John 8:38

Footnotes

1. 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.
2. 83 Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”
3. 84 Grk “and you.”
4. 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.