or “can convict me.”

[8:46]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”

[8:46]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Or “if I tell you.”

[8:47]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Grk “who is of.”

[8:47]  ⁴⁸² tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ⁴⁸³ tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Grk “you are not of God.”

[8:48]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.

[8:48]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[8:48]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”

[8:48]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (Samarith" ei su kai daimonion ecei"). The meaning could be “you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon.” Note that the dual charge gets one reply (John 8:49). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.

[8:49]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”

[8:49]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

[8:50]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Grk “I am not seeking.”

[8:50]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Grk “my glory.”

[8:50]  ⁴⁹² tn Grk “who seeks.”

[8:50]  ⁴⁹³ tn Or “will be the judge.”

[8:51]  ⁴⁹³ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:51]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:51]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:51]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[8:52]  ⁴⁹⁶ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ א B C W Θ 579 it) lack the conjunction here, while other witnesses read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì⁷⁵ D L Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the most important Johannine papyrus (Ì⁷⁵) has the conjunction, the combination of Ì⁶⁶ א B for the omission is even stronger. Further, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 41). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁷ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:52]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31 and 48, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31).

[8:52]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:52]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Grk “you have a demon.”

[8:52]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

[8:52]  ⁵⁰¹ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:52]  ⁵⁰² tn Grk “my word.”

[8:52]  ⁵⁰³ tn Grk “will never taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[8:52]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[8:53]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).

[8:54]  ⁵⁰² tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[8:54]  ⁵⁰³ tn Grk “is nothing.”

[8:54]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:55]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.

[8:55]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”

[8:55]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Grk “I keep.”

[8:55]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Grk “his word.”

[8:56]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”

[8:56]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement that the patriarch Abraham “saw” his day and rejoiced? The use of past tenses would seem to refer to something that occurred during the patriarch’s lifetime. Genesis Rabbah 44:25ff, (cf. 59:6) states that Rabbi Akiba, in a debate with Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai, held that Abraham had been shown not this world only but the world to come (this would include the days of the Messiah). More realistically, it is likely that Gen 22:13-15 lies behind Jesus’ words. This passage, known to rabbis as the Akedah (“Binding”), tells of Abraham finding the ram which will replace his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice – an occasion of certain rejoicing.

[8:57]  ⁵¹¹ tn Grk “Then the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31, 48, and 52, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.

[8:57]  ⁵¹² tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:57]  ⁵¹³ tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).

[8:57]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Grk “And have.”

[8:58]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:58]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Grk “before Abraham was.”

[8:58]  ⁵¹⁶ sn I am! is an explicit claim to deity. Although each occurrence of the phrase “I am” in the Fourth Gospel needs to be examined individually in context to see if an association with Exod 3:14 is present, it seems clear that this is the case here (as the response of the Jewish authorities in the following verse shows).

[8:59]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Grk “they took up.”

[8:59]  ⁵¹⁸ sn Jesus’ Jewish listeners understood his claim to deity, rejected it, and picked up stones to throw at him for what they considered blasphemy.

[8:59]  ⁵¹⁹ tc Most later witnesses (A Θ^c Ë^1,13 Ï) have at the end of the verse “passing through their midst, he went away in this manner” (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου καὶ παρῆγεν οὕτως, dielqwn dia mesou kai parhgen {outw"), while many others have similar permutations (so א^1,2 C L N Ψ 070 33 579 892 1241 al). The wording is similar to two other texts: Luke 4:30 (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου; in several mss αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο καί [autwn eporeueto kai] is found between this phrase and παρῆγεν, strengthening the parallel with Luke 4:30) and John 9:1 (παρῆγεν; cf. παράγων [paragwn] there). The effect is to signal Jesus’ departure as a miraculous cloaking. As such, the additional statement has all the earmarks of scribal amplification. Further, the best and earliest witnesses (Ì^66,75 א* B D W Θ* lat sa) lack these words, rendering the shorter text virtually certain.