Yohanes 7:1--8:59
Konteks7:1 After this 1 Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. 2 He 3 stayed out of Judea 4 because the Jewish leaders 5 wanted 6 to kill him. 7:2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles 7 was near. 8 7:3 So Jesus’ brothers 9 advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. 10 7:4 For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself 11 does anything in secret. 12 If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 7:5 (For not even his own brothers believed in him.) 13
7:6 So Jesus replied, 14 “My time 15 has not yet arrived, 16 but you are ready at any opportunity! 17 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it that its deeds are evil. 7:8 You go up 18 to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast 19 because my time 20 has not yet fully arrived.” 21 7:9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee.
7:10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus 22 himself also went up, not openly but in secret. 7:11 So the Jewish leaders 23 were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” 24 7:12 There was 25 a lot of grumbling 26 about him among the crowds. 27 Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” 28 7:13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish leaders. 29
7:14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts 30 and began to teach. 31 7:15 Then the Jewish leaders 32 were astonished 33 and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” 34 7:16 So Jesus replied, 35 “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. 36 7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, 37 he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. 38 7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority 39 desires 40 to receive honor 41 for himself; the one who desires 42 the honor 43 of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, 44 and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps 45 the law! Why do you want 46 to kill me?”
7:20 The crowd 47 answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! 48 Who is trying to kill you?” 49 7:21 Jesus replied, 50 “I performed one miracle 51 and you are all amazed. 52 7:22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision 53 (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child 54 on the Sabbath. 7:23 But if a male child 55 is circumcised 56 on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, 57 why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well 58 on the Sabbath? 7:24 Do not judge according to external appearance, 59 but judge with proper 60 judgment.”
7:25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem 61 began to say, “Isn’t this the man 62 they are trying 63 to kill? 7:26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, 64 and they are saying nothing to him. 65 Do the rulers really know that this man 66 is the Christ? 67 7:27 But we know where this man 68 comes from. 69 Whenever the Christ 70 comes, no one will know where he comes from.” 71
7:28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, 72 cried out, 73 “You both know me and know where I come from! 74 And I have not come on my own initiative, 75 but the one who sent me 76 is true. You do not know him, 77 7:29 but 78 I know him, because I have come from him 79 and he 80 sent me.”
7:30 So then they tried to seize Jesus, 81 but no one laid a hand on him, because his time 82 had not yet come. 7:31 Yet many of the crowd 83 believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ 84 comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?” 85
7:32 The Pharisees 86 heard the crowd 87 murmuring these things about Jesus, 88 so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers 89 to arrest him. 90 7:33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, 91 and then 92 I am going to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me 93 but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”
7:35 Then the Jewish leaders 94 said to one another, “Where is he 95 going to go that we cannot find him? 96 He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed 97 among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? 98 7:36 What did he mean by saying, 99 ‘You will look for me 100 but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”
7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, 101 Jesus stood up and shouted out, 102 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. 103 Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him 104 will flow rivers of living water.’” 105 7:39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, 106 because Jesus was not yet glorified.) 107
7:40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd 108 began to say, “This really 109 is the Prophet!” 110 7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” 111 But still others said, “No, 112 for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 113 7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant 114 of David 115 and comes from Bethlehem, 116 the village where David lived?” 117 7:43 So there was a division in the crowd 118 because of Jesus. 119 7:44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. 120
7:45 Then the officers 121 returned 122 to the chief priests and Pharisees, 123 who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” 124 7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, 125 “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? 126 7:48 None of the rulers 127 or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? 128 7:49 But this rabble 129 who do not know the law are accursed!”
7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus 130 before and who was one of the rulers, 131 said, 132 7:51 “Our law doesn’t condemn 133 a man unless it first hears from him and learns 134 what he is doing, does it?” 135 7:52 They replied, 136 “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? 137 Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet 138 comes from Galilee!”
7:53 139 [[And each one departed to his own house. 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 140 8:2 Early in the morning he came to the temple courts again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach 141 them. 8:3 The experts in the law 142 and the Pharisees 143 brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them 8:4 and said to Jesus, 144 “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 8:5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death 145 such women. 146 What then do you say?” 8:6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against 147 him.) 148 Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. 149 8:7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight 150 and replied, 151 “Whoever among you is guiltless 152 may be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8:8 Then 153 he bent over again and wrote on the ground.
8:9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, 154 until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 8:10 Jesus stood up straight 155 and said to her, “Woman, 156 where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 8:11 She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]] 157
8:12 Then Jesus spoke out again, 158 “I am the light of the world. 159 The one who follows me will never 160 walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 8:13 So the Pharisees 161 objected, 162 “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” 163 8:14 Jesus answered, 164 “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 165 do not know where I came from or where I am going. 166 8:15 You people 167 judge by outward appearances; 168 I do not judge anyone. 169 8:16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, 170 because I am not alone when I judge, 171 but I and the Father who sent me do so together. 172 8:17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 173 8:18 I testify about myself 174 and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
8:19 Then they began asking 175 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.” 176 8:20 (Jesus 177 spoke these words near the offering box 178 while he was teaching in the temple courts. 179 No one seized him because his time 180 had not yet come.) 181
8:21 Then Jesus 182 said to them again, 183 “I am going away, and you will look for me 184 but will die in your sin. 185 Where I am going you cannot come.” 8:22 So the Jewish leaders 186 began to say, 187 “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 8:23 Jesus replied, 188 “You people 189 are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. 8:24 Thus I told you 190 that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, 191 you will die in your sins.”
8:25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, 192 “What I have told you from the beginning. 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge 193 about you, but the Father 194 who sent me is truthful, 195 and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.” 196 8:27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.) 197
8:28 Then Jesus said, 198 “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, 199 and I do nothing on my own initiative, 200 but I speak just what the Father taught me. 201 8:29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, 202 because I always do those things that please him.” 8:30 While he was saying these things, many people 203 believed in him.
8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans 204 who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, 205 you are really 206 my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 207 8:33 “We are descendants 208 of Abraham,” they replied, 209 “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, 210 ‘You will become free’?” 8:34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, 211 everyone who practices 212 sin is a slave 213 of sin. 8:35 The slave does not remain in the family 214 forever, but the son remains forever. 215 8:36 So if the son 216 sets you free, you will be really free. 8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. 217 But you want 218 to kill me, because my teaching 219 makes no progress among you. 220 8:38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the 221 Father; 222 as for you, 223 practice the things you have heard from the 224 Father!”
8:39 They answered him, 225 “Abraham is our father!” 226 Jesus replied, 227 “If you are 228 Abraham’s children, you would be doing 229 the deeds of Abraham. 8:40 But now you are trying 230 to kill me, a man who has told you 231 the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 232 8:41 You people 233 are doing the deeds of your father.”
Then 234 they said to Jesus, 235 “We were not born as a result of immorality! 236 We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, 237 “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. 238 I 239 have not come on my own initiative, 240 but he 241 sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept 242 my teaching. 243 8:44 You people 244 are from 245 your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. 246 He 247 was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, 248 because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, 249 he speaks according to his own nature, 250 because he is a liar and the father of lies. 251 8:45 But because I am telling you 252 the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty 253 of any sin? 254 If I am telling you 255 the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to 256 God listens and responds 257 to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, 258 because you don’t belong to God.” 259
8:48 The Judeans 260 replied, 261 “Aren’t we correct in saying 262 that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” 263 8:49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, 264 but I honor my Father – and yet 265 you dishonor me. 8:50 I am not trying to get 266 praise for myself. 267 There is one who demands 268 it, and he also judges. 269 8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, 270 if anyone obeys 271 my teaching, 272 he will never see death.” 273
8:52 Then 274 the Judeans 275 responded, 276 “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! 277 Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet 278 you say, ‘If anyone obeys 279 my teaching, 280 he will never experience 281 death.’ 282 8:53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? 283 And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 8:54 Jesus replied, 284 “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. 285 The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people 286 say, ‘He is our God.’ 8:55 Yet 287 you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, 288 I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey 289 his teaching. 290 8:56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed 291 to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” 292
8:57 Then the Judeans 293 replied, 294 “You are not yet fifty years old! 295 Have 296 you seen Abraham?” 8:58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, 297 before Abraham came into existence, 298 I am!” 299 8:59 Then they picked up 300 stones to throw at him, 301 but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area. 302
[7:1] 1 sn Again, the transition is indicated by the imprecise temporal indicator After this. Clearly, though, the author has left out much of the events of Jesus’ ministry, because chap. 6 took place near the Passover (6:4). This would have been the Passover between winter/spring of
[7:1] 2 tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”
[7:1] 3 tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.
[7:1] 4 tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”
[7:1] 5 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.
[7:1] 6 tn Grk “were seeking.”
[7:2] 7 tn Or “feast of the Tents” (the feast where people lived in tents or shelters, which was celebrated in the autumn after harvest). John’s use of σκηνοπηγία (skhnophgia) for the feast of Tabernacles constitutes the only use of this term in the New Testament.
[7:2] 8 sn Since the present verse places these incidents at the feast of Tabernacles (
[7:3] 9 tn Grk “his brothers.”
[7:3] sn Jesus’ brothers. Jesus’ brothers (really his half-brothers) were mentioned previously by John in 2:12 (see the note on brothers there). They are also mentioned elsewhere in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3.
[7:3] 10 tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”
[7:3] sn Should the advice by Jesus’ brothers, Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing, be understood as a suggestion that he should attempt to win back the disciples who had deserted him earlier (6:66)? Perhaps. But it is also possible to take the words as indicating that if Jesus is going to put forward messianic claims (i.e., through miraculous signs) then he should do so in Jerusalem, not in the remote parts of Galilee. Such an understanding seems to fit better with the following verse. It would also indicate misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’ brothers of the true nature of his mission – he did not come as the royal Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectation, to be enthroned as king at this time.
[7:4] 11 tn Or “seeks to be well known.”
[7:4] 12 sn No one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret means, in effect: “if you’re going to perform signs to authenticate yourself as Messiah, you should do them at Jerusalem.” (Jerusalem is where mainstream Jewish apocalyptic tradition held that Messiah would appear.)
[7:5] 13 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[7:6] 14 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”
[7:6] 15 tn Or “my opportunity.”
[7:6] 16 tn Or “is not yet here.”
[7:6] 17 tn Grk “your time is always ready.”
[7:8] 18 sn One always speaks of “going up” to Jerusalem in Jewish idiom, even though in western thought it is more common to speak of south as “down” (Jerusalem lies south of Galilee). The reason for the idiom is that Jerusalem was identified with Mount Zion in the OT, so that altitude was the issue.
[7:8] 19 tc Most
[7:8] 20 tn Although the word is καιρός (kairos) here, it parallels John’s use of ὥρα (Jwra) elsewhere as a reference to the time appointed for Jesus by the Father – the time of his return to the Father, characterized by his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification). In the Johannine literature, synonyms are often interchanged for no apparent reason other than stylistic variation.
[7:8] 21 tn Or “my time has not yet come to an end” (a possible hint of Jesus’ death at Jerusalem); Grk “my time is not yet fulfilled.”
[7:10] 22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:11] 23 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.
[7:11] 24 tn Grk “Where is that one?”
[7:12] 25 tn Grk “And there was.”
[7:12] 26 tn Or “complaining.”
[7:12] 27 tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).
[7:13] 29 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.
[7:14] 30 tn Grk “to the temple.”
[7:14] 31 tn Or “started teaching.” An ingressive sense for the imperfect verb (“began to teach” or “started teaching”) fits well here, since the context implies that Jesus did not start his teaching at the beginning of the festival, but began when it was about half over.
[7:15] 32 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.
[7:15] 33 tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.
[7:15] 34 tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).
[7:15] sn He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh – the preexistent Logos, creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified – they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.
[7:16] 35 tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”
[7:16] 36 tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.
[7:17] 38 tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”
[7:18] 39 tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”
[7:18] 41 tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”
[7:18] 43 tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”
[7:18] 44 tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”
[7:19] 45 tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”
[7:20] 47 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).
[7:20] 48 tn Grk “You have a demon!”
[7:20] 49 tn Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?”
[7:20] sn Who is trying to kill you? Many of the crowd (if they had come in from surrounding regions for the feast) probably were ignorant of any plot. The plot was on the part of the Jewish leaders. Note how carefully John distinguishes between the leadership and the general populace in their respective responses to Jesus.
[7:21] 50 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”
[7:21] 51 tn Grk “I did one deed.”
[7:21] 52 sn The “one miracle” that caused them all to be amazed was the last previous public miracle in Jerusalem recorded by the author, the healing of the paralyzed man in John 5:1-9 on the Sabbath. (The synoptic gospels record other Sabbath healings, but John does not mention them.)
[7:22] 53 tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”
[7:22] 54 tn Grk “a man.” While the text literally reads “circumcise a man” in actual fact the practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day after birth (see Phil 3:5) is primarily what is in view here.
[7:23] 55 tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.
[7:23] 56 tn Grk “receives circumcision.”
[7:23] 57 sn If a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken. The Rabbis counted 248 parts to a man’s body. In the Talmud (b. Yoma 85b) R. Eleazar ben Azariah (ca.
[7:23] 58 tn Or “made an entire man well.”
[7:24] 59 tn Or “based on sight.”
[7:24] 60 tn Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”
[7:25] 61 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[7:25] 62 tn Grk “Is it not this one.”
[7:26] 64 tn Or “speaking openly.”
[7:26] 65 sn They are saying nothing to him. Some people who had heard Jesus were so impressed with his teaching that they began to infer from the inactivity of the opposing Jewish leaders a tacit acknowledgment of Jesus’ claims.
[7:26] 67 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:26] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[7:27] 69 sn We know where this man comes from. The author apparently did not consider this objection worth answering. The true facts about Jesus’ origins were readily available for any reader who didn’t know already. Here is an instance where the author assumes knowledge about Jesus that is independent from the material he records.
[7:27] 70 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:27] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[7:27] 71 sn The view of these people regarding the Messiah that no one will know where he comes from reflects the idea that the origin of the Messiah is a mystery. In the Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 97a) Rabbi Zera taught: “Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article, and a scorpion.” Apparently OT prophetic passages like Mal 3:1 and Dan 9:25 were interpreted by some as indicating a sudden appearance of Messiah. It appears that this was not a universal view: The scribes summoned by Herod at the coming of the Magi in Matt 2 knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. It is important to remember that Jewish messianic expectations in the early 1st century were not monolithic.
[7:28] 72 tn Grk “the temple.”
[7:28] 73 tn Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”
[7:28] 74 sn You both know me and know where I come from! Jesus’ response while teaching in the temple is difficult – it appears to concede too much understanding to his opponents. It is best to take the words as irony: “So you know me and know where I am from, do you?” On the physical, literal level, they did know where he was from: Nazareth of Galilee (at least they thought they knew). But on another deeper (spiritual) level, they did not: He came from heaven, from the Father. Jesus insisted that he has not come on his own initiative (cf. 5:37), but at the bidding of the Father who sent him.
[7:28] 75 tn Grk “And I have not come from myself.”
[7:28] 76 tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.
[7:28] 77 tn Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”
[7:29] 78 tn Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).
[7:29] 79 tn The preposition παρά (para) followed by the genitive has the local sense preserved and can be used of one person sending another. This does not necessarily imply origin in essence or eternal generation.
[7:29] 80 tn Grk “and that one.”
[7:30] 81 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:30] sn Here the response is on the part of the crowd, who tried to seize Jesus. This is apparently distinct from the attempted arrest by the authorities mentioned in 7:32.
[7:31] 83 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).
[7:31] 84 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:31] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[7:31] 85 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “will he?”).
[7:32] 86 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[7:32] 87 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).
[7:32] 88 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:32] 89 tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing “police” duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (see K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).
[7:32] 90 tn Grk “to seize him.” In the context of a deliberate attempt by the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees to detain Jesus, the English verb “arrest” conveys the point more effectively.
[7:33] 91 tn Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”
[7:33] 92 tn The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[7:35] 94 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse (7:32, 45).
[7:35] 96 tn Grk “will not find him.”
[7:35] 97 sn The Jewish people dispersed (Grk “He is not going to the Diaspora”). The Greek term diaspora (“dispersion”) originally meant those Jews not living in Palestine, but dispersed or scattered among the Gentiles.
[7:35] 98 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “is he?”).
[7:35] sn Note the Jewish opponents’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, as made clear in vv. 35-36. They didn’t realize he spoke of his departure out of the world. This is another example of the author’s use of misunderstanding as a literary device to emphasize a point.
[7:36] 99 tn Grk “What is this word that he said.”
[7:37] 101 sn There is a problem with the identification of this reference to the last day of the feast, the greatest day: It appears from Deut 16:13 that the feast went for seven days. Lev 23:36, however, makes it plain that there was an eighth day, though it was mentioned separately from the seven. It is not completely clear whether the seventh or eighth day was the climax of the feast, called here by the author the “last great day of the feast.” Since according to the Mishnah (m. Sukkah 4.1) the ceremonies with water and lights did not continue after the seventh day, it seems more probable that this is the day the author mentions.
[7:37] 102 tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”
[7:38] 103 tn An alternate way of punctuating the Greek text of vv. 37-38 results in this translation: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38 has been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. Certainly Jesus picks up on the literal water used in the ceremony and uses it figuratively. But what does the figure mean? According to popular understanding, it refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believer. There is some difficulty in locating an OT text which speaks of rivers of water flowing from within such a person, but Isa 58:11 is often suggested: “The
[7:38] 104 tn Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”
[7:38] 105 sn An OT quotation whose source is difficult to determine; Isa 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zech 14:8 have all been suggested.
[7:39] 106 tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT
[7:39] 107 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[7:40] 108 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).
[7:40] 110 sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.
[7:41] 111 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:41] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[7:41] 112 tn An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ (gar) which begins the clause.
[7:41] 113 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does he?”).
[7:42] 114 tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).
[7:42] 115 sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.
[7:42] 116 sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.
[7:42] map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[7:42] 117 tn Grk “the village where David was.”
[7:43] 118 tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).
[7:43] 119 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:44] 120 sn Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.
[7:45] 121 tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).
[7:45] 123 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[7:45] 124 tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.
[7:47] 125 tn Grk “answered them.”
[7:47] 126 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have you?”).
[7:48] 127 sn The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).
[7:48] 128 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).
[7:49] 129 tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.
[7:50] 130 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:50] 131 tn Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:50] 132 tn Grk “said to them.”
[7:51] 135 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does it?”).
[7:52] 136 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
[7:52] 137 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).
[7:52] 138 tc At least one early and important ms (Ì66*) places the article before “prophet” (ὁ προφήτης, Jo profhths), making this a reference to the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut 18:15.
[7:52] tn This claim by the leaders presents some difficulty, because Jonah had been from Gath Hepher, in Galilee (2 Kgs 14:25). Also the Babylonian Talmud later stated, “There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets” (b. Sukkah 27b). Two explanations are possible: (1) In the heat of anger the members of the Sanhedrin overlooked the facts (this is perhaps the easiest explanation). (2) This anarthrous noun is to be understood as a reference to the prophet of Deut 18:15 (note the reading of Ì66 which is articular), by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. This would produce in the text of John’s Gospel a high sense of irony indeed, since the religious authorities by their insistence that “the Prophet” could not come from Galilee displayed their true ignorance of where Jesus came from on two levels at once (Bethlehem, his birthplace, the fulfillment of Mic 5:2, but also heaven, from which he was sent by the Father). The author does not even bother to refute the false attestation of Jesus’ place of birth as Galilee (presumably Christians knew all too well where Jesus came from).
[7:53] 139 tc This entire section, 7:53-8:11, traditionally known as the pericope adulterae, is not contained in the earliest and best
[7:53] sn Double brackets have been placed around this passage to indicate that most likely it was not part of the original text of the Gospel of John. In spite of this, the passage has an important role in the history of the transmission of the text, so it has been included in the translation.
[8:1] 140 sn The Mount of Olives is a hill running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, lying east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It was named for the large number of olive trees that grew on it.
[8:2] 141 tn An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.
[8:3] 142 tn Or “The scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
[8:3] 143 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[8:4] 144 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:5] 145 sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.
[8:5] 146 sn The accusers themselves subtly misrepresented the law. The Mosaic law stated that in the case of adultery, both the man and woman must be put to death (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), but they mentioned only such women.
[8:6] 147 tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”
[8:6] 148 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53–8:11.
[8:6] 149 tn Or possibly “Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger.” The Greek verb καταγράφω (katagrafw) may indicate only the action of writing on the ground by Jesus, but in the overall context (Jesus’ response to the accusation against the woman) it can also be interpreted as implying that what Jesus wrote was a counteraccusation against the accusers (although there is no clue as to the actual content of what he wrote, some scribes added “the sins of each one of them” either here or at the end of v. 8 [U 264 700 al]).
[8:7] 150 tn Or “he straightened up.”
[8:7] 151 tn Grk “and said to them.”
[8:8] 153 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.
[8:9] 154 tn Or “beginning from the eldest.”
[8:10] 155 tn Or “straightened up.”
[8:10] 156 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.
[8:11] 157 tc The earliest and best
[8:12] 158 tn Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”
[8:12] 159 sn The theory proposed by F. J. A. Hort (The New Testament in the Original Greek, vol. 2, Introduction; Appendix, 87-88), that the backdrop of 8:12 is the lighting of the candelabra in the court of women, may offer a plausible setting to the proclamation by Jesus that he is the light of the world. The last time that Jesus spoke in the narrative (assuming 7:53-8:11 is not part of the original text, as the textual evidence suggests) is in 7:38, where he was speaking to a crowd of pilgrims in the temple area. This is where he is found in the present verse, and he may be addressing the crowd again. Jesus’ remark has to be seen in view of both the prologue (John 1:4, 5) and the end of the discourse with Nicodemus (John 3:19-21). The coming of Jesus into the world provokes judgment: A choosing up of sides becomes necessary. The one who comes to the light, that is, who follows Jesus, will not walk in the darkness. The one who refuses to come, will walk in the darkness. In this contrast, there are only two alternatives. So it is with a person’s decision about Jesus. Furthermore, this serves as in implicit indictment of Jesus’ opponents, who still walk in the darkness, because they refuse to come to him. This sets up the contrast in chap. 9 between the man born blind, who receives both physical and spiritual sight, and the Pharisees (John 9:13, 15, 16) who have physical sight but remain in spiritual darkness.
[8:12] 160 tn The double negative οὐ μή (ou mh) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.
[8:13] 161 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[8:13] 162 tn Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”
[8:13] 163 sn Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus’ own statement about his testimony in 5:31.
[8:14] 164 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”
[8:14] 165 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.
[8:14] 166 sn You people do not know where I came from or where I am going. The ignorance of the religious authorities regarding Jesus’ origin works on two levels at once: First, they thought Jesus came from Galilee (although he really came from Bethlehem in Judea) and second, they did not know that he came from heaven (from the Father), and this is where he would return. See further John 7:52.
[8:15] 167 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.
[8:15] 168 tn Or “judge according to external things”; Grk “according to the flesh.” These translations are given by BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 5.
[8:15] 169 sn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement “I do not judge anyone”? It is clear that Jesus did judge (even in the next verse). The point is that he didn’t practice the same kind of judgment that the Pharisees did. Their kind of judgment was condemnatory. They tried to condemn people. Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save it (3:17). Nevertheless, and not contradictory to this, the coming of Jesus did bring judgment, because it forced people to make a choice. Would they accept Jesus or reject him? Would they come to the light or shrink back into the darkness? As they responded, so were they judged – just as 3:19-21 previously stated. One’s response to Jesus determines one’s eternal destiny.
[8:16] 170 tn Grk “my judgment is true.”
[8:16] 171 tn The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
[8:16] 172 tn The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
[8:17] 173 sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.
[8:18] 174 tn Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”
[8:19] 175 tn Grk “Then they were saying to him.” The imperfect verb has been translated with ingressive force here because of the introduction of a new line of questioning by the Pharisees. Jesus had just claimed his Father as a second witness; now his opponents want to know who his father is.
[8:19] 176 sn If you knew me you would know my Father too. Jesus’ reply is based on his identity with the Father (see also John 1:18; 14:9).
[8:20] 177 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:20] 178 tn The term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazofulakion) can be translated “treasury” or “treasure room” in this context. BDAG 186 s.v. 1 notes, “It can be taken in this sense J 8:20 (sing.) in (or at) the treasury.” BDAG 186 s.v. 2 argues that the occurrences of this word in the synoptic gospels also refer to the treasury: “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.
[8:20] 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).
[8:20] 179 tn Grk “the temple.”
[8:20] 181 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[8:21] 182 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:21] 183 tn The expression οὖν πάλιν (oun palin) indicates some sort of break in the sequence of events, but it is not clear how long. The author does not mention the interval between 8:12-20 and this next recorded dialogue. The feast of Tabernacles is past, and the next reference to time is 10:22, where the feast of the Dedication is mentioned. The interval is two months, and these discussions could have taken place at any time within that interval, as long as one assumes something of a loose chronological framework. However, if the material in the Fourth Gospel is arranged theologically or thematically, such an assumption would not apply.
[8:21] 184 tn Grk “you will seek me.”
[8:21] 185 tn The expression ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε (en th Jamartia Jumwn apoqaneisqe) is similar to an expression found in the LXX at Ezek 3:18, 20 and Prov 24:9. Note the singular of ἁμαρτία (the plural occurs later in v. 24). To die with one’s sin unrepented and unatoned would be the ultimate disaster to befall a person. Jesus’ warning is stern but to the point.
[8:22] 186 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. It was the Pharisees who had begun this line of questioning in John 8:13, and there has been no clear change since then in the identity of Jesus’ opponents.
[8:22] 187 tn The imperfect verb has been translated with ingressive force (“began to say”) because the comments that follow were occasioned by Jesus’ remarks in the preceding verse about his upcoming departure.
[8:23] 188 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
[8:23] 189 tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
[8:24] 190 tn Grk “thus I said to you.”
[8:24] 191 tn Grk “unless you believe that I am.” In this context there is an implied predicate nominative (“he”) following the “I am” phrase. What Jesus’ hearers had to acknowledge is that he was who he claimed to be, i.e., the Messiah (cf. 20:31). This view is also reflected in English translations like NIV (“if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be”), NLT (“unless you believe that I am who I say I am”), and CEV (“if you don’t have faith in me for who I am”). For a different view that takes this “I am” and the one in 8:28 as nonpredicated (i.e., absolute), see R. E. Brown, John (AB), 1:533-38. Such a view refers sees the nonpredicated “I am” as a reference to the divine Name revealed in Exod 3:14, and is reflected in English translations like NAB (“if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins”) and TEV (“you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’”).
[8:24] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[8:25] 192 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[8:26] 193 tn Or “I have many things to pronounce in judgment about you.” The two Greek infinitives could be understood as a hendiadys, resulting in one phrase.
[8:26] 194 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:26] 195 tn Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).
[8:26] 196 tn Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”
[8:27] 197 sn They did not understand…about his Father is a parenthetical note by the author. This type of comment, intended for the benefit of the reader, is typical of the “omniscient author” convention adopted by the author, who is writing from a postresurrection point of view. He writes with the benefit of later knowledge that those who originally heard Jesus’ words would not have had.
[8:28] 198 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all
[8:28] 199 tn Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24.
[8:28] 200 tn Grk “I do nothing from myself.”
[8:28] 201 tn Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”
[8:29] 202 tn That is, “he has not abandoned me.”
[8:30] 203 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.
[8:31] 204 tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).
[8:31] 205 tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”
[8:32] 207 tn Or “the truth will release you.” The translation “set you free” or “release you” (unlike the more traditional “make you free”) conveys more the idea that the hearers were currently in a state of slavery from which they needed to be freed. The following context supports precisely this idea.
[8:32] 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).
[8:33] 208 tn Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).
[8:33] 209 tn Grk “They answered to him.”
[8:33] 210 tn Or “How is it that you say.”
[8:34] 211 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[8:34] 212 tn Or “who commits.” This could simply be translated, “everyone who sins,” but the Greek is more emphatic, using the participle ποιῶν (poiwn) in a construction with πᾶς (pas), a typical Johannine construction. Here repeated, continuous action is in view. The one whose lifestyle is characterized by repeated, continuous sin is a slave to sin. That one is not free; sin has enslaved him. To break free from this bondage requires outside (divine) intervention. Although the statement is true at the general level (the person who continually practices a lifestyle of sin is enslaved to sin) the particular sin of the Jewish authorities, repeatedly emphasized in the Fourth Gospel, is the sin of unbelief. The present tense in this instance looks at the continuing refusal on the part of the Jewish leaders to acknowledge who Jesus is, in spite of mounting evidence.
[8:34] 213 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[8:35] 214 tn Or “household.” The Greek work οἰκία (oikia) can denote the family as consisting of relatives by both descent and marriage, as well as slaves and servants, living in the same house (more the concept of an “extended family”).
[8:35] 215 sn Jesus’ point is that while a slave may be part of a family or household, the slave is not guaranteed a permanent place there, while a son, as a descendant or blood relative, will always be guaranteed a place in the family (remains forever).
[8:36] 216 tn Or “Son.” The question is whether “son” is to be understood as a direct reference to Jesus himself, or as an indirect reference (a continuation of the generic illustration begun in the previous verse).
[8:37] 217 tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).
[8:37] 218 tn Grk “you are seeking.”
[8:37] 220 tn Or “finds no place in you.” The basic idea seems to be something (in this case Jesus’ teaching) making headway or progress where resistance is involved. See BDAG 1094 s.v. χωρέω 2.
[8:38] 221 tc The first person pronoun μου (mou, “my”) may be implied, especially if ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) follows the second mention of “father” in this verse (as it does in the majority of
[8:38] 222 tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”
[8:38] 224 tc A few significant witnesses lack ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here (Ì66,75 B L W 070 pc), while the majority have the pronoun (א C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë1,13 33 565 892 Ï al lat sy). However, these
[8:39] 225 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
[8:39] 226 tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”
[8:39] 227 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[8:39] 228 tc Although most
[8:39] 229 tc Some important
[8:39] tn Or “you would do.”
[8:40] 231 tn Grk “has spoken to you.”
[8:40] 232 tn The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.
[8:41] 233 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
[8:41] 234 tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א B L W 070 it sys,p co) lack the conjunction here, while the earliest witnesses along with many others read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë13 33 Ï). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the combined testimony of two early papyri for the conjunction is impressive, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 52). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA27 has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
[8:41] 235 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:41] 236 sn We were not born as a result of immorality! is ironic, because Jesus’ opponents implied that it was not themselves but Jesus who had been born as a result of immoral behavior. This shows they did not know Jesus’ true origin and were not aware of the supernatural events surrounding his birth. The author does not even bother to refute the opponents’ suggestion but lets it stand, assuming his readers will know the true story.
[8:42] 237 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[8:42] 238 tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
[8:42] 239 tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[8:42] 240 tn Grk “from myself.”
[8:42] 241 tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).
[8:43] 242 tn Grk “you cannot hear,” but this is not a reference to deafness, but rather hearing in the sense of listening to something and responding to it.
[8:44] 244 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
[8:44] 245 tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), but the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil’s very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).
[8:44] 246 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
[8:44] 247 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
[8:44] 248 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
[8:44] 249 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
[8:44] 250 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
[8:44] 251 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
[8:45] 252 tn Or “because I tell you.”
[8:46] 253 tn Or “can convict me.”
[8:46] 254 tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
[8:46] 255 tn Or “if I tell you.”
[8:47] 256 tn Grk “who is of.”
[8:47] 257 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
[8:47] 258 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
[8:47] 259 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
[8:48] 260 tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.
[8:48] 261 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[8:48] 262 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
[8:48] 263 tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (Samarith" ei su kai daimonion ecei"). The meaning could be “you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon.” Note that the dual charge gets one reply (John 8:49). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.
[8:49] 264 tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”
[8:49] 265 tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
[8:50] 266 tn Grk “I am not seeking.”
[8:50] 268 tn Grk “who seeks.”
[8:50] 269 tn Or “will be the judge.”
[8:51] 270 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[8:51] 271 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
[8:51] 273 tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
[8:51] 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.
[8:52] 274 tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (Ì66 א B C W Θ 579 it) lack the conjunction here, while other witnesses read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì75 D L Ψ 070 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the most important Johannine papyrus (Ì75) has the conjunction, the combination of Ì66 א B for the omission is even stronger. Further, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 41). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA27 has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
[8:52] 275 tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31 and 48, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31).
[8:52] 276 tn Grk “said to him.”
[8:52] 277 tn Grk “you have a demon.”
[8:52] 278 tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
[8:52] 279 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
[8:52] 281 tn Grk “will never taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).
[8:52] 282 tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
[8:53] 283 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).
[8:54] 284 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[8:54] 285 tn Grk “is nothing.”
[8:54] 286 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
[8:55] 287 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
[8:55] 288 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
[8:56] 291 tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”
[8:56] 292 tn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement that the patriarch Abraham “saw” his day and rejoiced? The use of past tenses would seem to refer to something that occurred during the patriarch’s lifetime. Genesis Rabbah 44:25ff, (cf. 59:6) states that Rabbi Akiba, in a debate with Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai, held that Abraham had been shown not this world only but the world to come (this would include the days of the Messiah). More realistically, it is likely that Gen 22:13-15 lies behind Jesus’ words. This passage, known to rabbis as the Akedah (“Binding”), tells of Abraham finding the ram which will replace his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice – an occasion of certain rejoicing.
[8:57] 293 tn Grk “Then the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31, 48, and 52, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.
[8:57] 294 tn Grk “said to him.”
[8:57] 295 tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).
[8:58] 297 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[8:58] 298 tn Grk “before Abraham was.”
[8:58] 299 sn I am! is an explicit claim to deity. Although each occurrence of the phrase “I am” in the Fourth Gospel needs to be examined individually in context to see if an association with Exod 3:14 is present, it seems clear that this is the case here (as the response of the Jewish authorities in the following verse shows).
[8:59] 300 tn Grk “they took up.”
[8:59] 301 sn Jesus’ Jewish listeners understood his claim to deity, rejected it, and picked up stones to throw at him for what they considered blasphemy.
[8:59] 302 tc Most later witnesses (A Θc Ë1,13 Ï) have at the end of the verse “passing through their midst, he went away in this manner” (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου καὶ παρῆγεν οὕτως, dielqwn dia mesou kai parhgen {outw"), while many others have similar permutations (so א1,2 C L N Ψ 070 33 579 892 1241 al). The wording is similar to two other texts: Luke 4:30 (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου; in several
[8:59] tn Grk “from the temple.”