John 8 19

John 8:19 kjv

Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

John 8:19 nkjv

Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."

John 8:19 niv

Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

John 8:19 esv

They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

John 8:19 nlt

"Where is your father?" they asked. Jesus answered, "Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father."

John 8 verses

John 8 19 Meaning

John 8:19 records the pivotal exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees in the Temple. When questioned about His Father's whereabouts, Jesus responds by highlighting their spiritual blindness: they do not truly know Him, and therefore, they do not know the Father either. This verse underscores the fundamental truth that a true knowledge of God the Father is inseparably linked to and only possible through knowing Jesus Christ, His Son.

John 8 19 Context

John 8:19 is situated within a broader discourse that took place in the Temple treasury during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Jesus had just declared Himself "the Light of the World" (Jn 8:12), sparking controversy. The Pharisees challenge His testimony, stating that His self-attestation is not valid unless supported by another witness. Jesus refutes this, claiming His testimony is true because He knows where He came from and where He is going, unlike them (Jn 8:14). He then asserts that He is not alone but accompanied by the Father who sent Him (Jn 8:16). Their question, "Where is your Father?" in verse 19 is a scornful, challenging inquiry, possibly intended to mock His claims of divine origin or to trap Him. It exposes their spiritual blindness and their failure to recognize His heavenly authority and intimate relationship with the Father. The cultural context involves the Jewish religious leaders' deeply entrenched belief in their own understanding of God through the Law and their lineage from Abraham, yet they repeatedly fail to recognize God’s presence in Christ.

John 8 19 Word analysis

• Then they said: The Greek Oun elegon (οὖν ἔλεγον) signifies a continuation of the previous confrontational dialogue. "Oun" often introduces a logical inference or direct consequence within the narrative.
• to Him: Directly addressing Jesus, challenging His authority and claims.
• Where is your Father?: The Greek Pou estin sou ho Pater? (Ποῦ ἐστιν σου ὁ Πατήρ;) is a rhetorical, almost derisive question. They sought an earthly, tangible father for a witness, possibly hinting at an illegitimate birth, ignoring His earlier statements about a heavenly origin (Jn 7:28-29, Jn 8:14, 8:23). It implies a demand for earthly credentials, contrasting sharply with Jesus’ heavenly witness.
• Jesus answered: A calm, authoritative response to their challenge.
• You know neither me nor my Father: The Greek Oute eme oidate oute ton Patera mou (Οὔτε ἐμὲ οἴδατε οὔτε τὸν Πατέρα μου). The verb oida (οἶδα) implies a deep, intuitive, and experiential knowledge, not just intellectual information (ginosko). Their failure to "know" Jesus means they fail to experientially apprehend Him as the Son sent from God.
• nor my Father: Directly links their lack of knowledge of Jesus to a profound ignorance of God the Father. This statement reveals the inseparability of the Father and the Son in true revelation.
• If you had known me: The Greek Ei eme edeite (Εἰ ἐμὲ ᾔδειτε) uses the past perfect of oida, creating a "contrary-to-fact" condition. This implies they had not known Him, and therefore the subsequent outcome did not happen. It underlines their chosen ignorance.
• you would have known my Father also: The Greek kai ton Patera mou an edeite (καὶ τὸν Πατέρα μου ἂν ᾔδειτε). This clearly establishes the unique relationship between the Father and the Son: Jesus is the exclusive pathway to a true, experiential knowledge of God.

Word-group analysis:

• "Where is your Father?" vs. "You know neither me nor my Father": This contrasts the Pharisees' earthly, mocking inquiry with Jesus' spiritual, profound response. Their question seeks an earthly witness; His answer exposes their fundamental spiritual blindness concerning both Him and the very God they claim to worship. Jesus uses their own question to expose their true lack of understanding of the divine reality.
• "You know neither me nor my Father": This phrase is a powerful condemnation. It implies that their outward adherence to the Law and traditions did not grant them a true relationship or experiential knowledge of God. Their rejection of the incarnate Son was a rejection of God Himself, who perfectly reveals the Father.
• "If you had known me, you would have known my Father also": This is a direct statement of Christ's revelatory function. It is impossible to truly know the Father apart from knowing the Son. Jesus serves as the unique bridge and manifestation of the invisible God. This also highlights their lost opportunity; their persistent rejection leads them deeper into spiritual darkness.

John 8 19 Bonus section

The repeated use of "know" (oida) in this verse and other Johannine passages underscores a critical theme in John's Gospel: true saving knowledge is not merely intellectual assent but a relational, intimate understanding of God and Christ. The Pharisees possessed information about God, but lacked true communion with God, made evident by their inability to recognize His Son. This interaction also highlights the polemic against the Jewish leaders' exclusive claims of knowing God; Jesus systematically dismantled their claims by revealing that their rejection of Him simultaneously meant rejection of the Father, making their supposed superior knowledge hollow. This confrontation emphasizes that access to the Father is always through the Son.

John 8 19 Commentary

John 8:19 presents a sharp theological clash regarding the knowledge of God. The Pharisees' query, "Where is your Father?", is delivered with a sense of dismissal, reducing Jesus' divine claims to a mere demand for an earthly parental endorsement. They were caught in an earthly, carnal understanding of spiritual matters. Jesus' response cuts to the core of their spiritual deficiency: their failure to "know" (experientially and intimately) Him signifies their utter ignorance of the Father. For Jesus, knowing Him is inextricably linked to knowing the Father because He is the very revelation of God. He embodies the Father's will, character, and glory. Their lack of recognition stemmed not from insufficient evidence, but from hardened hearts and a pre-existing bias against Jesus' messianic claims, rooted in their attachment to their own traditions and human interpretations of God’s Word. They boasted in their knowledge of God, but missed Him in person. The verse thus serves as a powerful declaration of Christ's identity as the sole revealer of God and a poignant indictment of spiritual blindness born of unbelief.