John 8:37–47

Footnotes

1. 78 Grk “seed” (an idiom).
2. 79 Grk “you are seeking.”
3. 80 Grk “my word.”
4. 81 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 χωρέω 2.
5. 82 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 ); no doubt this implication gave rise to the reading μου found in most witnesses (א D Θ Ψ 0250 f1, 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.
6. 83 Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”
7. 84 Grk “and you.”
8. 85 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 f1, 13 33 565 892 𝔐 lat sy). However, these 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.
9. 86 Grk “They answered and said to him.”
10. 87 Or “Our father is Abraham.”
11. 88 Grk “Jesus said to them.”
12. 89 Although most (C W Θ Ψ 0250 f1, 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).
13. 90 Some important (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 f1, 13 33 565 579 892 ) 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 ). Or “you would do.”
14. 91 Grk “seeking.”
15. 92 Grk “has spoken to you.”
16. 93 The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.
17. 94 The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
18. 95 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”; 𝔓66, 75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 f13 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. has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
19. 96 Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
20. 97 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.
21. 98 Grk “Jesus said to them.”
22. 99 Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
23. 100 Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
24. 101 Grk “from myself.”
25. 102 Grk “that one” (referring to God).
26. 103 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.
27. 104 Grk “my word.”
28. 105 The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
29. 106 Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (, , , ) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (), 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).
30. 107 Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
31. 108 Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
32. 109 Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
33. 110 Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
34. 111 Grk “he speaks from his own.”
35. 112 Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
36. 113 Or “because I tell you.”
37. 114 Or “can convict me.”
38. 115 Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
39. 116 Or “if I tell you.”
40. 117 Grk “who is of.”
41. 118 Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
42. 119 Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
43. 120 Grk “you are not of God.”