John 8:37

John 8:37 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
• New International Version (NIV)I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

Context of John 8:37

35A slave does not belong to a family for ever. But a son does belong to a family for ever. 36So, if the Son makes you free, you will really be free. I know that you belong to Abraham's family. But you are looking for a way to kill me. That is because you have no place in yourselves for my words. 38I speak about the things that my Father has shown me. You do the things that you have heard from your father.’ 39They answered, ‘Abraham is our father!’ Jesus replied, ‘If you really belonged to Abraham's family, you would do the same kind of things that Abraham did.

John 8:37 word by word

οἶδα ὅτι σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ ἐστε· ἀλλὰ ζητεῖτέ με ἀποκτεῖναι, ὅτι ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐμὸς οὐ χωρεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• ye areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• Abraham’sἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• seedσπέρμαsperma · seed: offspringG4690
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• ye seekζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
• to killἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
• wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• hathχωρέωchōreō · to make room forG5562
• noοὐou · noG3756
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• youσύsu · youG4771

Cross-references for John 8:37

• John 8:33They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham. We have never been anyone's slaves. But you say that we will become free. What do you mean?’
• Acts 13:26Paul then said, ‘I speak to all you people here. Some of you, like us, have Abraham as your ancestor. Some of you are Gentiles who now worship our God. God has sent this message to all of us. It tells us how he will save us.
• Romans 9:7Not all of them are true descendants of Abraham. God told Abraham, ‘It is only Isaac that I will call the father of your descendants.’
• John 8:6They asked this question for a reason. They wanted Jesus to say something wrong, so that they could punish him. But Jesus bent himself down. He started to write on the ground with his finger.
• John 5:16The Jewish leaders were angry because Jesus had made a man well on their day of rest. As a result, they began to cause a lot of trouble for Jesus.
• John 7:1After this, Jesus visited many places in Galilee. He did not want to visit Judea because the Jewish leaders there wanted to kill him.
• John 10:31Then the Jewish leaders picked up stones again to throw at Jesus so that they could kill him.
• John 11:53From that day, the Jewish leaders decided together how they could kill Jesus.
• John 8:43Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot really accept my message.
• John 5:44You like to praise each other. That makes you happy. But what about God himself? You do not try to do good things so that he will praise you. That is why you will never believe in me.
• John 12:39Isaiah spoke also about why the people could not believe.
• Matthew 13:15These people do not really want to understand. They are like people who have shut their ears. They are like people who have shut their eyes. If they did want to look, then they would really see. If they did want to listen, then they would really hear. They would understand my message. They would turn back to obey me. Then I would forgive them and I would make them well.” ’
• 1 Corinthians 2:14If someone does not believe in God, they cannot accept the message that comes from God's Spirit. They think that God's message is silly. They cannot even understand those things. Only God's Spirit can explain them to people.

Commentaries on John 8:37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 37My word hath no place in you - Or, this doctrine of mine hath no place to you. Ye hear the truths of God, but ye do not heed them: the word of life has no influence over you; and how can it, when you seek to kill me because I proclaim this truth to you? It is a dismal omen when a person is regardless of the truth of God: it is more so to be provoked against it: but to persecute and endeavor to destroy those who preach it is the last degree of perverseness…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37I know … - I admit that you are the descendants of Abraham. Jesus did not wish to call that in question, but he endeavored to show them that they might be his descendants and still lack entirely his spirit. See the notes at Matthew 3:9. Ye seek to kill me - John 5:16; John 7:32. Because my word - My doctrine; the principles of my religion. You have not the spirit of my doctrine; you hate it, and you therefore seek to kill me. Hath no place - That is, you…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 37-40Verses 37-40 Our Lord opposed the proud and vain confidence of these Jews, showing that their descent from Abraham could not profit those of a contrary spirit to him. Where the word of God has no place, no good is to be expected; room is left there for all wickedness. A sick person who turns from his physician, and will take neither remedies nor food, is past hope of recovery. The truth both heals and nourishes the hearts of those who receive it. The…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-41The leaders' plan to kill Jesus revealed their true identity (5:18). They were part of a different spiritual family, and their spiritual father was not Jesus's Father. They were relying on the fact that their ancestral father was Abraham, but Jesus challenged their spiritual heritage. The most important part of his challenge comes in 8:44.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-4137-41. ye seek to kill me--He had said this to their face before: He now repeats it, and they do not deny it; yet are they held back, as by some marvellous spell--it was the awe which His combined dignity, courage, and benignity struck into them. because my word hath no place in you--When did ever human prophet so speak of His words? They tell us of "the word of the Lord" coming to them. But here is One who holds up "His word" as that which ought to find…Read the comment

Topics related to John 8:37

• Abraham
• Persecution
• Self-Righteousness
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Act
• Conscience
• Continue
• Flesh
• Hear
• Lift
• Treasury
• Heredity
• Jesus Christ
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic

Commentaries on John 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings