John 8:43 kjv
Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
John 8:43 nkjv
Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
John 8:43 niv
Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.
John 8:43 esv
Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.
John 8:43 nlt
Why can't you understand what I am saying? It's because you can't even hear me!
John 8 43 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 8:47 | He who belongs to God hears God's words. | Direct Affirmation |
| 1 John 4:6 | We are from God. | Those who know God listen. |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The natural person does not accept... | Spiritual discernment |
| John 3:8 | The wind blows where it wishes... | Holy Spirit's work |
| Rom 8:14 | For all who are led by the Spirit of God... | Sons of God are led by Spirit |
| Gal 5:25 | If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. | Living by the Spirit |
| John 10:26 | But you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. | Sheep recognizing Shepherd |
| Ps 119:117 | Uphold me, that I may live. | Dependence on God's Word |
| Jer 23:29 | Is not my word like fire...? | Power of God's Word |
| Acts 17:11 | These Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica... | Eagerly received the word |
| Rom 10:17 | Faith comes by hearing... | Hearing and believing |
| Deut 32:4 | A God of faithfulness who does no wrong. | God's perfect character |
| 1 John 2:4 | Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar... | Obedience proves knowledge |
| John 14:26 | The Helper, the Holy Spirit... | Spirit teaches truth |
| Luke 24:45 | Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. | Understanding granted by God |
| 1 Pet 1:22 | Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth... | Purity leads to understanding |
| John 5:38 | You do not have his word remaining in you... | Word not abiding internally |
| John 7:17 | If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is from God... | Willingness to do God's will |
| John 6:45 | It is written in the Prophets, 'They will all be taught by God.' | Divine instruction |
| 1 John 5:10 | Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. | Internal witness of truth |
| John 18:37 | For this purpose I was born... | Jesus testifies to truth |
John 8 verses
John 8 43 Meaning
Jesus states that the reason the Jews cannot accept His words is due to their inability to grasp His message. This inability stems from their spiritual condition; they do not belong to God.
John 8 43 Context
In John chapter 8, Jesus is engaged in a debate with the Jewish leaders who do not believe in Him. He has declared His divine origin and His intimate relationship with the Father. The preceding verses have seen Jesus challenging their understanding and their heritage. The tension is high as Jesus confronts their spiritual blindness and their persistent unbelief, despite His clear revelation of Himself.
John 8 43 Word Analysis
- Why (kai - και): Introduces the reason for their inability to comprehend.
- do ye (humēs - ὑμεῖς): Emphatic plural pronoun, referring to the assembled Jewish leaders.
- not (ou - οὐ): Absolute negation.
- understand (akouō - ἀκούω): Means to hear, listen to, and more deeply, to comprehend or pay attention to. Here it emphasizes a failure in receptive listening and intellectual grasp.
- my (mou - μου): Possessive pronoun.
- speech (logos - λόγος): Refers to His words, His discourse, His message. It encompasses not just spoken utterance but the deeper meaning and content of His communication.
- even (eti - ἔτι): Denotes continuation or adding to.
- because (hoti - ὅτι): Introduces the cause or reason.
- ye (humēs - ὑμεῖς): Again, the plural pronoun.
- cannot (ou dunasthe - οὐ δύνασθε): Expresses an inherent inability, a lack of power or capacity, rather than mere unwillingness.
- hear (akouō - ἀκούω): Used again, reinforcing the theme of not being able to properly receive and process the divine message.
- my (mou - μου): Possessive pronoun.
- voice (phōnē - φωνή): His spoken sound, His authoritative utterance, the voice of divine truth.
Words/Groups Analysis
- Cannot hear my voice: This is a key phrase. It's not about physical hearing, but a spiritual inability to apprehend truth. Their inner man is closed off to God's communication, a state contrasted with those who "belong to God" and thus "hear God's words."
- Not understand my speech: Links the inability to comprehend to their unwillingness to hear God's voice. The divine message (logos) is rejected because the foundational connection to God is absent.
John 8 43 Bonus Section
The inability to "hear God's voice" is a recurring theme in Scripture, often linked to disobedience and spiritual hardness of heart (e.g., Exodus 6:9, Jeremiah 7:24). Jesus is effectively stating that the true source of their unbelief lies in their fundamental relationship—or lack thereof—with God, rather than any flaw in His message. His words carry the very voice of God, and only those whose ears are attuned by a relationship with the Father can truly hear and understand. This diagnostic statement is crucial in understanding the persistent opposition Jesus faced.
John 8 43 Commentary
Jesus directly addresses the failure of the Jewish listeners to grasp His words. The inability to understand is not a deficiency in His communication, but in their disposition. They do not "hear His voice" because they do not "belong to God." This spiritual alienation renders them deaf to divine truth. It signifies a deeper problem than mere intellectual disagreement; it is a crisis of identity and spiritual receptivity, stemming from their disconnection from God. The emphasis is on an internal blockage to spiritual comprehension, preventing them from discerning the truth of Jesus' divine identity and mission.