^8:21Then Jesus⁴³ said to them again,⁴⁴ “I am going away, and you will look for me⁴⁵ but will die in your sin.⁴⁶ Where I am going you cannot come.” ^8:22So the Jewish leaders⁴⁷ began to say,⁴⁸ “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ ” ^8:23Jesus replied,⁴⁹ “You people⁵⁰ are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. ^8:24Thus I told you⁵¹ that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he,⁵² you will die in your sins.”

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Footnotes

43 Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
44 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 Grk “you will seek me.”
46 The expression ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε (en tē hamartia humōn apothaneisthe) is similar to an expression found in the 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 Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term Ἰουδαῖοι (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,” 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 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 Grk “And he said to them.”
50 The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
51 Grk “thus I said to you.”
52 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 (“if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be”), (“unless you believe that I am who I say I am”), and (“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 (), 1:. 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 (“if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins”) and (“you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’ ”). See the note on Christ in .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”

This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then he said to them again, “I’m going away; you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I’m going, you cannot come.”

So the Jews said again, “He won’t kill himself, will he, since he says, ‘Where I’m going, you cannot come’?”

“You are from below,” he told them, “I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”

The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”

Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me and will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come!” Then the Jews began to say, “Perhaps he will kill himself, because he is saying, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ ” And he said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world. Thus I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

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