New Living Translation
John 8:41
41No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”
John 8:41 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
- New International Version (NIV)You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)You are doing the works your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God."
- New King James Version (NKJV)You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
Context of John 8:41
39“Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. 40Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.” 42Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. 43Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!
Read all of John 8John 8:41 word by word
ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν. εἶπαν οὖν αὐτῷ· ἡμεῖς ἐκ πορνείας οὐ γεγεννήμεθα· ἕνα πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν θεόν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Yeσύsu · youG4771
- doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- the deedsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the deedsἔργονergon · workG2041
- fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- said theyλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- to himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- beγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- fornicationπορνείαporneia · sexual sinG4202
- haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for John 8:41
- John 8:38I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”
- Isaiah 57:3“But you—come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
- Ezekiel 23:45But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are—adulterers and murderers.
- Hosea 1:2When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”
- Hosea 2:2“But now bring charges against Israel—your mother— for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to remove the prostitute’s makeup from her face and the clothing that exposes her breasts.
- Malachi 2:11Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols.
- Exodus 4:22Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.
- Deuteronomy 14:1“Since you are the people of the Lord your God, never cut yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead.
- Isaiah 63:16Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, Lord, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past.
- Isaiah 64:8And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.
- Jeremiah 3:19“I thought to myself, ‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’ I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land— the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me.
- Jeremiah 31:20“Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the Lord. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him.
- Ezekiel 16:20“Then you took your sons and daughters—the children you had borne to me—and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough?
- Malachi 1:6The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’
Commentaries on John 8:41
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 41Ye do the deeds of your father - You have certainly another father than Abraham - one who has instilled his own malignant nature into you; and, as ye seek to murder me for telling you the truth, ye must be the offspring of him who was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, John 8:44. We be not born of fornication - We are not a mixed, spurious breed - our tribes and families have been kept distinct - we are descended from Abraham by…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 41The deeds of your father - See John 8:38. Jesus repeats the charge, and yet repeats it as if unwilling to name Satan as their father. He chose that they should infer whom he meant, rather than bring a charge so direct and repelling. When the Saviour delivered an awful or an offensive truth, he always approached the mind so that the truth might make the deepest impression. We be not born of fornication - The people still professed not to understand him…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 41-47Verses 41-47 Satan prompts men to excesses by which they murder themselves and others, while what he puts into the mind tends to ruin men's souls. He is the great promoter of falsehood of every kind. He is a liar, all his temptations are carried on by his calling evil good, and good evil, and promising freedom in sin. He is the author of all lies; whom liars resemble and obey, with whom all liars shall have their portion for ever. The special lusts of the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 41your father: Jesus knew who controlled them. We are not illegitimate children: This statement acted as both a defense and an attack. The Greek text emphasizes the pronoun we. In other words, “We [in contrast to you] are not illegitimate.” They are suggesting that Jesus was illegitimate (see Matthew 1:18–25).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 8:41
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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