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1 Chronicles 22-24
New English Translation

22 1 David then said, “This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”

David Orders a Temple to Be Built

2 David ordered the resident foreigners[a] in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God’s temple. 3 David supplied a large amount of iron for the nails of the doors of the gates and for braces, more bronze than could be weighed, 4 and more cedar logs than could be counted. (The Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large amount of cedar logs to David.)

5 David said, “My son Solomon is just an inexperienced young man,[b] and the temple to be built for the Lord must be especially magnificent so it will become famous and be considered splendid by all the nations.[c] Therefore I will make preparations for its construction.” So David made extensive preparations before he died.

6 He summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon: “My son, I really wanted[d] to build a temple to honor[e] the Lord my God. 8 But this was the Lord’s message to me: ‘You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me,[f] for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me. 9 Look, you will have a son, who will be a peaceful man.[g] I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side.[h] Indeed, Solomon[i] will be his name; I will give Israel peace and quiet during his reign.[j] 10 He will build a temple to honor me;[k] he will become my son, and I will become his father. I will grant to his dynasty permanent rule over Israel.’[l]

11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would.[m] 12 Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey[n] the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will succeed, if you carefully obey the rules and regulations which the Lord ordered Moses to give to Israel.[o] Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic![p] 14 Now, look, I have made every effort to supply what is needed to build the Lord’s temple.[q] I have stored up 100,000 talents[r] of gold, 1,000,000 talents[s] of silver, and so much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, as well as wood and stones. Feel free to add more! 15 You also have available many workers, including stonecutters, masons, carpenters,[t] and an innumerable array of workers who are skilled 16 in using gold, silver, bronze, and iron.[u] Get up and begin the work! May the Lord be with you!”

17 David ordered all the officials of Israel to support[v] his son Solomon. 18 He told them,[w] “The Lord your God is with you![x] He has made you secure on every side,[y] for he handed over to me the inhabitants of the region[z] and the region[aa] is subdued before the Lord and his people. 19 Now seek the Lord your God wholeheartedly and with your entire being![ab] Get up and build the sanctuary of the Lord God! Then you can bring[ac] the ark of the Lord’s covenant and the holy items dedicated to God’s service[ad] into the temple that is built to honor the Lord.”[ae]

David Organizes the Levites

23 When David was old and approaching the end of his life,[af] he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

2 David[ag] assembled all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites who were thirty years old and up were counted; there were 38,000 men.[ah] 4 David said,[ai] “Of these, 24,000 are to direct the work of the Lord’s temple; 6,000 are to be officials and judges; 5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers; and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments I supplied for worship.”[aj] 6 David divided them into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 The Gershonites included Ladan and Shimei.

8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the oldest, Zetham, and Joel—three in all.

9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three in all.

These were the leaders of the family of Ladan.

10 The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina,[ak] Jeush, and Beriah. These were Shimei’s sons—four in all.[al] 11 Jahath was the oldest and Zizah the second oldest. Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were considered one family with one responsibility.

12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.

13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses.

Aaron and his descendants were chosen on a permanent basis to consecrate the most holy items, to offer sacrifices before the Lord, to serve him, and to praise his name.[am] 14 The descendants of Moses the man of God were considered Levites.[an]

15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 The son[ao] of Gershom: Shebuel[ap] the oldest.

17 The son of Eliezer was[aq] Rehabiah, the oldest. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.

18 The son[ar] of Izhar: Shelomith the oldest.

19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the oldest, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the oldest, and Isshiah the second.

21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

22 Eleazar died without having sons; he had only daughters. The sons of Kish, their cousins, married them.[as]

23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all.

24 These were the descendants of Levi according to their families, that is, the leaders of families as counted and individually listed who carried out assigned tasks in the Lord’s temple and were twenty years old and up.[at] 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given his people rest and has permanently settled in Jerusalem. 26 So the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the items used in its service.” 27 According to David’s final instructions, the Levites twenty years old or older were counted.[au]

28 Their job was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the Lord’s temple. They were to take care of the courtyards, the rooms, ceremonial purification of all holy items, and other jobs related to the service of God’s temple.[av] 29 They also took care of[aw] the bread that is displayed, the flour for offerings, the unleavened wafers, the round cakes, the mixing, and all the measuring.[ax] 30 They also stood in a designated place[ay] every morning and offered thanks and praise to the Lord. They also did this in the evening 31 and whenever burnt sacrifices were offered to the Lord on the Sabbath and at new moon festivals and assemblies. A designated number were to serve before the Lord regularly in accordance with regulations.[az] 32 They were in charge of the meeting tent and the Holy Place, and helped their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the Lord’s temple.[ba]

David Organizes the Priests

24 The divisions of Aaron’s descendants were as follows:

The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

2 Nadab and Abihu died before their father did; they had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

3 David, Zadok (a descendant of Eleazar), and Ahimelech (a descendant of Ithamar) divided them into groups to carry out their assigned responsibilities.[bb] 4 The descendants of Eleazar had more leaders than the descendants of Ithamar, so they divided them up accordingly; the descendants of Eleazar had sixteen leaders, while the descendants of Ithamar had eight.[bc] 5 They divided them by lots, for there were officials of the Holy Place and officials designated by God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.[bd] 6 The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, wrote down their names before the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the priestly and Levite families. One family was drawn by lot from Eleazar, and then the next from Ithamar.[be]

7 The first lot went to Jehoiarib,

the second to Jedaiah,

8 the third to Harim,

the fourth to Seorim,

9 the fifth to Malkijah,

the sixth to Mijamin,

10 the seventh to Hakkoz,

the eighth to Abijah,

11 the ninth to Jeshua,

the tenth to Shecaniah,

12 the eleventh to Eliashib,

the twelfth to Jakim,

13 the thirteenth to Huppah,

the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

14 the fifteenth to Bilgah,

the sixteenth to Immer,

15 the seventeenth to Hezir,

the eighteenth to Happizzez,

16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah,

the twentieth to Jehezkel,

17 the twenty-first to Jakin,

the twenty-second to Gamul,

18 the twenty-third to Delaiah,

the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

19 This was the order in which they carried out their assigned responsibilities when they entered the Lord’s temple, according to the regulations given them by their ancestor[bf] Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had instructed him.[bg]

Remaining Levites

20 The rest of the Levites included:[bh]

Shubael[bi] from the sons of Amram,

Jehdeiah from the sons of Shubael,

21 the firstborn Isshiah from Rehabiah and the sons of Rehabiah,

22 Shelomoth from the Izharites,

Jahath from the sons of Shelomoth.

23 The sons of Hebron:[bj] Jeriah, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

24 The son[bk] of Uzziel: Micah;

Shamir from the sons of Micah.

25 The brother of Micah: Isshiah.

Zechariah from the sons of Isshiah.

26 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

The son of Jaaziah: Beno.[bl]

27 The sons of Merari, from Jaaziah: Beno,[bm] Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

28 From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

29 From Kish: Jerahmeel.[bn]

30 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the Levites, listed by their families.

31 Like their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, they also cast lots before King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, the leaders of families, the priests, and the Levites. The families of the oldest son cast lots along with those of the youngest.[bo]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:2 sn The term גֵּר (ger) refers to a foreign resident, but with different social implications in different settings. In Mosaic Law the resident foreigner was essentially a naturalized citizen and convert to worshiping the God of Israel (see Exod 12:19, 48; Deut 29:10-13).
  2. 1 Chronicles 22:5 tn Heb “a young man and tender.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 22:5 tn Heb “and the house to build to make exceedingly great for a name and for splendor for all the lands.”
  4. 1 Chronicles 22:7 tn Heb “I was with my heart.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 22:7 tn Heb “for the name of.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 22:8 tn Heb “for my name.”
  7. 1 Chronicles 22:9 tn Heb “man of rest.”
  8. 1 Chronicles 22:9 tn Heb “his enemies all around.”
  9. 1 Chronicles 22:9 sn The name Solomon (שְׁלֹמֹה, shelomoh) sounds like (and may be derived from) the Hebrew word for “peace” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom).
  10. 1 Chronicles 22:9 tn Heb “in his days.”
  11. 1 Chronicles 22:10 tn Heb “for my name.”
  12. 1 Chronicles 22:10 tn Heb “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel permanently.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 22:11 tn Heb “as he spoke concerning you.”
  14. 1 Chronicles 22:12 tn Or “keep.”
  15. 1 Chronicles 22:13 tn Heb “which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel.”
  16. 1 Chronicles 22:13 tn Or perhaps, “and don’t get discouraged.”
  17. 1 Chronicles 22:14 tn Heb “and look, in my affliction [or perhaps, “poverty”] I have supplied for the house of the Lord.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 22:14 tn See the note on the word “talents” in 19:6.
  19. 1 Chronicles 22:14 tn Heb “a thousand thousands.”
  20. 1 Chronicles 22:15 tn Heb “craftsmen of stone and wood.”
  21. 1 Chronicles 22:16 tn Heb “and every kind of skilled one in all work, concerning gold, concerning silver, and concerning bronze, and concerning iron, there is no numbering.”
  22. 1 Chronicles 22:17 tn Or “help.”
  23. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn The words “he told them” are added in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  24. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question, “Is not the Lord your God with you?” The question anticipates the response, “Of course he is!” Thus in the translation the positive statement “The Lord your God is with you!” has been used.
  25. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn Heb “and he gives rest to you all around.”
  26. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn Or “earth.”
  27. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn Or “earth.”
  28. 1 Chronicles 22:19 tn Heb “now give your heart and your being to seek the Lord your God.”
  29. 1 Chronicles 22:19 tn Heb “to bring.”
  30. 1 Chronicles 22:19 tn Heb “items of holiness of God.”
  31. 1 Chronicles 22:19 tn Heb “for the name of the Lord.”
  32. 1 Chronicles 23:1 tn Heb “and full of years.”
  33. 1 Chronicles 23:2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  34. 1 Chronicles 23:3 tn Heb “and their number by their heads, by men, was 38,000.”
  35. 1 Chronicles 23:4 tn The words “David said” are supplied here in the translation for clarification. The appearance of the first person verb “I supplied” in v. 5 indicates that David is speaking here.
  36. 1 Chronicles 23:5 tn Heb “made to [or “for”] praise.”
  37. 1 Chronicles 23:10 tc The MT reads “Zina” here and “Zizah” in v. 11. One Hebrew ms, the LXX, and the Vulgate, harmonizing the form of the name to that found in v. 11, read “Zizah” here.
  38. 1 Chronicles 23:10 sn Verses 8-10 are confusing. Two different lists of Shimei’s sons appear. In between these lists is the statement “these were the leaders of the family of Ladan,” suggesting that the list just before this includes the sons of Ladan, not Shimei. But verse 8 already lists Ladan’s sons. Apparently the text as it stands is a conflation of differing traditions.
  39. 1 Chronicles 23:13 tn Heb “and Aaron was set apart to consecrate it, the most holy things, he and his sons, permanently, to sacrifice before the Lord, to serve him, and to bless his name permanently.”
  40. 1 Chronicles 23:14 tn Heb “and Moses the man of God, his sons were called to the tribe of Levi.”
  41. 1 Chronicles 23:16 tn The Hebrew text has the plural “sons,” but only one name appears after this. The attached phrase “the oldest” might indicate that Shebuel was not Gershom’s only son, but note v. 17.
  42. 1 Chronicles 23:16 tc The LXX reads Σουβαηλ (Soubaēl) here, a reading followed by NAB, NIV, NCV, CEV (“Shubael”); cf. 24:20.
  43. 1 Chronicles 23:17 tn The Hebrew text has “the sons of Eliezer were,” but only one name appears after this in the verse, and we are specifically told that Eliezer had no other sons.
  44. 1 Chronicles 23:18 tn The Hebrew text has the plural “sons,” but only one name appears after this. The attached phrase “the oldest” might indicate that Shelomith was not Izhar’s only son, but note v. 17.
  45. 1 Chronicles 23:22 tn Heb “the sons of Kish, their brothers [i.e., relatives/cousins] lifted them up.” For other uses of נָאָשׂ (naʾas, “lift up”) in the sense of “marry,” see BDB 671 s.v. Qal.3.d.
  46. 1 Chronicles 23:24 tn Heb “these were the sons of Levi according to the house of their fathers, heads of the fathers, according to their numberings, by number of names, according to their heads, doer[s] of the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from a son of twenty years and upwards.”
  47. 1 Chronicles 23:27 tn Heb “for by the final words of David, they were the number of the sons of Levi, from a son of twenty years and upward.”
  48. 1 Chronicles 23:28 tn Heb “For their assignment was at the hand of the sons of Aaron for the work of the house of the Lord concerning the courtyards and concerning the rooms and concerning the purification of all holiness and the work of the service of the house of God.”
  49. 1 Chronicles 23:29 tn Heb “with respect to.”
  50. 1 Chronicles 23:29 tn The Hebrew terms מְשׂוּרָה (mesurah) and מִדָּה (middah) refer to different types of measurements.
  51. 1 Chronicles 23:30 tn Heb “and to stand.”
  52. 1 Chronicles 23:31 tn Heb “by number according to the manner upon them, regularly before the Lord.”
  53. 1 Chronicles 23:32 tn Heb “and they kept the charge of the tent of meeting and the charge of the holy place and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the service of the house of the Lord.”
  54. 1 Chronicles 24:3 tn Heb “for their assignment in their service.”
  55. 1 Chronicles 24:4 tn Heb “And the sons of Eleazar were found to be more, with respect to the heads of men, than the sons of Ithamar, and they divided them. To the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen heads, according to the house of the fathers; and to the sons of Ithamar there were eight, according to the house of their fathers.”
  56. 1 Chronicles 24:5 tn Heb “and they divided them by lots, these with these, for the officials of the holy place and the officials of God were from the sons of Eleazar and among the sons of Ithamar.”
  57. 1 Chronicles 24:6 tn Heb “one house of a father was drawn by lot for Eleazar, and one [this assumes an emendation of אָחֻז (ʾakhuz) to אֶחָד (ʾekhad, “one”)] was drawn by lot for Ithamar.”
  58. 1 Chronicles 24:19 tn Heb “father.”
  59. 1 Chronicles 24:19 tn Heb “these were their responsibilities for their service to enter the house of the Lord according to their manner [given] by the hand of Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel commanded him.”
  60. 1 Chronicles 24:20 tn Heb “Belonging to the rest of the sons of Levi.”
  61. 1 Chronicles 24:20 tn This appears to be a variant of the name Shebuel (cf. 1 Chr 23:16 and 26:24).
  62. 1 Chronicles 24:23 tc Most Hebrew mss omit “Hebron” here, but see 1 Chr 23:19. The name is included in two Hebrew mss and some LXX mss.
  63. 1 Chronicles 24:24 tn The Hebrew text has the plural “sons,” but only one name appears after this.
  64. 1 Chronicles 24:26 tn Heb “the sons of Jaaziah, Beno.” Apparently בְנוֹ (veno), which could be translated “his son,” is a proper name here. The text, however, may be defective at this point; a list of Jaaziah’s sons may have been accidentally omitted. See v. 27.
  65. 1 Chronicles 24:27 tn Or “from Jaaziah his son.” See the note on “Beno” in v. 26.
  66. 1 Chronicles 24:29 tc The Hebrew text has, “Belonging to [i.e., from] Kish, the sons of Kish, Jerahmeel.” There appears to be a conflation of headings.
  67. 1 Chronicles 24:31 tn Heb “the fathers [i.e., families] of the head [i.e., oldest] just like his youngest brother.”
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1 Chronicles 21
1 Chronicles 25
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John 8:28-59
New English Translation

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

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans[g] who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching,[h] you are really[i] my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”[j] 33 “We are descendants[k] of Abraham,” they replied,[l] “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say,[m] ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth,[n] everyone who practices[o] sin is a slave[p] of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the family[q] forever, but the son remains forever.[r] 36 So if the son[s] sets you free, you will be really free. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants.[t] But you want[u] to kill me, because my teaching[v] makes no progress among you.[w] 38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the[x] Father;[y] as for you,[z] practice the things you have heard from the[aa] Father!”

39 They answered him,[ab] “Abraham is our father!”[ac] Jesus replied,[ad] “If you are[ae] Abraham’s children, you would be doing[af] the deeds of Abraham. 40 But now you are trying[ag] to kill me, a man who has told you[ah] the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this![ai] 41 You people[aj] are doing the deeds of your father.”

Then[ak] they said to Jesus,[al] “We were not born as a result of immorality![am] We have only one Father, God himself.” 42 Jesus replied,[an] “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here.[ao] I[ap] have not come on my own initiative,[aq] but he[ar] sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept[as] my teaching.[at] 44 You people[au] are from[av] your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires.[aw] He[ax] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth,[ay] because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies,[az] he speaks according to his own nature,[ba] because he is a liar and the father of lies.[bb] 45 But because I am telling you[bc] the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you can prove me guilty[bd] of any sin?[be] If I am telling you[bf] the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 The one who belongs to[bg] God listens and responds[bh] to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond,[bi] because you don’t belong to God.”[bj]

48 The Judeans[bk] replied,[bl] “Aren’t we correct in saying[bm] that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?”[bn] 49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon,[bo] but I honor my Father—and yet[bp] you dishonor me. 50 I am not trying to get[bq] praise for myself.[br] There is one who demands[bs] it, and he also judges.[bt] 51 I tell you the solemn truth,[bu] if anyone obeys[bv] my teaching,[bw] he will never see death.”[bx]

52 Then[by] the Judeans[bz] responded,[ca] “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon![cb] Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet[cc] you say, ‘If anyone obeys[cd] my teaching,[ce] he will never experience[cf] death.’[cg] 53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?[ch] And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus replied,[ci] “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless.[cj] The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people[ck] say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Yet[cl] you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him,[cm] I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey[cn] his teaching.[co] 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed[cp] to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”[cq]

57 Then the Judeans[cr] replied,[cs] “You are not yet fifty years old![ct] Have[cu] you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth,[cv] before Abraham came into existence,[cw] I am!”[cx] 59 Then they picked up[cy] stones to throw at him,[cz] but Jesus was hidden from them[da] and went out from the temple area.[db]

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Footnotes

  1. John 8:28 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all mss).
  2. John 8:28 tn Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24.
  3. John 8:28 tn Grk “I do nothing from myself.”
  4. John 8:28 tn Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”
  5. John 8:29 tn That is, “he has not abandoned me.”
  6. John 8:30 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.
  7. John 8:31 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. John 8:31 tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”
  9. John 8:31 tn Or “truly.”
  10. John 8:32 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.sn The statement the truth will set you free is often taken as referring to truth in the philosophical (or absolute) sense, or in the intellectual sense, or even (as the Jews apparently took it) in the political sense. In the context of John’s Gospel (particularly in light of the prologue) this must refer to truth about the person and work of Jesus. It is saving truth. As L. Morris says, “it is the truth which saves men from the darkness of sin, not that which saves them from the darkness of error (though there is a sense in which men in Christ are delivered from gross error)” (John [NICNT], 457).
  11. John 8:33 tn Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).
  12. John 8:33 tn Grk “They answered to him.”
  13. John 8:33 tn Or “How is it that you say.”
  14. John 8:34 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  15. John 8:34 tn Or “who commits.” This could simply be translated, “everyone who sins,” but the Greek is more emphatic, using the participle ποιῶν (poiōn) 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.
  16. John 8:34 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
  17. John 8:35 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”).
  18. John 8:35 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).
  19. John 8:36 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).
  20. John 8:37 tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).
  21. John 8:37 tn Grk “you are seeking.”
  22. John 8:37 tn Grk “my word.”
  23. John 8:37 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.
  24. John 8:38 tc The first person pronoun μου (mou, “my”) may be implied, especially if ὑμῶν (humōn, “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 ƒ1,13 33 M it sy). No pronoun here is read by P66,75 B C L 070. This problem cannot be isolated from the second in the verse, however. See that discussion below.
  25. John 8:38 tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”
  26. John 8:38 tn Grk “and you.”
  27. John 8:38 tc A few significant witnesses lack ὑμῶν (humōn, “your”) here (P66,75 B L W 070), while the majority have the pronoun (א C D Θ Ψ 0250 ƒ1,13 33 565 892 M al lat sy). However, these mss do not agree on the placement of the pronoun: τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ποιεῖτε (tou patros humōn poieite), τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν (tō patri humōn), and τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ταῦτα (tō patri humōn 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.
  28. John 8:39 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
  29. John 8:39 tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”
  30. John 8:39 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
  31. John 8:39 tc Although most mss (C W Θ Ψ 0250 ƒ1,13 33 M) have the imperfect ἦτε (ēte, “you were”) here, making this sentence a proper second class condition, the harder reading, ἐστε (este, “you are”), is found in the better witnesses (P66,75 א B D L 070 lat).
  32. John 8:39 tc Some significant mss (P66 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 ƒ1,13 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 (P75 א* B2 D W Γ Θ 070 0250 1424 pm).tn Or “you would do.”
  33. John 8:40 tn Grk “seeking.”
  34. John 8:40 tn Grk “has spoken to you.”
  35. John 8:40 tn The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.
  36. John 8:41 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
  37. John 8:41 tc ‡ Significant 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”; P66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 ƒ13 33 M). 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. NA28 has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
  38. John 8:41 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
  39. John 8:41 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.
  40. John 8:42 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
  41. John 8:42 tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
  42. John 8:42 tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
  43. John 8:42 tn Grk “from myself.”
  44. John 8:42 tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).
  45. John 8:43 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.
  46. John 8:43 tn Grk “my word.”
  47. John 8:44 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
  48. John 8:44 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).
  49. John 8:44 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
  50. John 8:44 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
  51. John 8:44 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
  52. John 8:44 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
  53. John 8:44 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
  54. John 8:44 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
  55. John 8:45 tn Or “because I tell you.”
  56. John 8:46 tn Or “can convict me.”
  57. John 8:46 tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
  58. John 8:46 tn Or “if I tell you.”
  59. John 8:47 tn Grk “who is of.”
  60. John 8:47 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
  61. John 8:47 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
  62. John 8:47 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
  63. John 8:48 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.
  64. John 8:48 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
  65. John 8:48 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
  66. John 8:48 tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (Samaritēs ei su kai daimonion echeis). 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.
  67. John 8:49 tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”
  68. John 8:49 tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
  69. John 8:50 tn Grk “I am not seeking.”
  70. John 8:50 tn Grk “my glory.”
  71. John 8:50 tn Grk “who seeks.”
  72. John 8:50 tn Or “will be the judge.”
  73. John 8:51 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  74. John 8:51 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
  75. John 8:51 tn Grk “my word.”
  76. John 8:51 tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.sn Those who keep Jesus’ words will not see death because they have already passed from death to life (cf. 5:24). In Johannine theology eternal life begins in the present rather than in the world to come.
  77. John 8:52 tc ‡ Significant and early witnesses (P66 א B C W Θ 579 it) lack the conjunction here, while other witnesses read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; P75 D L Ψ 070 ƒ1,13 33 M lat). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the most important Johannine papyrus (P75) has the conjunction, the combination of P66 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. NA28 has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
  78. John 8:52 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).
  79. John 8:52 tn Grk “said to him.”
  80. John 8:52 tn Grk “you have a demon.”
  81. John 8:52 tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
  82. John 8:52 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
  83. John 8:52 tn Grk “my word.”
  84. John 8:52 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).
  85. John 8:52 tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
  86. John 8:53 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) 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?”).
  87. John 8:54 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
  88. John 8:54 tn Grk “is nothing.”
  89. John 8:54 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
  90. John 8:55 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
  91. John 8:55 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
  92. John 8:55 tn Grk “I keep.”
  93. John 8:55 tn Grk “his word.”
  94. John 8:56 tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”
  95. John 8:56 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.
  96. John 8:57 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.
  97. John 8:57 tn Grk “said to him.”
  98. John 8:57 tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).
  99. John 8:57 tn Grk “And have.”
  100. John 8:58 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  101. John 8:58 tn Grk “before Abraham was.”
  102. John 8:58 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).
  103. John 8:59 tn Grk “they took up.”
  104. John 8:59 sn Jesus’ Jewish listeners understood his claim to deity, rejected it, and picked up stones to throw at him for what they considered blasphemy.
  105. John 8:59 tn The prepositional phrase “from them” has been supplied to clarify that the passive verb “was hidden” does not mean that Jesus turned invisible, but rather that his opponents were not able to find him at that moment.
  106. John 8:59 tc Most later witnesses (A Θc ƒ1,13 M) have at the end of the verse “passing through their midst, he went away in this manner” (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου καὶ παρῆγεν οὕτως, dielthōn dia mesou kai parēgen houtōs), 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 mss αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο καί [autōn eporeueto kai] is found between this phrase and παρῆγεν, strengthening the parallel with Luke 4:30) and John 9:1 (παρῆγεν; cf. παράγων [paragōn] 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 (P66,75 א* B D W Θ* lat sa) lack these words, rendering the shorter text virtually certain.tn Grk “from the temple.”
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