John:8:42-47

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rwp @John:8:42 @{Ye would love me } (\ˆgapate an eme \). Conclusion of second-class condition with distinct implication that their failure to love Jesus is proof that God is not their Father (protasis ). {For I came forth from God } (\eg “ gar ek tou theou ex ˆlthon \). Second aorist active indicative of \exerchomai \, definite historical event (the Incarnation ). See strkjv @4:30 | for \ex ˆlthon ek \. In strkjv @13:3 ; strkjv @16:30 | Jesus is said to have come from (\apo \) God . The distinction is not to be pressed . Note the definite consciousness of pre-existence with God as in strkjv @17:5 |. {And am come } (\kai h ˆk “\). Present active indicative with perfect sense in the verb stem (state of completion ) before rise of the tense and here retained . "I am here ," Jesus means . {Of myself } (\ap ' emautou \). His coming was not self-initiated nor independent of the Father . "But he (\ekeinos \, emphatic demonstrative pronoun ) sent me " and here I am . rwp @John:8:43 @{My speech } (\t ˆn lalian t ˆn em ˆn \) and {my word } (\ton logon ton emon \). Perhaps \lalia \, old word from \lalos \ (talk ), means here more manner of speech than just story (4:42 |), while \logos \ refers rather to the subject matter . They will not listen (\ou dunasthe akouein \) to the substance of Christ 's teaching and hence they are impatient with the way that he talks . How often that is true . rwp @John:8:44 @{Ye are of your father the devil } (\humeis ek tou patros tou diabolou \). Certainly they can "understand " (\gin “skete \ in 43 |) this "talk " (\lalian \) though they will be greatly angered . But they had to hear it (\akouein \ in 43 |). It was like a bombshell in spite of the preliminary preparation . {Your will to do } (\thelete poiein \). Present active indicative of \thel “\ and present active infinitive , "Ye wish to go on doing ." This same idea Jesus presents in strkjv @Matthew:13:38 | (the sons of the evil one , the devil ) and strkjv @23:15 | (twofold more a son of Gehenna than you ). See also strkjv @1John:3:8 | for "of the devil " (\ek tou diabolou \) for the one who persists in sinning . In strkjv @Revelation:12:9 | the devil is one who leads all the world astray . The Gnostic view that Jesus means "the father of the devil " is grotesque . Jesus does not , of course , here deny that the Jews , like all men , are children of God the Creator , like Paul 's offspring of God for all men in strkjv @Acts:17:28 |. What he denies to these Pharisees is that they are spiritual children of God who do his will . They do the lusts and will of the devil . The Baptist had denied this same spiritual fatherhood to the merely physical descendants of Abraham (Matthew:3:9 |). He even called them "broods of vipers " as Jesus did later (Matthew:12:34 |). {A murderer } (\anthr “poktonos \). Old and rare word (Euripides ) from \anthr “pos \, man , and \ktein “\, to kill . In N .T . only here and strkjv @1John:3:15 |. The Jews were seeking to kill Jesus and so like their father the devil . {Stood not in the truth } (\en t ˆi al ˆthei ƒi ouk est ˆken \). Since \ouk \, not \ouch \, is genuine , the form of the verb is \esteken \ the imperfect of the late present stem \st ˆk “\ (Mark:11:25 |) from the perfect active \hest ˆka \ (intransitive ) of \hist ˆmi \, to place . {No truth in him } (\ouk estin al ˆtheia en aut “i \). Inside him or outside (environment ). The devil and truth have no contact . {When he speaketh a lie } (\hotan lal ˆi to pseudos \). Indefinite temporal clause with \hotan \ and the present active subjunctive of \lale “\. But note the article \to \: "Whenever he speaks the lie ," as he is sure to do because it is his nature . Hence "he speaks out of his own " (\ek t “n idi “n lalei \) like a fountain bubbling up (cf . strkjv @Matthew:12:34 |). {For he is a liar } (\hoti pseust ˆs estin \). Old word for the agent in a conscious falsehood (\pseudos \). See strkjv @1John:1:10 ; strkjv @Romans:3:4 |. Common word in John because of the emphasis on \al ˆtheia \ (truth ). {And the father thereof } (\kai ho pat ˆr autou \). Either the father of the lie or of the liar , both of which are true as already shown by Jesus . {Autou } in the genitive can be either neuter or masculine . Westcott takes it thus , "because he is a liar and his father (the devil ) is a liar ," making "one ," not the devil , the subject of "whenever he speaks ," a very doubtful expression . rwp @John:8:45 @{Because I speak the truth } (\eg “ de hoti t ˆn al ˆtheian leg “\). Proleptic emphatic position of \eg “\. "Truth is uncongenial to them " (Bernard ). See strkjv @3:19 | for their picture . rwp @John:8:46 @{Which of you convicteth me of sin ?} (\Tis ex hum “n elegchei me peri hamaritas ;\). See on strkjv @3:20 ; strkjv @16:8 | (the work of the Holy Spirit ) for \elegch “\ for charge and proof . The use of \hamartia \ as in strkjv @1:29 | means sin in general , not particular sins . The rhetorical question which receives no answer involves sinlessness (Hebrews:4:15 |) without specifically saying so . Bernard suggests that Jesus paused after this pungent question before going on . {Why do ye not believe me ?} (\Dia ti humeis ou pisteuete moi ;\). This question drives home the irrationality of their hostility to Jesus . It was based on prejudice and predilection . rwp @John:8:47 @{He that is of God } (\ho “n ek tou theou \). See this use of \ek \ in strkjv @3:31f |. "Their not listening proved that they were not of God " (Dods ). They were of the earth and the devil , not of God .

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