New International Version
John 8:48
48The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
John 8:48 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
- English Standard Version (ESV)The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
- New Living Translation (NLT)The people retorted, “You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?”
Context of John 8:48
46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” 49“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.
Read all of John 8John 8:48 word by word
Ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· οὐ καλῶς λέγομεν ἡμεῖς ὅτι Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις;¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- notοὐou · noG3756
- wellκαλῶςkalōs · wellG2573
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- thouσύsu · youG4771
- artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a SamaritanΣαμαρείτηςSamareitēs · SamaritanG4541
- hastἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- a devilδαιμόνιονdaimonion · demonG1140
Cross-references for John 8:48
- John 8:52At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death.
- John 13:13“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
- Matthew 15:7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
- James 2:19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
- John 4:9The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
- John 7:20“You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
- John 10:20Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
- Isaiah 49:7This is what the Lord says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
- Isaiah 53:3He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
- Matthew 10:25It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
- Matthew 12:24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
- Romans 15:3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
- Hebrews 13:13Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.
Commentaries on John 8:48
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 48Thou art a Samaritan - This was the same, among them, as heretic, or schismatic, among us. This is the only time in which the Jews gave our Lord this title of reproach; and they probably grounded it on his having preached among them, and lodged in their villages. See the account in John 4:39, John 4:40; but Samaritan, among them, meant a person unworthy of any credit. Hast a devil? - Art possessed by an evil spirit; and art, in consequence, deranged.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 48Say we not well - Say we not truly. Thou art a Samaritan - This was a term of contempt and reproach. See the notes at John 4:9. It had the force of charging him with being a heretic or a schismatic, because the Samaritans were regarded as such. And hast a devil - See John 7:20. This charge they brought against him because he had said that they were not of God or were not the friends of God. This they regarded as the same as taking sides with the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 48-53Verses 48-53 Observe Christ's disregard of the applause of men. those who are dead to the praises of men can bear their contempt. God will seek the honour of all who do not seek their own. In these verses we have the doctrine of the everlasting happiness of believers. We have the character of a believer; he is one that keeps the sayings of the Lord Jesus. And the privilege of a believer; he shall by no means see death for ever. Though now they cannot…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 48-49By calling Jesus a Samaritan with a demon, his opponents used a racial insult to dismiss his accusations (see study note on 4:4–6). They claimed Jesus was demon-possessed to counter his claim that they belonged to Satan (also 7:20; 8:52; 10:20; 8:44). Jesus rightly replied that these words were deeply offensive. In fact, it was a serious and unforgivable offense (Mark 3:22–29).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 48-5148-51. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?--What intense and virulent scorn! (See He 12:3). The "say we not well" refers to Joh 7:20. "A Samaritan" means more than "no Israelite at all"; it means one who pretended, but had no manner of claim to the title--retorting perhaps, this denial of their true descent from Abraham.Read the comment
Topics related to John 8:48
In the dictionaries
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
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