Then 2 they said to Jesus, 3 “We were not born as a result of immorality! 4 We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, 5 “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. 6 I 7 have not come on my own initiative, 8 but he 9 sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept 10 my teaching. 11 8:44 You people 12 are from 13 your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. 14 He 15 was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, 16 because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, 17 he speaks according to his own nature, 18 because he is a liar and the father of lies. 19 8:45 But because I am telling you 20 the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty 21 of any sin? 22 If I am telling you 23 the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to 24 God listens and responds 25 to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, 26 because you don’t belong to God.” 27
8:48 The Judeans 28 replied, 29 “Aren’t we correct in saying 30 that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” 31
1 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
2 tc ‡ 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”; Ì66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë13 33 Ï). 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. NA27 has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
3 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
4 sn 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.
5 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
6 tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
7 tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
8 tn Grk “from myself.”
9 tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).
10 tn 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.
11 tn Grk “my word.”
12 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
13 tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), 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).
14 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
15 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
16 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
17 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
18 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
19 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
20 tn Or “because I tell you.”
21 tn Or “can convict me.”
22 tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
23 tn Or “if I tell you.”
24 tn Grk “who is of.”
25 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
26 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
27 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
28 tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.
29 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
30 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
31 tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (Samarith" ei su kai daimonion ecei"). The meaning could be “you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon.” Note that the dual charge gets one reply (John 8:49). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.
32 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
33 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
34 tn Grk “I keep.”
35 tn Grk “his word.”