John 8:40 kjv
But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
John 8:40 nkjv
But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
John 8:40 niv
As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.
John 8:40 esv
but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
John 8:40 nlt
Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.
John 8 40 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 7:1 | After this Jesus went about in Galilee… for the Jews were seeking to kill him. | Earlier murderous intent. |
| Jn 7:19 | Has not Moses given you the Law? Yet none of you keeps the Law. You seek to kill Me. | Hypocrisy in seeking to kill God's messenger. |
| Jn 8:37 | I know that you are Abraham's descendants… you seek to kill Me because My word has no place in you. | Explains the reason for their murderous intent. |
| Jn 8:44 | You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning. | Directly identifies their spiritual father as a murderer. |
| Jn 11:53 | So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. | Continued conspiracy to kill Jesus. |
| Mk 3:6 | The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. | Early plots to destroy Jesus. |
| Mt 21:38 | "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance." | Parable foretelling the killing of the Son. |
| Acts 2:23 | "This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified." | Accusation of crucifying Jesus. |
| Rom 1:18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. | Suppression of truth leads to divine wrath. |
| Ps 2:2 | The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed. | Prophetic struggle against God's Anointed. |
| Is 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. | Prophecy of Jesus' rejection. |
| Jn 3:19-20 | "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed." | Hates light because of evil works. |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." | Jesus embodies the very truth they reject. |
| Jn 17:17 | Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. | Jesus' words are truth from God. |
| Jn 12:49 | For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent Me has Himself given Me a commandment what to say and what to speak. | Jesus speaks what He heard from God. |
| Dt 18:18-19 | I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers… I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. | Prophet like Moses, speaking God's words, rejected. |
| Mt 3:9 | And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' | Challenge to mere physical lineage to Abraham. |
| Lk 3:8 | Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' | Actions must reflect true spiritual lineage. |
| Rom 4:1-25 | For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." | Abraham's true legacy is faith, not murder. |
| Heb 11:8-19 | By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out... | Abraham's life as an example of faith and obedience. |
| Gen 22:9-10 | Then they came to the place of which God had told him… and laid his son Isaac on the altar. | Abraham's willingness to obey God, not kill. |
John 8 verses
John 8 40 Meaning
John 8:40 delivers a sharp and direct accusation from Jesus to the Jewish leaders, exposing their malicious intent. He points out their paradoxical and dangerous pursuit to kill Him, despite His mission to deliver divine truth directly heard from God. Jesus then starkly contrasts their actions with the character of Abraham, whom they claim as their spiritual father, indicating a profound spiritual misalignment.
John 8 40 Context
John chapter 8 is a highly charged exchange between Jesus and Jewish religious leaders. It follows Jesus' declaration as the "light of the world" and discussions about judging by the flesh versus by God's truth. The preceding verses in chapter 8 center on the identity of Jesus' Father, the nature of true freedom from sin, and the claim of Abrahamic lineage. The Jewish leaders, repeatedly claiming "We are Abraham's children," reject Jesus' teachings. Jesus counters that their spiritual actions, particularly their desire to kill Him for speaking the truth, reveal that their true father is not Abraham, nor God. Verse 40 marks a pivotal moment where the theological debate morphs into a stark revelation of their violent intentions, demonstrating their deep-seated rejection of both God and His Messiah.
John 8 40 Word analysis
- But now (νῦν δὲ, nyn de): This emphatic phrase signals a sharp contrast and a shift from the general discussion to the immediate, dark reality of their present intentions. It highlights the temporal urgency of their evil plot.
- you seek (ζητεῖτε, zēteite): Implies active, deliberate pursuit, not merely a fleeting thought. It speaks to a concerted effort or plan. Their intention is fixed and earnest.
- to kill Me (ἀποκτεῖναι με, apokteinai me): A direct and stark accusation. Jesus explicitly identifies their ultimate, violent objective. This confirms the earlier allusions to their murderous intent.
- a Man (ἄνθρωπον, anthrōpon): Jesus identifies with humanity, yet this human presence carries profound divine significance. His humanity, for them, becomes a stumbling block; for believers, it is the means of revelation and salvation.
- who has told you the truth (τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑμῖν λελάληκα, tēn alētheian hymin lelalēka):
ἀλήθειαν(alētheian) means truth, reality, genuineness. Jesus emphasizes His role as the speaker of ultimate reality and divine certainty. His message is not speculative but divinely sourced. - which I heard from God (ἣν ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, hēn ēkousa para tou Theou): Establishes the divine origin and unassailable authority of His message.
ἤκουσα(ēkousa) implies intimate, direct reception of information, signifying His unique relationship with the Father. He is not speaking on His own initiative but relaying what He knows from the Creator. - Abraham did not do this: A profound rebuttal of their claims to be Abraham's children. "This" refers to the actions of seeking to kill one who speaks truth from God. Abraham was known for his faith, obedience, and welcoming messengers from God, completely antithetical to the actions Jesus' accusers were taking.
Words-group analysis
- But now you seek to kill Me: This phrase directly confronts the murderous intention hidden beneath their religious piety. It shifts the discussion from abstract theological arguments to a very concrete, sinister reality. Their inward disposition, despite outward religious observance, is exposed as deadly hostility toward divine truth incarnate.
- a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God: This contrasts their murderous aim with Jesus' life-giving mission. He, in His human form, brings the ultimate, divine revelation. The phrase underscores both Jesus' prophetic authority (speaking God's word) and His divine source (heard from God). Their rejection is not merely of a man, but of God's very word and truth.
- Abraham did not do this: This is the culminating rhetorical blow. It demolishes their foundational claim to spiritual heritage. Abraham’s faith was marked by receiving and obeying God’s word, even to the point of being willing to sacrifice his son (Gen 22). He never sought to kill a prophet or anyone bringing God’s message; instead, he demonstrated hospitality and reverence. Their actions prove they are spiritually distinct from Abraham.
John 8 40 Bonus section
The intensity of this accusation marks a critical escalation in the conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities in John's Gospel. It demonstrates that spiritual blindness can manifest as a violent rejection of God's ultimate messenger. The phrase "a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God" highlights a paradox: while they claimed to seek God, they were actively attempting to silence the very Son who perfectly embodied and declared God's truth. This refusal to receive God's word directly from His Son, driven by their underlying malevolent intentions, seals their judgment and disconnects them from their supposed spiritual patriarch, Abraham, who by faith welcomed God's revelation. This verse serves as a sober reminder that claiming a religious heritage without living out its moral and spiritual demands is a deceptive and ultimately dangerous self-delusion.
John 8 40 Commentary
John 8:40 is a stark and uncomfortable truth. Jesus, having endured escalating hostility, here directly calls out the murderous intent of the Jewish leaders. This is not a subtle hint but a clear accusation, laying bare their hypocrisy. They prided themselves on being descendants of Abraham, a man revered for his faith and obedience to God, yet their current desire—to murder the One bringing God's truth—was a direct contradiction to Abraham's character. Jesus contrasts their murderous impulse with Abraham’s acceptance of God’s word, implicitly (and soon explicitly) suggesting that their spiritual father is not Abraham, nor God, but rather one who was "a murderer from the beginning." This verse underlines the profound spiritual darkness of those who oppose divine truth, revealing that intellectual or religious disagreement can quickly descend into violent rejection of God Himself, disguised within religious self-righteousness.