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But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.[a] 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[b] them. The experts in the law[c] and the Pharisees[d] brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them and said to Jesus,[e] “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death[f] such women.[g] What then do you say?” (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against[h] him.)[i] Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.[j] When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight[k] and replied,[l] “Whoever among you is guiltless[m] may be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then[n] he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones,[o] until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up straight[p] and said to her, “Woman,[q] where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 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.”]][r]

Jesus as the Light of the World

12 Then Jesus spoke out again,[s] “I am the light of the world![t] The one who follows me will never[u] walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees[v] objected,[w] “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!”[x] 14 Jesus answered,[y] “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[z] do not know where I came from or where I am going.[aa] 15 You people[ab] judge by outward appearances;[ac] I do not judge anyone.[ad] 16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate,[ae] because I am not alone when I judge,[af] but I and the Father who sent me do so together.[ag] 17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.[ah] 18 I testify about myself[ai] and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

19 Then they began asking[aj] 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.”[ak] 20 (Jesus[al] spoke these words near the offering box[am] while he was teaching in the temple courts.[an] No one seized him because his time[ao] had not yet come.)[ap]

Where Jesus Came From and Where He is Going

21 Then Jesus[aq] said to them again,[ar] “I am going away, and you will look for me[as] but will die in your sin.[at] Where I am going you cannot come.” 22 So the Jewish leaders[au] began to say,[av] “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 23 Jesus replied,[aw] “You people[ax] are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. 24 Thus I told you[ay] that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he,[az] you will die in your sins.”

25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied,[ba] “What I have told you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge[bb] about you, but the Father[bc] who sent me is truthful,[bd] and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.”[be] 27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.)[bf]

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

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans[bm] who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching,[bn] you are really[bo] my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”[bp] 33 “We are descendants[bq] of Abraham,” they replied,[br] “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say,[bs] ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth,[bt] everyone who practices[bu] sin is a slave[bv] of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the family[bw] forever, but the son remains forever.[bx] 36 So if the son[by] sets you free, you will be really free. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants.[bz] But you want[ca] to kill me, because my teaching[cb] makes no progress among you.[cc] 38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the[cd] Father;[ce] as for you,[cf] practice the things you have heard from the[cg] Father!”

39 They answered him,[ch] “Abraham is our father!”[ci] Jesus replied,[cj] “If you are[ck] Abraham’s children, you would be doing[cl] the deeds of Abraham. 40 But now you are trying[cm] to kill me, a man who has told you[cn] the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this![co] 41 You people[cp] are doing the deeds of your father.”

Then[cq] they said to Jesus,[cr] “We were not born as a result of immorality![cs] We have only one Father, God himself.” 42 Jesus replied,[ct] “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here.[cu] I[cv] have not come on my own initiative,[cw] but he[cx] sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept[cy] my teaching.[cz] 44 You people[da] are from[db] your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires.[dc] He[dd] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth,[de] because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies,[df] he speaks according to his own nature,[dg] because he is a liar and the father of lies.[dh] 45 But because I am telling you[di] the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you can prove me guilty[dj] of any sin?[dk] If I am telling you[dl] the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 The one who belongs to[dm] God listens and responds[dn] to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond,[do] because you don’t belong to God.”[dp]

48 The Judeans[dq] replied,[dr] “Aren’t we correct in saying[ds] that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?”[dt] 49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon,[du] but I honor my Father—and yet[dv] you dishonor me. 50 I am not trying to get[dw] praise for myself.[dx] There is one who demands[dy] it, and he also judges.[dz] 51 I tell you the solemn truth,[ea] if anyone obeys[eb] my teaching,[ec] he will never see death.”[ed]

52 Then[ee] the Judeans[ef] responded,[eg] “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon![eh] Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet[ei] you say, ‘If anyone obeys[ej] my teaching,[ek] he will never experience[el] death.’[em] 53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?[en] And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus replied,[eo] “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless.[ep] The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people[eq] say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Yet[er] you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him,[es] I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey[et] his teaching.[eu] 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed[ev] to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”[ew]

57 Then the Judeans[ex] replied,[ey] “You are not yet fifty years old![ez] Have[fa] you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth,[fb] before Abraham came into existence,[fc] I am!”[fd] 59 Then they picked up[fe] stones to throw at him,[ff] but Jesus was hidden from them[fg] and went out from the temple area.[fh]

Footnotes

  1. John 8:1 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.
  2. John 8:2 tn An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.
  3. John 8:3 tn Or “The scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateus) 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.
  4. John 8:3 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
  5. John 8:4 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  6. John 8:5 sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.
  7. John 8:5 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. John 8:6 tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”
  9. John 8:6 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53-8:11.
  10. John 8:6 tn Or possibly “Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger.” The Greek verb καταγράφω (katagraphō) 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]).
  11. John 8:7 tn Or “he straightened up.”
  12. John 8:7 tn Grk “and said to them.”
  13. John 8:7 tn Or “sinless.”
  14. John 8:8 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.
  15. John 8:9 tn Or “beginning from the eldest.”
  16. John 8:10 tn Or “straightened up.”
  17. John 8:10 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.
  18. John 8:11 tc The earliest and best mss do not contain 7:53-8:11 (see note on 7:53).
  19. John 8:12 tn Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”
  20. John 8:12 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.
  21. John 8:12 tn The double negative οὐ μή (ou mē) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.
  22. John 8:13 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
  23. John 8:13 tn Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”
  24. John 8:13 sn Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus’ own statement about his testimony in 5:31.
  25. John 8:14 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”
  26. John 8:14 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.
  27. John 8:14 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.
  28. John 8:15 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.
  29. John 8:15 tn Or “judge according to external things”; Grk “according to the flesh.” These translations are given by BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 5.
  30. John 8:15 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.
  31. John 8:16 tn Grk “my judgment is true.”
  32. John 8:16 tn The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
  33. John 8:16 tn The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
  34. John 8:17 sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.
  35. John 8:18 tn Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”
  36. John 8:19 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.
  37. John 8:19 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).
  38. John 8:20 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  39. John 8:20 tn The term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazophulakion) 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.sn The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200), 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294); and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1).
  40. John 8:20 tn Grk “the temple.”
  41. John 8:20 tn Grk “his hour.”
  42. John 8:20 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  43. John 8:21 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  44. John 8:21 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.
  45. John 8:21 tn Grk “you will seek me.”
  46. John 8:21 tn The expression ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε (en tē hamartia humōn apothaneisthe) 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.
  47. John 8:22 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.
  48. John 8:22 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.
  49. John 8:23 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
  50. John 8:23 tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
  51. John 8:24 tn Grk “thus I said to you.”
  52. John 8:24 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 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’”).sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
  53. John 8:25 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
  54. John 8:26 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.
  55. John 8:26 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  56. John 8:26 tn Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).
  57. John 8:26 tn Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”
  58. John 8:27 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.
  59. John 8:28 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all mss).
  60. John 8:28 tn Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24.
  61. John 8:28 tn Grk “I do nothing from myself.”
  62. John 8:28 tn Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”
  63. John 8:29 tn That is, “he has not abandoned me.”
  64. John 8:30 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.
  65. 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).
  66. John 8:31 tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”
  67. John 8:31 tn Or “truly.”
  68. 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).
  69. John 8:33 tn Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).
  70. John 8:33 tn Grk “They answered to him.”
  71. John 8:33 tn Or “How is it that you say.”
  72. John 8:34 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  73. 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.
  74. John 8:34 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
  75. 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”).
  76. 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).
  77. 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).
  78. John 8:37 tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).
  79. John 8:37 tn Grk “you are seeking.”
  80. John 8:37 tn Grk “my word.”
  81. 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.
  82. 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.
  83. John 8:38 tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”
  84. John 8:38 tn Grk “and you.”
  85. 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.
  86. John 8:39 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
  87. John 8:39 tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”
  88. John 8:39 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
  89. 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).
  90. 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.”
  91. John 8:40 tn Grk “seeking.”
  92. John 8:40 tn Grk “has spoken to you.”
  93. 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.
  94. 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.
  95. 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.
  96. John 8:41 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
  97. 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.
  98. John 8:42 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
  99. John 8:42 tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
  100. John 8:42 tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
  101. John 8:42 tn Grk “from myself.”
  102. John 8:42 tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).
  103. 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.
  104. John 8:43 tn Grk “my word.”
  105. John 8:44 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
  106. 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).
  107. John 8:44 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
  108. John 8:44 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
  109. John 8:44 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
  110. John 8:44 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
  111. John 8:44 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
  112. John 8:44 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
  113. John 8:45 tn Or “because I tell you.”
  114. John 8:46 tn Or “can convict me.”
  115. John 8:46 tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
  116. John 8:46 tn Or “if I tell you.”
  117. John 8:47 tn Grk “who is of.”
  118. John 8:47 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
  119. John 8:47 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
  120. John 8:47 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
  121. 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.
  122. John 8:48 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
  123. John 8:48 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
  124. 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.
  125. John 8:49 tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”
  126. John 8:49 tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
  127. John 8:50 tn Grk “I am not seeking.”
  128. John 8:50 tn Grk “my glory.”
  129. John 8:50 tn Grk “who seeks.”
  130. John 8:50 tn Or “will be the judge.”
  131. John 8:51 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  132. John 8:51 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
  133. John 8:51 tn Grk “my word.”
  134. 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.
  135. 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.
  136. 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).
  137. John 8:52 tn Grk “said to him.”
  138. John 8:52 tn Grk “you have a demon.”
  139. John 8:52 tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
  140. John 8:52 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
  141. John 8:52 tn Grk “my word.”
  142. 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).
  143. John 8:52 tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
  144. John 8:53 tn Questions prefaced with μή () 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?”).
  145. John 8:54 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
  146. John 8:54 tn Grk “is nothing.”
  147. 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.
  148. John 8:55 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
  149. John 8:55 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
  150. John 8:55 tn Grk “I keep.”
  151. John 8:55 tn Grk “his word.”
  152. John 8:56 tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”
  153. 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.
  154. 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.
  155. John 8:57 tn Grk “said to him.”
  156. John 8:57 tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).
  157. John 8:57 tn Grk “And have.”
  158. John 8:58 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  159. John 8:58 tn Grk “before Abraham was.”
  160. 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).
  161. John 8:59 tn Grk “they took up.”
  162. 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.
  163. 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.
  164. 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.”

but de Jesus Iēsous went poreuō to eis the ho Mount oros of ho Olives elaia. Early orthros in the morning · de he came paraginomai again palin to eis the ho temple hieron. · kai All pas the ho people laos were coming erchomai to pros him autos, and kai he sat kathizō down and began to teach didaskō them autos. The ho scribes grammateus and kai the ho Pharisees Pharisaios brought agō · de a woman gynē who had been caught katalambanō in epi adultery moicheia, and kai making histēmi her autos stand before en mesos them, they said legō to Jesus autos, “ Teacher didaskalos, this houtos · ho woman gynē was caught katalambanō in epi the very act autophōros of committing moicheuō adultery . Moses Mōysēs commanded entellō us hēmeis in en · de the ho law nomos to stone lithazō to death · ho such toioutos women . But oun you sy, what tis do you say legō?” ( They said legō this houtos · de as a trap peirazō, so hina they could have echō some basis for accusing katēgoreō him autos.) · ho · de Jesus Iēsous bent kyptō down katō and started writing katagraphō on eis the ho ground with his ho finger daktylos. When hōs · de they kept epimenō on questioning erōtaō him autos, he straightened anakyptō up and kai said legō to them autos, “ The ho man among you hymeis without sin anamartētos, let him ballō be the first prōtos to throw ballō a stone lithos at epi her autos.” · kai Once again palin he bent katakyptō down and wrote graphō on eis the ho ground . At this de, those ho who had heard akouō began to leave exerchomai one heis by kata one heis, starting archō with apo the ho oldest presbyteros; and kai Jesus alone monos was left kataleipō, with kai the ho woman gynē standing eimi before en mesos him. 10 Jesus Iēsous straightened anakyptō up · de · ho and said legō to her autos, “ Woman gynē, where pou are eimi they ? Did katakrinō no oudeis one condemn katakrinō you sy?” 11 She ho · de said legō, “ No oudeis one , Lord kyrios.” Then de Jesus Iēsous said legō, · ho Neither oude do katakrinō I egō condemn katakrinō you sy; go poreuō, and kai from apo · ho now nyn on sin hamartanō no mēketi more .”

12 Again palin Jesus Iēsous spoke laleō to them autos, · ho saying legō, “ I egō am eimi the ho light phōs of the ho world kosmos. The ho one who follows akoloutheō me egō will never ou mē walk peripateō in en · ho darkness skotia, but alla will have echō the ho light phōs of ho life zōē.” 13 Therefore oun the ho Pharisees Pharisaios said legō to him autos, “ You sy are bearing witness martyreō about peri yourself seautou; · ho your sy testimony martyria is eimi not ou valid alēthēs.” 14 Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai them autos, · kai saying legō, “ Even kan if I egō am bearing witness martyreō about peri myself emautou, my egō testimony martyria is eimi valid alēthēs, · ho because hoti I know oida where pothen I came erchomai from and kai where pou I am going hypagō. You hymeis, on de the other hand , do not ou know oida where pothen I come erchomai from or ē where pou I am going hypagō. 15 You hymeis judge krinō according kata to · ho human sarx standards ; I egō judge krinō no one oudeis. 16 But de even kai if ean I egō do judge krinō, · ho my emos judgment krisis · ho is eimi trustworthy alēthinos, because hoti it is eimi not ou I eimi alone monos who judge, but alla I egō and kai the ho Father patēr who sent pempō me egō. 17 · kai In en · ho your own hymeteros law nomos · de · ho it is written graphō that hoti the ho testimony martyria of two dyo men anthrōpos is eimi conclusive alēthēs. 18 I egō am eimi one ho who bears witness martyreō about peri myself emautou, and kai the ho Father patēr who sent pempō me egō also bears martyreō witness about peri me egō.” 19 Then oun they began asking legō him autos, “ Where pou is eimi · ho your sy father patēr?” Jesus Iēsous replied apokrinomai, “ You know oida neither oute me egō nor oute · ho my egō Father patēr. If ei you knew oida me egō you oida would an know oida my egō Father patēr also kai.” · ho 20 Jesus spoke laleō these houtos · ho words rhēma near en the ho treasury gazophylakion as he was teaching didaskō in en the ho temple hieron. · kai No oudeis one seized piazō him autos because hoti his autos hour hōra had not oupō yet come erchomai. · ho

21 Then oun he said legō to them autos again palin, “ I egō am going hypagō away , and kai you will search zēteō for me egō but kai will die apothnēskō in en · ho your hymeis sin hamartia. Where hopou I egō am going hypagō, you hymeis cannot ou dynamai come erchomai.” 22 So oun the ho Jews Ioudaios said legō, “ Surely he is not mēti going to kill apokteinō himself heautou, is he , because hoti he said legō, ‘ Where hopou I egō am going hypagō, you hymeis cannot ou dynamai come erchomai’?” 23 · kai He said legō to them autos, “ You hymeis are eimi from ek · ho below katō; I egō am eimi from ek · ho above anō. You hymeis are eimi of ek this houtos · ho world kosmos; I egō am eimi not ou of ek · ho this houtos world kosmos. 24 This is why oun I said legō to you hymeis that hoti you would die apothnēskō in en · ho your hymeis sins hamartia, for gar if ean you do not believe pisteuō that hoti I egō am eimi he, you will die apothnēskō in en · ho your hymeis sins hamartia.” 25 So oun they said legō to him autos, “ Who tis are eimi you sy?” Jesus Iēsous said legō to them autos, · ho Just hos what tis I have been telling laleō you hymeis from the ho beginning archē. · kai 26 I have echō many polys things to say laleō about peri you hymeis · kai by way of judgment krinō; but alla the ho one who sent pempō me egō is eimi truthful alēthēs, and kagō I say laleō to eis the ho world kosmos only that houtos which hos I have heard akouō from para him autos.” 27 They did not ou understand ginōskō that hoti he was speaking legō to them autos about the ho Father patēr. 28 So oun Jesus Iēsous said legō to them autos, · ho When hotan you lift hypsoō up the ho Son hyios of ho Man anthrōpos, then tote you will know ginōskō that hoti I egō am eimi he. · kai I do poieō nothing oudeis on apo my emautou own , but alla speak laleō only kathōs those things houtos the ho Father patēr has taught didaskō me egō. 29 And kai the ho one who sent pempō me egō is eimi with meta me egō; he has not ou left aphiēmi me egō alone monos, for hoti I egō always pantote do poieō what ho is pleasing arestos to him autos.” 30 As laleō he autos was saying laleō these houtos things , many polys came to believe pisteuō in eis him autos.

31 Jesus Iēsous therefore oun said legō · ho to pros the ho Jews Ioudaios who had put their trust pisteuō in him autos, “ If ean you hymeis continue menō in en · ho my emos word logos, · ho you are eimi truly alēthōs my egō disciples mathētēs, 32 and kai you will come to know ginōskō the ho truth alētheia, and kai the ho truth alētheia will set you hymeis free eleutheroō.” 33 They replied apokrinomai to pros him autos, “ We are eimi descendants sperma of Abraham Abraam and kai have douleuō never pōpote been slaves douleuō to anyone oudeis! How pōs can you sy say legō, ‘ You will become ginomai free eleutheros’?”

34 Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai them autos, · ho I tell legō you hymeis the solemn amēn truth amēn, everyone pas who ho commits poieō · ho sin hamartia is eimi a slave to ho sin hamartia. 35 A ho · de slave does not ou remain menō in en the ho house oikia for eis all ho time aiōn, but a ho son hyios remains menō for eis all ho time aiōn. 36 If ean therefore oun the ho Son hyios sets you hymeis free eleutheroō, you will be eimi free eleutheros indeed ontōs. 37 I know oida that hoti you are eimi Abraham’ s Abraam descendants sperma; but alla you are intent zēteō on killing apokteinō me egō, because hoti · ho my emos teaching logos · ho makes no ou headway chōreō in en you hymeis. 38 I speak about laleō the things hos I egō have seen horaō while with para my ho Father patēr, but kai you hymeis do poieō that which hos you have heard akouō from para your ho father patēr.”

39 They answered apokrinomai · kai him autos, saying legō, · ho Our hēmeis father patēr is eimi Abraham Abraam!” Jesus Iēsous said legō to them autos, · ho If ei you were eimi really Abraham’ s Abraam children teknon, · ho you would be doing poieō the ho deeds ergon of ho Abraham Abraam. 40 But de now nyn you are intent zēteō on killing apokteinō me egō, a man anthrōpos who hos has told laleō you hymeis the ho truth alētheia that hos I heard akouō from para · ho God theos. This houtos is not ou what Abraham Abraam did poieō! 41 You hymeis are doing poieō the ho deeds ergon of ho your hymeis father patēr.” They said legō to him autos, “ We hēmeis have gennaō not ou been born gennaō as a result ek of fornication porneia; we have echō only one heis father patēr, · ho God theos himself.” 42 Jesus Iēsous said legō to them autos, · ho If ei · ho God theos were eimi your hymeis Father patēr, you would an love agapaō me egō, for gar I egō came exerchomai from ek · ho God theos and kai now I am here hēkō. I have erchomai not oude come erchomai on apo my emautou own , but alla he ekeinos sent apostellō me egō. 43 Why dia tis do you ginōskō not ou understand ginōskō the ho way I emos speak lalia? · ho It is because hoti you are unable ou to grasp akouō · ho my emos message logos. · ho 44 You hymeis belong eimi to ek your ho father patēr the ho devil diabolos, and kai your will is thelō to carry out poieō the ho desires epithumia of ho your hymeis father patēr. He ekeinos was eimi a murderer anthrōpoktonos from apo the beginning archē and kai never ou did stand stēkō in en the ho truth alētheia, because hoti there is eimi no ou truth alētheia in en him autos. When hotan he lies laleō, · ho he is giving expression laleō to ek · ho his idios own nature, for hoti he is eimi a liar pseustēs and kai the ho father patēr of lies autos. 45 Yet de because hoti I egō am speaking legō the ho truth alētheia, you do not ou believe pisteuō me egō. 46 Who tis among ek you hymeis can prove me egō guilty elenchō of peri any sin hamartia? If ei I am speaking legō the truth alētheia, why dia tis don’ t ou you hymeis believe pisteuō me egō? 47 Whoever ho belongs eimi to ek · ho God theos listens to akouō the ho words rhēma of ho God theos. The reason why dia you hymeis do not ou listen akouō is that hoti you do eimi not ou belong eimi to ek · ho God theos.”

48 The ho Jews Ioudaios answered apokrinomai · kai him autos, saying legō, “Are we hēmeis not ou correct kalōs in saying legō that hoti you sy are eimi a Samaritan Samaritēs and kai have echō a demon daimonion?” 49 Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai, “ I egō do echō not ou have echō a demon daimonion; but alla I honor timaō · ho my egō Father patēr, and kai you hymeis dishonor atimazō me egō. 50 I egō · de am not ou seeking zēteō · ho glory doxa for myself egō; there is eimi one ho who seeks zēteō it and kai he is the one who judges krinō. 51 I tell legō you hymeis the solemn amēn truth amēn, if ean anyone tis keeps tēreō · ho my emos word logos, he will never ou mē see theōreō death thanatos.” 52 The ho Jews Ioudaios therefore oun said legō to him autos, “ Now nyn we know ginōskō that hoti you have echō a demon daimonion! Abraham Abraam died apothnēskō, and kai so did the ho prophets prophētēs, yet kai you sy say legō, ‘ If ean anyone tis keeps tēreō · ho my egō word logos, he will never ou mē taste geuomai death thanatos.’ 53 Surely you sy are eimi not greater megas than ho our hēmeis father patēr Abraham Abraam, are you ? He hostis died apothnēskō as kai did apothnēskō the ho prophets prophētēs. Who tis are you making poieō yourself seautou out to be?” 54 Jesus Iēsous replied apokrinomai, “ If ean I egō glorify doxazō myself emautou, · ho my egō glory doxa amounts to eimi nothing oudeis. It is eimi · ho my egō Father patēr who ho glorifies doxazō me egō, of whom hos you hymeis say legō, ‘ He is eimi our hēmeis God theos.’ 55 And kai you have not ou known ginōskō him autos, but de I egō know oida him autos. If kan I were to say legō that hoti I did not ou know oida him autos, I would be eimi like homoios you hymeis, a liar pseustēs; but alla I do know oida him autos, and kai I keep tēreō · ho his autos word logos. 56 Abraham Abraam · ho your hymeis father patēr rejoiced agalliaō to hina see · ho my emos day hēmera; · ho · kai he saw it and kai was glad chairō. 57 So oun the ho Jews Ioudaios said legō to pros him autos, “ You are echō not yet oupō fifty pentēkonta years etos old , and kai you have seen horaō Abraham Abraam?” 58 Jesus Iēsous said legō to them autos, “ I tell legō you hymeis the solemn amēn truth amēn, before prin Abraham Abraam came ginomai to be , I egō am eimi!” 59 Then oun they picked airō up stones lithos to hina throw ballō at epi him autos; but de Jesus Iēsous hid kryptō himself and kai went exerchomai out of ek the ho temple hieron.