John 10:34

Contemporary English Version

Jesus replied: In your Scriptures doesn't God say, "You are gods"?

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus answered, "It is written in your law that God said, ‘I said you are gods.'

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Iesus answered them: Is it not written in youre lawe: I saye ye are goddes?

Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua answered them, "Isn't it written in your law, 'I said, you are gods?'

International Standard Version
Jesus replied to them, "Is it not written in yourthe">[fn] law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?Psalm 82:6">[fn]Psalm 82:6;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law: 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'?

New Century Version
Jesus answered, "It is written in your law that God said, ‘I said, you are gods.'

Update Bible Version
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, you are gods?

Webster's Bible Translation
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

English Standard Version
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods'?

World English Bible
Jesus answered them, "Isn't it written in your law, 'I said, you are gods?'

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?

Weymouth's New Testament
"Does it not stand written in your Law," replied Jesus, "`I said, you are gods'?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Jhesus answerde to hem, Whether it is not writun in youre lawe, That Y seide, Ye ben goddis?

English Revised Version
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

Berean Standard Bible
Jesus replied, "Is it not written in your Law: 'I have said you are gods'?

Amplified Bible
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS [human judges representing God, not divine beings]'?

American Standard Version
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

Bible in Basic English
In answer, Jesus said, Is there not a saying in your law, I said, You are gods?

Complete Jewish Bible
Yeshua answered them, "Isn't it written in your Torah, ‘I have said, "You people are Elohim ' " ?

Darby Translation
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

Etheridge Translation
Jeshu saith to them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are Alohee ?

Murdock Translation
Jesus said to them: Is it not written in your law, I have said, Ye are gods?

King James Version (1611)
Iesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?

New Living Translation
Jesus replied, "It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!'

New Life Bible
Jesus said to them, "Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods'?

New Revised Standard
Jesus answered, "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods'?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Iesus answered them, Is it not written in your Lawe, I sayd, Ye are gods?

George Lamsa Translation
Jesus said to them, Is it not so written in your law, I said, you are gods?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Jesus answered them - Is it not written in your law: I, said, Ye are, gods?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jesus answered them: Is it not written in your law: I said, you are gods?

Revised Standard Version
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Iesus aunswered them: Is it not written in your lawe, I sayde, ye are Gods?

Good News Translation
Jesus answered, "It is written in your own Law that God said, ‘You are gods.'

Christian Standard Bible®
Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law,

King James Version
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

Lexham English Bible
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, "You are gods"'?

Literal Translation
Jesus answered them, Has it not been written in your Law, "I said, you are gods"? Psa. 82:6

Young's Literal Translation
Jesus answered them, `Is it not having been written in your law: I said, ye are gods?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iesus answered the: Is it not wrytten in youre lawe: I haue sayde, Ye are Goddes?

Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law , "I said ye are Gods?"

THE MESSAGE
Jesus said, "I'm only quoting your inspired Scriptures, where God said, ‘I tell you—you are gods.' If God called your ancestors ‘gods'—and Scripture doesn't lie—why do you yell, ‘Blasphemer! Blasphemer!' at the unique One the Father consecrated and sent into the world, just because I said, ‘I am the Son of God'? If I don't do the things my Father does, well and good; don't believe me. But if I am doing them, put aside for a moment what you hear me say about myself and just take the evidence of the actions that are right before your eyes. Then perhaps things will come together for you, and you'll see that not only are we doing the same thing, we are the same—Father and Son. He is in me; I am in him."

New English Translation
Jesus answered, "Is it not written in your law, ‘ I said, you are gods '?

New King James Version
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '? Psalms 82:6">[fn]

Simplified Cowboy Version

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'?

Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods'?

Contextual Overview

²² That winter, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Temple Festival. ²³ One day he was walking in that part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch, ²⁴ and the people gathered all around him. They said, "How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!" ²⁵ Jesus answered: I have told you, and you refused to believe me. The things I do by my Father's authority show who I am. ²⁶ But since you are not my sheep, you don't believe me. ²⁷ My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me, ²⁸ and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father gave them to me, and he is greater than all others. No one can snatch them from his hands, ³⁰ and I am one with the Father. ³¹ Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones in order to kill Jesus.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in: John 12:34, John 15:25, Romans 3:10-19

I said: Psalms 82:1, Psalms 82:6, Psalms 82:7

gods: Exodus 4:16, Exodus 7:1, Exodus 22:28, Psalms 138:1

Reciprocal: Exodus 12:12 - gods 1 Samuel 28:13 - gods ascending Psalms 146:6 - keepeth truth Matthew 9:13 - go Luke 4:4 - It John 8:17 - also Romans 3:19 - what things 1 Corinthians 8:5 - that 1 Corinthians 14:21 - the law Galatians 4:21 - the law

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law,.... In the law which was given unto them, of which they boasted, and pretended to understand, and interpret, even in Psalms 82:6; for the law includes not only the Pentateuch, but all the books of the Old Testament: it is an observation of one of the Jewish doctors t, that

"with the wise men of blessed memory, it is found in many places that the word law comprehends the Prophets and the Hagiographa.''

Among which last stands the book of Psalms; and this may be confirmed by a passage out of the Talmud u; it is asked,

"from whence does the resurrection of the dead appear,

מן התורה, "out of the law?"''

It is answered,

"as it is said in Psalms 84:4: "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will still praise thee, Selah; they do praise thee", it is not said, but "they will praise thee"; from hence is a proof of the resurrection of the dead, "out of the law".''

The same question is again put, and then Isaiah 52:8 is cited, and the like observation made upon it. Moreover, this is a way of speaking used by the Jews, when they introduce another citing a passage of Scripture thus w, הלא כתיב בתורתכם, "is it not written in your law", Deuteronomy 4:9, "only take heed to thyself", c. so here the Scripture follows,

I said, ye are gods? which is spoken to civil magistrates, so called, because of their authority and power and because they do, in some sort, represent the divine majesty, in the government of nations and kingdoms. Many of the Jewish writers, by "gods", understand "the angels". The Targum paraphrases the words thus:

"I said ye are accounted as angels, as the angels on high, all of you;''

and to this sense some of their commentators interpret it. Jarchi's gloss is, ye are gods; that is, angels; for when I gave the law to you, it was on this account, that the angel of death might not any more rule over you: the note of Aben Ezra is, "and the children of the Most High": as angels; and the sense is, your soul is as the soul of angels: hence the x Jew charges Christ with seeking refuge in words, that will not profit, or be any help to him, when he cites these words, showing that magistrates are called gods, when the sense is only, that they are like to the angels in respect of their souls: but let it be observed, that it is not said, "ye are as gods", as in Genesis 3:5, but "ye are gods"; not like unto them only, but are in some sense gods; and besides, to say that they are like to angels, with respect to their souls, which come from above, is to say no more of the judges of the earth, than what may be said of every man: to which may be added, that this objector himself owns, that judges are called אלהים, "gods", as in Exodus 22:9; the cause of both parties shall come before אלהים, "the judges"; and that even the word is used in this sense in this very psalm, from whence these words are cited, Psalms 82:1, "he judgeth among" אלהים, "the gods"; and both Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret this text itself in the same way, and observe, that judges are called gods, when they judge truly and aright: all which is sufficient to justify our Lord in the citation of this passage, and the use he makes of it.

t R. Azarias in Meor Enayim, c. 7. fol. 47. 1. u T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 91. 2. w T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 32. 2. x R. Isaac Chizzuk Emuna, par. 2. c. 51. p. 440, 441.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jesus answered them - The answer of Jesus consists of two parts. The first John 10:34-36 shows that they ought not to object to his use of the word God, even if he were no more than a man. The second John 10:37-38 repeats substantially what he had before said, left the same impression, and in proof of it he appealed to his works.

John 10:34

In your law - Psalms 82:6. The word “law” here, is used to include the Old Testament.

I said - The Psalmist said, or God said by the Psalmist.

Ye are gods - This was said of magistrates on account of the dignity and honor of their office, and it shows that the Hebrew word translated “god,” אלהים ̀^elohiym, in that place might be applied to man. Such a use of the word is, however, rare. See instances in Exodus 7:1; Exodus 4:16.

John 10:35

Unto whom the word of God came - That is, who were his servants, or who received their dignity and honor only because the law of God was intrusted to them. “The Word of God” here means the command of God; his commission to them to do justice.

The scripture cannot be broken - See Matthew 5:19. The authority of the Scripture is final; it cannot be set aside. The meaning is, “If, therefore, the Scripture uses the word “god” אלהים ̀^elohiym as applied to magistrates, it settles the question that it is right to apply the term to those in office and authority. If applied to them, it may be to others in similar offices. It cannot, therefore, be blasphemy to use this word as applicable to a personage so much more exalted than mere magistrates as the Messiah.”

John 10:36

Whom the Father hath sanctified - The word “sanctify” with us means to make holy; but this is not its meaning here, for the Son of God was always holy. The original word means to set apart from a common to a sacred use; to devote to a sacred purpose, and to designate or consecrate to a holy office. This is the meaning here. God has consecrated or appointed his Son to be his Messenger or Messiah to mankind. See Exodus 28:41; Exodus 29:1, Exodus 29:44; Leviticus 8:30.

And sent into the world - As the Messiah, an office far more exalted than that of magistrates.

I am the Son of God - This the Jews evidently understood as the same as saying that he was equal with God. This expression he had often applied to himself. The meaning of this place may be thus expressed: “You charge me with blasphemy. The foundation of that charge is the use of the name God, or the Son of God, applied to myself; yet that same term is applied in the Scriptures to magistrates. The use of it there shows that it is right to apply it to those who sustain important offices (see the notes of John 10:34-35). And especially you, Jews, ought not to attempt to found a charge of blasphemy on the application of a word to the Messiah which in your own Scriptures is applied to all magistrates. And we may remark here:

1. That Jesus did not deny that he meant to apply the term to himself.
2. He did not deny that it was properly applied to him.
3. He did not deny that it implied that he was God. He affirmed only that they were inconsistent, and were not authorized to bring a charge of blasphemy for the application of the name to himself.

John 10:37

The works of my Father - The very works that my Father does. See John 5:17; “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” See the note on that place. The works of his Father are those which God only can do. As Jesus did them, it shows that the name “Son of God,” implying equality with God, was properly applied to him. This shows conclusively that he meant to be understood as claiming to be equal with God. So the Jews naturally understood him John 10:39, and they were left with this impression on their minds.

John 10:38

Believe the works - Though you do not credit me, yet consider my works, for they prove that I came from God. No one could do them unless he was sent of God.

Father is in me ... - Most intimately connected. See John 5:36. This expression denotes most intimate union - such as can exist in no other case. See Matthew 11:27; Notes, John 17:21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. Is it not written in your law — The words which our Lord quotes are taken from Psalms 82:6, which shows that, under the word law, our Lord comprised the Jewish sacred writings in general. See also John 12:34; John 15:25.

Ye are gods? — That is, judges, who are called אלהים elohim. That judges are here meant appears from Psalms 82:2, &c., and also from what follows here. And this is probably the only place where the word אלהים is applied to any but the true God. See Parkhurst under the root אלה.