John 8:55 kjv
Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
John 8:55 nkjv
Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.
John 8:55 niv
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.
John 8:55 esv
But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word.
John 8:55 nlt
but you don't even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him.
John 8 55 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 8:29 | "And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone..." | John 8:29 (Intimate connection with the Father) |
| John 14:9 | "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." | John 14:9 (Jesus' unity with the Father) |
| John 14:10 | "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" | John 14:10 (Mutual indwelling) |
| John 16:32 | "yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me." | John 16:32 (Assurance of the Father's presence) |
| 1 John 4:7 | "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God..." | 1 John 4:7 (Love as a marker of knowing God) |
| 1 John 5:20 | "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding..." | 1 John 5:20 (Jesus as revealer of God) |
| Proverbs 8:22 | "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his way, before his works of old." | Prov 8:22 (Wisdom's eternal existence) |
| Isaiah 49:2 | "He made my mouth like a sharpened sword..." | Isa 49:2 (Jesus' authoritative word) |
| Jeremiah 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." | Jer 1:5 (God's foreknowledge) |
| Psalm 139:1 | "O LORD, you have searched me and known me!" | Ps 139:1 (God's comprehensive knowledge) |
| John 10:14 | "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me," | John 10:14 (Jesus' relationship with His sheep) |
| John 10:27 | "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." | John 10:27 (Reciprocal knowing and following) |
| Matthew 11:27 | "All things have been handed over to me by my Father..." | Matt 11:27 (Authority from the Father) |
| Luke 10:22 | "All things have been delivered to me by my Father..." | Luke 10:22 (Similar to Matt 11:27) |
| John 1:18 | "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." | John 1:18 (Jesus reveals the Father) |
| John 7:29 | "I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." | John 7:29 (Jesus' origin and mission) |
| John 8:19 | "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." | John 8:19 (Knowing Jesus means knowing the Father) |
| John 8:58 | "Before Abraham was, I am." | John 8:58 (Jesus' pre-existence) |
| John 5:19 | "The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing..." | John 5:19 (Jesus' obedience to the Father) |
| John 17:5 | "And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you..." | John 17:5 (Pre-existent glory with the Father) |
| John 17:24 | "Father, I desire that they also, with me, be with you where I am..." | John 17:24 (Unity of believers with Father and Son) |
| John 5:37 | "And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me." | John 5:37 (The Father's witness to Jesus) |
John 8 verses
John 8 55 Meaning
Jesus declares that He is aware of God, and if He were to say He does not know God, He would be a liar, akin to the opponents. His intimate knowledge of God sets Him apart from those who do not acknowledge His divine mission and claims.
John 8 55 Context
This verse appears in the latter part of Jesus' discourse in the temple after the healing of the man born blind. He is engaging with Jewish leaders who are questioning His authority and identity. The preceding verses show Jesus asserting His divine origin and ongoing communion with the Father. The hostile environment is characterized by disbelief and attempts to trap Jesus with His words. Jesus’ claims in this chapter escalate the conflict, culminating in His declaration of pre-existence.
John 8 55 Word Analysis
- ἐγὼ (ego): I. Emphasis on personal knowledge.
- οἶδα (oida): I know. Perfect tense, signifying a settled, ongoing state of knowing.
- αὐτόν (auton): Him. Refers to God the Father.
- καὶ (kai): And. Connects the clauses.
- ἐὰν (ean): If. Introduces a hypothetical condition.
- εἴπω (eipō): I say. Aorist subjunctive, indicating a potential future action.
- ὅτι (hoti): That. Introduces a subordinate clause.
- οὐκ (ouk): Not. Negation.
- οἶδα (oida): I know. Repeat of the verb.
- αὐτόν (auton): Him.
- ἀλλ’ (all'): But. Conjunction showing contrast.
- ἔσομαι (esomai): I will be. Future tense.
- ψεύστης (pseustēs): Liar. Accusation directed at His opponents.
- ὥσπερ (hōsper): As, like. Introduces a comparison.
- ὑμῶν (hymōn): Of you. Referring to the audience.
- τῶν (tōn): Of the. Genitive article.
- λόγων (logōn): Words.
- ἐστιν (estin): Is.
Word Group Analysis:
- "I know him": This phrase conveys more than intellectual knowledge. It implies intimate, experiential fellowship and perfect understanding, mirroring the relationship described in verses like John 10:14-15.
- "if I said that I do not know him": This is a counterfactual statement. Jesus highlights the absurdity and impossibility of Him claiming ignorance of the Father, contrasting with His divine nature.
- "I shall be a liar like you": The accusation of being a "liar" (ψεύστης) is sharp and directly addresses the state of His interlocutors, whom He implies are already living in falsehood and ignorance concerning God's revelation in Him.
John 8 55 Bonus Section
The emphasis on knowing God is central throughout John's Gospel. True knowledge of God is not academic or theoretical but relational, revealed through faith in Jesus Christ. The word "know" (οἶδα) in the perfect tense signifies a permanent, perfect apprehension of truth, reflecting the eternal Son's knowledge of the Father. The accusation of being a "liar" underscores that rejecting Jesus means rejecting God and His truth, leading to a state of spiritual falsehood.
John 8 55 Commentary
Jesus affirms His unique and unbroken relationship with God the Father. His knowledge is not learned or acquired but inherent and intrinsic, stemming from His divine origin and ongoing communion. To deny this relationship would be to utter a falsehood, a characteristic He attributes to His opponents who fail to recognize Him. This statement emphasizes His truthfulness and authority, setting Himself in stark contrast to those who deliberately ignore or reject the Father's testimony through Him. The charge of being a "liar" is severe, reflecting the critical nature of correctly knowing and identifying Jesus in this context.