John 8:48

8:48 The Judeans¹ replied,² “Aren’t we correct in saying³ that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?”⁴

John 10:20-21

10:20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind!⁵ Why do you listen to him?” 10:21 Others said, “These are not the words⁶ of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see,⁷ can it?”⁸

¹tn 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.

²tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

³tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”

⁴tn 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.

⁵tn Or “is insane.” To translate simply “he is mad” (so KJV, ASV, RSV; “raving mad” NIV) could give the impression that Jesus was angry, while the actual charge was madness or insanity.

⁶tn Or “the sayings.”

⁷tn Grk “open the eyes of the blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

⁸tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “can it?”).