John 8:53-58
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ 55 though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”[a] 58 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”
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- John 8:57 Other ancient authorities read has Abraham seen you?
John 8:53-58
Authorized (King James) Version
53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
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John 8:53-58
New English Translation
53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?[a] And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus replied,[b] “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless.[c] The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people[d] say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Yet[e] you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him,[f] I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey[g] his teaching.[h] 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed[i] to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”[j]
57 Then the Judeans[k] replied,[l] “You are not yet fifty years old![m] Have[n] you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth,[o] before Abraham came into existence,[p] I am!”[q]
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- 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?”).
- John 8:54 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
- John 8:54 tn Grk “is nothing.”
- 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.
- John 8:55 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
- John 8:55 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
- John 8:55 tn Grk “I keep.”
- John 8:55 tn Grk “his word.”
- John 8:56 tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”
- 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.
- 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.
- John 8:57 tn Grk “said to him.”
- John 8:57 tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).
- John 8:57 tn Grk “And have.”
- John 8:58 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
- John 8:58 tn Grk “before Abraham was.”
- 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).
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