John 8:26–42

Footnotes

1. 54 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.
2. 55 Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3. 56 Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).
4. 57 Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”
5. 58 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.
6. 59 Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all ).
7. 60 Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. .
8. 61 Grk “I do nothing from myself.”
9. 62 Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”
10. 63 That is, “he has not abandoned me.”
11. 64 The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.
12. 65 Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term Ἰουδαῖοι (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,” 26 [1975]: 401–9; also Ἰουδαῖος 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).
13. 66 Grk “If you continue in my word.”
14. 67 Or “truly.”
15. 68 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. 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 [], 457).
16. 69 Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).
17. 70 Grk “They answered to him.”
18. 71 Or “How is it that you say.”
19. 72 Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
20. 73 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.
21. 74 See the note on the word “slaves” in .
22. 75 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”).
23. 76 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).
24. 77 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).
25. 78 Grk “seed” (an idiom).
26. 79 Grk “you are seeking.”
27. 80 Grk “my word.”
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. 83 Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”
31. 84 Grk “and you.”
32. 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.
33. 86 Grk “They answered and said to him.”
34. 87 Or “Our father is Abraham.”
35. 88 Grk “Jesus said to them.”
36. 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).
37. 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.”
38. 91 Grk “seeking.”
39. 92 Grk “has spoken to you.”
40. 93 The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.
41. 94 The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
42. 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.
43. 96 Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
44. 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.
45. 98 Grk “Jesus said to them.”
46. 99 Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
47. 100 Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
48. 101 Grk “from myself.”
49. 102 Grk “that one” (referring to God).