John 8:39-40
8:39 They answered him, 1 “Abraham is our father!” 2 Jesus replied, 3 “If you are 4 Abraham’s children, you would be doing 5 the deeds of Abraham.
8:40 But now you are trying 6 to kill me, a man who has told you 7 the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 8
1 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
2 tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”
3 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
4 tc Although most mss (C W Θ Ψ 0250 Ë1,13 33 Ï) have the imperfect ἦτε (hte, “you were”) here, making this sentence a proper second class condition, the harder reading, ἐστε (este, “you are”), is found in the better witnesses (Ì66,75 א B D L 070 pc lat).
5 tc Some important mss (Ì66 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 Ë1,13 33 565 579 892 pm) 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 (Ì75 א* B2 D W Γ Θ 070 0250 1424 pm).
tn Or “you would do.”
6 tn Grk “seeking.”
7 tn Grk “has spoken to you.”
8 tn The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.