John 8 Bible Commentary

8:3 ¹ And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

(1) While the wicked go about to make a snare for good men, they make a snare for themselves.

8:7 ² So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

(2) Against hypocrites who are very severe judges against other men, and flatter themselves while they are sinning.

8:10 ³ When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

(3) Christ would not take upon himself the office of the civil magistrate: he was content to bring sinners to faith and repentance.

8:12 ⁴ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

(4) The world, which is blind in itself, cannot come to have any light but in Christ alone.

8:13 ⁵ The Pharisees therefore said unto him, ^a Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

(5) Christ is without all exception the best witness of the truth, for he was sent by his Father for that purpose, and his Father showed his approval of him to the world by infinite miracles.
(a) You bear witness of yourself, which is worth nothing in the opinion of all men, and for a man to commend himself is very uncommendable.

8:14 Jesus answered and said unto them, ^b Though I bear record of myself, [yet] my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

(b) That which he denied before in (John 5:31) must be understood as Christ granting their position in a way, for in that place he talked of himself somewhat in line with the opinions of his hearers, who acknowledged nothing in Christ but his humanity, and therefore he was content they should not regard his own witness, unless it were otherwise confirmed. But in this place he stands and affirms Godhead, and praises his Father, who is his witness, and agrees with him.

8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I ^c judge no man.

(c) I am presently only teaching you, I condemn no man: but yet if I want to do it, I might lawfully do it, for I am not alone, but my Father is with me.

8:18 ^d I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

(d) The Godhead is plainly distinguished from the manhood, or else there would not be two witnesses: for the accused party is not taken as a witness.

8:19 ⁶ 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.

(6) No man can know God except in Christ alone.

8:20 These words spake Jesus in the ^e treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; ⁷ for his hour was not yet come.

(e) This was a certain place appointed for the gathering of the offerings. (7) We live and die according to the pleasure of God, and not of men: therefore it behooves us that we constantly go forward in our calling.

8:21 ⁸ Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

(8) Because men naturally abhor heavenly things, no man can be a fit disciple of Christ unless the Spirit of God makes him so: in the meantime nonetheless, the world must necessarily perish, because it refuses the life that is offered unto it.

8:25 ⁹ Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even ^f [the same] that I said unto you from the beginning.

(9) He will eventually know who Christ is who will diligently hear what Christ says.
(f) That is, I am Christ, and the Saviour, for so I told you from the beginning that I was.

8:26 ¹⁰ I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

(10) God is the avenger of Christ's despised doctrine.

8:27 ¹¹ They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

(11) Even the contempt of Christ results in his glory: and this thing his enemies will eventually feel to their great pain.

8:31 ¹² Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;

(12) The true disciples of Christ continue in his doctrine, that profiting more and more in the knowledge of the truth they may be delivered from the most grievous burden of sin, into the true liberty of righteousness and life.

8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall ^g make you free.

(g) From the slavery of sin.

8:33 ^h They answered him, We be ⁱ Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

(h) Some of the multitude, not they that believed: for this is not the speech of men that agree with him, but of men that are against him.
(i) Born and begotten of Abraham.

8:37 ¹³ I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

(13) Our wicked manners declare that we are obviously born of a wicked nature: but we are changed, and made part of the household of God according to the covenant which he made with Abraham by Christ alone, apprehended and laid hold on by faith: and this faith is known by a godly and honest life.

8:43 Why do ye not understand my ^k speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word.

(k) Or, language: as though he said, "You do not understand what I say any more than if I spoke in a strange and unknown language to you."

8:44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the ^l beginning, and ^m abode not in the ⁿ truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his ^o own: for he is a liar, and the ^p father of it.

(l) From the beginning of the world: for as soon as man was made, the devil cast him headlong into death.
(m) That is, did not continue constantly, or did not remain.
(n) That is, in faithfulness and uprightness, that is, he did not remain in the manner in which he was created.
(o) Even from his own head, and from his own mind or disposition.
(p) The author of it.

8:46 ¹⁴ Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

(14) Christ thoroughly executed the office that his Father gave him.

8:48 ¹⁵ Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

(15) The enemies of Christ act bravely for a while, but the Father will appear in his time to avenge the reproach that is done unto him in the person of his Son.

8:50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one ^q that seeketh and judgeth.

(q) That is, that will avenge both your despising of me and of him.

8:51 ¹⁶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never ^r see death.

(16) Only the doctrine of the gospel apprehended by faith is a sure remedy against death.
(r) That is, he will not feel it: for even in the midst of death the faithful see life.

8:52 ¹⁷ Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

(17) Against those who abuse the glory of the saints to debase Christ's glory.

8:54 ¹⁸ Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is ^s nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:

(18) There is no one further from seeking glory than Christ, but his Father has set him above all things.
(s) In saying this Christ grants their opinion, though not agreeing with it, as if he had said, "Be it so, let this report which I give of myself be of no force; yet there is another that glorifies me, that is, that honours my name."

8:55 ¹⁹ 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.

(19) There is no right knowledge of God without Christ, neither is there any right knowledge of Christ without his word.

8:56 ²⁰ Your father Abraham ^t rejoiced to see my ^u day: and he ^x saw [it], and was glad.

(20) The power of Christ showed itself through all former ages in the fathers, for they saw in the promises that he would come, and very joyfully laid hold of him with a living faith.
(t) Was very desirous.
(u) A day is a space that a man lives in, or does any notable act in, or endures any great thing in.
(x) With the eyes of faith; (Hebrews 11:13).

8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I ^y am.

(y) Christ, as he was God, was before Abraham: and he was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world.

8:59 ²¹ Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

(21) Zeal without knowledge eventually breaks out into a most open madness: and yet the wicked cannot do what they desire.