Discovery BoxJohn 8:39-59
Context8:39 They answered him, 1 “Abraham is our father!” 2 Jesus replied, 3 “If you are 4 Abraham’s children, you would be doing 5 the deeds of Abraham. 8:40 But now you are trying 6 to kill me, a man who has told you 7 the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 8 8:41 You people 9 are doing the deeds of your father.”
Then 10 they said to Jesus, 11 “We were not born as a result of immorality! 12 We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, 13 “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. 14 I 15 have not come on my own initiative, 16 but he 17 sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept 18 my teaching. 19 8:44 You people 20 are from 21 your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. 22 He 23 was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, 24 because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, 25 he speaks according to his own nature, 26 because he is a liar and the father of lies. 27 8:45 But because I am telling you 28 the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty 29 of any sin? 30 If I am telling you 31 the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to 32 God listens and responds 33 to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, 34 because you don’t belong to God.” 35
8:48 The Judeans 36 replied, 37 “Aren’t we correct in saying 38 that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” 39 8:49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, 40 but I honor my Father – and yet 41 you dishonor me. 8:50 I am not trying to get 42 praise for myself. 43 There is one who demands 44 it, and he also judges. 45 8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, 46 if anyone obeys 47 my teaching, 48 he will never see death.” 49
8:52 Then 50 the Judeans 51 responded, 52 “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! 53 Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet 54 you say, ‘If anyone obeys 55 my teaching, 56 he will never experience 57 death.’ 58 8:53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? 59 And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 8:54 Jesus replied, 60 “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. 61 The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people 62 say, ‘He is our God.’ 8:55 Yet 63 you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, 64 I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey 65 his teaching. 66 8:56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed 67 to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” 68
8:57 Then the Judeans 69 replied, 70 “You are not yet fifty years old! 71 Have 72 you seen Abraham?” 8:58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, 73 before Abraham came into existence, 74 I am!” 75 8:59 Then they picked up 76 stones to throw at him, 77 but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area. 78
[8:39] 1 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
[8:39] 2 tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”
[8:39] 3 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[8:39] 4 tc Although most
[8:39] 5 tc Some important
[8:40] 7 tn Grk “has spoken to you.”
[8:40] 8 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] 9 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] 10 tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א B L W 070 it sys,p co) lack the conjunction here, while the earliest witnesses along with many others read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë13 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] 11 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:41] 12 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] 13 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[8:42] 14 tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
[8:42] 15 tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[8:42] 16 tn Grk “from myself.”
[8:42] 17 tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).
[8:43] 18 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.
[8:44] 20 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
[8:44] 21 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] 22 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
[8:44] 23 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
[8:44] 24 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
[8:44] 25 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
[8:44] 26 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
[8:44] 27 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
[8:45] 28 tn Or “because I tell you.”
[8:46] 29 tn Or “can convict me.”
[8:46] 30 tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
[8:46] 31 tn Or “if I tell you.”
[8:47] 33 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
[8:47] 34 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
[8:47] 35 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
[8:48] 36 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] 37 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[8:48] 38 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
[8:48] 39 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] 40 tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”
[8:49] 41 tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
[8:50] 42 tn Grk “I am not seeking.”
[8:50] 45 tn Or “will be the judge.”
[8:51] 46 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[8:51] 47 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
[8:51] 49 tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
[8:52] 50 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 Ë1,13 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] 51 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] 52 tn Grk “said to him.”
[8:52] 53 tn Grk “you have a demon.”
[8:52] 54 tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
[8:52] 55 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
[8:52] 57 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] 58 tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
[8:53] 59 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] 60 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[8:54] 61 tn Grk “is nothing.”
[8:54] 62 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] 63 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
[8:55] 64 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
[8:56] 67 tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”
[8:56] 68 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] 69 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] 70 tn Grk “said to him.”
[8:57] 71 tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).
[8:58] 73 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[8:58] 74 tn Grk “before Abraham was.”
[8:58] 75 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] 76 tn Grk “they took up.”
[8:59] 77 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] 78 tc Most later witnesses (A Θc Ë1,13 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 א1,2 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
