John 8:39

Contemporary English Version

The people said to Jesus, "Abraham is our father!" Jesus replied, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
They said, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said, "If you were really Abraham's descendants, you would do what Abraham did.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
They answered and sayde vnto him: Abraham is oure father. Iesus sayde vnto them. If ye were Abrahams chyldren ye wolde do the dedes of Abraham.

Hebrew Names Version
They answered him, "Our father is Avraham." Yeshua said to them, "If you were Avraham's children, you would do the works of Avraham.

International Standard Version
They replied to him, "Our father is Abraham!" Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing what Abraham did.the works of Abraham">[fn]Matthew 3:9; John 3:33; Romans 2:28; 9:7; Galatians 3:7,29;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.

New Century Version
They answered, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said, "If you were really Abraham's children, you would do the things Abraham did.

Update Bible Version
They answered and said to him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus says to them, If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works of Abraham.

Webster's Bible Translation
They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

English Standard Version
They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,

World English Bible
They answered him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them, If ye were the children of Abraham, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Our father is Abraham," they said. "If you were Abraham's children," replied Jesus, "it is Abraham's deeds that you would be doing.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei answerden, and seiden to hym, Abraham is oure fadir. Jhesus seith to hem, If ye ben the sones of Abraham, do ye the werkis of Abraham.

English Revised Version
They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Berean Standard Bible
"Abraham is our father," they replied. "If you were children of Abraham," said Jesus, "you would do the works of Abraham.

Amplified Bible
They answered, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are [truly] Abraham's children, then do the works of Abraham and follow his example.

American Standard Version
They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Bible in Basic English
In answer they said to him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham's children you would do what Abraham did.

Complete Jewish Bible
They answered him, "Our father is Avraham." Yeshua replied, "If you are children of Avraham, then do the things Avraham did!

Darby Translation
They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus says to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham;

Etheridge Translation
They answered and said to him, Our father is Abraham. Jeshu saith to them, If you were the sons of Abraham, the works of Abraham you would do.

Murdock Translation
They answered, and said to him: Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them: If ye were children of Abraham, ye would do the works of Abraham.

King James Version (1611)
They answered, and said vnto him, Abraham is our father. Iesus sayth vnto them, If yee were Abrahams children, ye would doe the works of Abraham.

New Living Translation
"Our father is Abraham!" they declared. "No," Jesus replied, "for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example.

New Life Bible
They said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said, "If you were children of Abraham, you would do what he did.

New Revised Standard
They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing what Abraham did,

Geneva Bible (1587)
They answered, and saide vnto him, Abraham is our father. Iesus said vnto them, If ye were Abrahams children, ye woulde doe the workes of Abraham.

George Lamsa Translation
They answered and said to him, Our own father is Abraham. Jesus said to them, If you were the sons of Abraham, you would be doing the works of Abraham.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They answered and said unto him - Our father, is, Abraham. Jesus saith unto them - If, children of Abraham, ye are, the works of Abraham, are ye doing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
They answered and said to him: Abraham is our father. Jesus saith them: If you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham.

Revised Standard Version
They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They aunswered, and saide vnto him: Abraham is our father. Iesus saith vnto them: Yf ye were Abrahams childre, ye woulde do the workes of Abraham.

Good News Translation
They answered him, "Our father is Abraham." "If you really were Abraham's children," Jesus replied, "you would do the same things that he did.

Christian Standard Bible®
“Our father is Abraham,” they replied.

King James Version
They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Lexham English Bible
They answered and said to him, "Abraham is our father!" Jesus said to them, "If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham!

Literal Translation
They answered and said to Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, If you were children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham.

Young's Literal Translation
They answered and said to him, `Our father is Abraham;' Jesus saith to them, `If children of Abraham ye were, the works of Abraham ye were doing;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They answered, and sayde vnto him: Abraham is oure father. Iesus sayde vnto them: Yf ye were Abrahams children, ye wolde do the dedes of Abraham.

Mace New Testament (1729)
they answered him, Abraham is our father. if you were Abraham's children, said Jesus, you would act like Abraham.

THE MESSAGE
They were indignant. "Our father is Abraham!" Jesus said, "If you were Abraham's children, you would have been doing the things Abraham did. And yet here you are trying to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth he got straight from God! Abraham never did that sort of thing. You persist in repeating the works of your father." They said, "We're not bastards. We have a legitimate father: the one and only God."

New English Translation
They answered him, "Abraham is our father!" Jesus replied, "If you are Abraham's children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham.

New King James Version
They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.

Simplified Cowboy Version
"Our father is Abraham," they yelled."No, he's not," Jesus replied. "If he were your father then you would do as he did.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.

Legacy Standard Bible
They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus *said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, you would do the deeds of Abraham.

Contextual Overview

³⁸ I am telling you what my Father has shown me, just as you are doing what your father has taught you. ³⁹ The people said to Jesus, "Abraham is our father!" Jesus replied, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ Instead, you want to kill me for telling you the truth that God gave me. Abraham never did anything like that. ⁴¹ But you are doing exactly what your father does." "Don't accuse us of having someone else as our father!" they said. "We just have one father, and he is God." ⁴² Jesus answered: If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and only from him. He sent me. I did not come on my own. ⁴³ Why can't you understand what I am talking about? Can't you stand to hear what I am saying? ⁴⁴ Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies. ⁴⁵ Everything I have told you is true, and you still refuse to have faith in me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Abraham: John 8:33

If: John 8:37, Matthew 3:9, Matthew 5:45, Romans 2:28, Romans 2:29, Romans 4:12, Romans 4:16, Romans 9:7, Galatians 3:7, Galatians 3:29, James 2:22-24

Reciprocal: Proverbs 30:15 - The horseleach Ezekiel 33:5 - his blood Ezekiel 33:24 - but we Micah 2:7 - named Malachi 2:10 - all John 1:47 - Behold Galatians 2:15 - Jews James 2:21 - Abraham

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They answered and said unto him,.... On account of his making mention of a father, whose works they did, and whom they imitated:

Abraham is our father; meaning their only one, nor had they any other:

Jesus saith unto them, if ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham; for who should children imitate but their parents? Abraham was a merciful, charitable, and hospitable man, as well as a man of strict justice and integrity; he feared God, believed in him, and was ready to receive every message and revelation which came from him; and they are his genuine children and offspring, who walk in the steps of his faith, charity, justice, and piety: and this is a rule which the Jews themselves give m, whereby the seed of Abraham may be known:

"whoever is merciful to the creature (man), it is evident that he is of the seed of Abraham, our father; but whoever has not mercy on the creature, it is a clear case that he is not of the seed of Abraham our father.''

And if this is a sure rule of judging, these men could not be the seed of Abraham, who were a merciless, barbarous, and cruel generation. Another of their writers n has this observation, agreeably to the way of reasoning Christ uses;

"a disciple is to be judged of according to his manners; he that walks in the ways of the Lord, he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father, seeing he is used to his manners, and learns of his works; but the disciple who is corrupt in his manners, though he is of the children of Israel, lo, he is not of the "disciples of Abraham", seeing he is not accustomed to his manners.''

Whence it appears, that they say these things not to distinguish themselves from other people who claimed a descent from Abraham, as the Ishmaelites or Saracens did; as did also the Spartans or Lacedemonians; for so writes Areus their king, to Onias the high priest of the Jews,

"it is found in writing, that the Lacedemonians and Jews are brethren, and that they are of the stock of Abraham,'' (1 Maccab. 12:20,21)

But to distinguish those who were religious and virtuous among the Jews themselves, from those that were not; and so our Lord means not to deny, that the Jews, though they were evil men, were the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh; but that they were not so in a spiritual sense, they did not tread in his steps, or do the works he did. The Persic version reads in the singular number, "ye would do the work of Abraham"; and if any particular work is designed, it is most likely to be the work of faith, since it was that which Abraham was famous for; and the doing of which denominated men, even Gentiles, the children of Abraham, and which the Jews were wanting in, they disbelieving and rejecting the Messiah.

m T. Bab. Betza, fol. 82. 2. n Abarbinel Naehaleth Abot, fol. 183. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Abraham is our father - We are descended from Abraham. Of this the Jews boasted much, as being descended from such an illustrious man. See the notes at Matthew 3:9. As Jesus did not expressly say who he meant John 8:38 when he said they did the works of their father, they obstinately persisted in pretending not to understand him, as if they had said, “We acknowledge no other father but Abraham, and to charge us with being the offspring of another is slander and calumny.”

If ye were Abraham’s children - The words “sons” and “children” are often used to denote those who imitate another or who have his spirit. See the notes at Matthew 1:1. Here it means, “if you were worthy to be called the children of Abraham, or if you had his spirit.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 39. If ye were Abraham's children — Griesbach reads εστε, ye are, instead of ητε, ye were, on the authority of BDL, Vulgate, four copies of the Itala; Origen and Augustin.

Ye would do the works of Abraham. — As the son has the nature of his father in him, and naturally imitates him, so, if ye were the children of Abraham, ye would imitate him in his faith, obedience, and uprightness; but this ye do not, for ye seek to kill me-ye are watching for an opportunity to destroy me, merely because I tell you the truth: Abraham never did any thing like this; therefore, you have no spiritual relationship to him.