John 8:39

Myles Coverdale Bible

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.

Parallel Translations

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

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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,

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.

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;

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."

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.

Contextual Overview

³⁸ I speake that I haue sene of my father, & ye do that ye haue sene of youre father. ³⁹ 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. ⁴⁰ But now ye go aboute to kyll me, a man, that haue tolde you the trueth, which I haue herde of God, this dyd not Abraham. ⁴¹ Ye do the dedes of youre father. Then sayde they vnto him: We are not borne of fornicacion, we haue one father, euen God. ⁴² Iesus sayde vnto them: Yf God were youre father, then wolde ye loue me. For I am proceaded forth, and come from God. For I am not come of my self, but he hath sent me. ⁴³ Why knowe ye not the my speach? Eue because ye can not abyde the hearinge of my worde. ⁴⁴ Ye are of the father the deuell, and after the lustes of youre father wyl ye do. The same was a murthurer from the begynnynge, and abode not in the trueth: for the trueth is not in him. Whan he speaketh a lye, then speaketh he of his awne: for he is a lyar, and a father of the same. ⁴⁵ But because I saye the trueth, ye beleue me not.

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.