John 8:33
in John 8“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They answered unto him, We are Abraham’s seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
KJV
They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
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This verse in John 8
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThey laugh at the promise of our Saviour, rather they even take it ill, as though they were insulted. For that which has no share at all of bondage, how will it need (he says) of One Who calls us unto freedom, and Who gives us a something over and above what is in us already.
This site's exposition
We are Abraham’s descendants
We are Abraham's descendants is the ground they stand on. Never been slaves to anyone passes over Egypt, Babylon, and the Roman soldiers in the city that day. They heard an offer about sin and answered about national liberty.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
They did not speak the truth. They had been freed from the bondage of the Egyptians, who were their neighbors, and from that of the Babylonians. And now, when they were speaking these words, they were subjects to the Romans. But our Lord did not …
(Tr. xli. 2) Or it was not those who believed, but the unbelieving multitude that made this answer. But how could they say with truth, taking only secular bondage into account, that we have never been in bondage to any man? Was not Joseph sold? were not the holy prophets carried into captivity? Ungrateful people! Why does God remind you so continually of His having taken you out of the house of bondage if you never were in bondage? Why do you who are now talking, pay tribute to the Romans, if you never were in bondage?
"We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man." And yet if they must needs have been vexed, it might have been expected that they would have been so at the former part of His speech, at His having said, "Ye shall know the truth"; and that they would have replied, "What! do we not now know the truth? Is then the Law and our knowledge a lie?" But they cared for none of these things, they are grieved at worldly things, and these were their notions of bondage. And certainly even now, there are many who feel shame at indifferent matters, and at this kind of bondage, but who feel none for the bondage of sin, and who would rather be called servants to this latter kind of bondage ten thousand times, than once to the former. Such were these men, and they did not even know of any other bondage, and they say, "Bondsmen callest thou those who are of the race of Abraham, the nobly born, who therefore ought not to be called bondsmen? For, saith one, we were never in bondage to any man." Such are the boastings of the Jews. "We are the seed of Abraham," "we are Israelites." They never mention their own righteous deeds. Wherefore John cried out to them, saying, "Think not to say that we have Abraham to our father." And why did not Christ confute them, for they had often been in bondage to the Egyptians, Babylonians, and many others? Because His words were not to gain honor for Himself, but for their salvation, for their benefit, and toward this object He was pressing. For He might have spoken of the four hundred years, He might have spoken of the seventy, He might have spoken of the years of bondage during the time of the Judges, at one time twenty, at another two, at another seven; He might have said that they had never ceased being in bondage. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
"They answered him." Here is touched upon how the promised liberation is belittled by the Jews, because they considered themselves free; whence they boast of their freedom and do not care about liberation. Therefore they say to him: "We are the seed of Abraham and …
Next (v 33), he shows that the Jews need this remedy. First, he amplifies on their presumption in denying that they need any such remedy; secondly, he shows in what respect they need this remedy (v 34). The presumption of the Jews is shown by …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
The proud Jews again cling to vain nobility and say with fury: "We are Abraham's seed." If they needed to be indignant, it should have been about something else. He said to them: "You shall know the truth." Therefore they should have said: "What then, …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They answered him,.... Not the believing Jews, whom he peculiarly addressed, but the unbelieving Jews, who were present, and heard these things: we be Abraham's seed; this the Jews always valued themselves upon, and reckoned themselves, on this account, upon a level with the nobles and the princes of the earth. "Says R.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
They answered him - Not those who believed on him, but some who stood by and heard him. We be Abraham’s seed - We are the children or descendants of Abraham. Abraham was not a slave, and they pretended that they were his real descendants, inheriting his freedom as well as his spirit. They meant that they were the direct descendants of Abraham by Isaac, his heir. Ishmael, also Abraham’s son, was the son of a bondwoman Gal 4:21-23, but they were descended in a direct line from the acknowledged heir of Abraham.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?" Jesus answered them, "I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever. So if the son sets you free, you will be really free." These verses show us, for one thing, the importance of steady perseverance in Christ's service. There were many, it seems, at this particular period, who professed to believe on our Lord, and expressed a desire to become His disciples.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?" Jesus answered them, "I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever. So if the son sets you free, you will be really free." These verses show us, for one thing, the importance of steady perseverance in Christ's service. There were many, it seems, at this particular period, who professed to believe on our Lord, and expressed a desire to become His disciples. There is nothing to show that they had true faith. They appear to have acted under the influence of temporary excitement, without considering what they were doing. And to them our Lord addresses this instructive warning—"If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed." This sentence contains a mine of wisdom. To make a beginning in religious life is comparatively easy. Not a few mixed motives assist us. The love of novelty, the praise of well-meaning but imprudent professors, the secret self-satisfaction of feeling "how good I am," the universal excitement attending a new position—all these things combine to aid the young beginner. Aided by them he begins to run the race that leads to heaven, lays aside many bad habits, takes up many good ones, has many comfortable frames and feelings, and gets on splendidly for a time. But when the newness of his position is past and gone, when the freshness of his feelings is rubbed off and lost, when the world and the devil begin to pull hard at him, when the weakness of his own heart begins to appear, then it is that he finds out the real difficulties of vital Christianity. Then it is that he discovers the deep wisdom of our Lord's saying now before us. It is not beginning, but "continuing" a religious profession, that is the test of true grace.
They answered - That is, the other Jews who had not believed - the carping, cavilling Pharisees already mentioned; for the words cannot be spoken of the simple people who had already believed. See Joh 8:30. Were never in bondage to any man - This assertion was not only false, but it was ridiculous in the extreme; seeing their whole history, sacred and profane, is full of recitals of their servitude in Egypt, in Chaldea, under the Persians, under the Macedonians, and under the Romans. But those who are not under the influence of the truth of God will speak and act according to the influence of the spirit of falsehood and error. If the words are to be restrained to themselves alone, they may be understood thus: We are Abraham’s seed: and we were never in bondage. Both these propositions had a faint shadow of truth.
Modern Voices1 voice
By a practiced abiding in his words we come to know the truth and the truth does, sure enough, make us free.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀπεκρίθησαν | apekrithesan | They answered | G611 → | 231 times |
| πρὸς | pros | unto | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτόν· | auton | Him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| σπέρμα | sperma | Seed | G4690 → | 43 times |
| Ἀβραάμ | abraam | of Abraham | G11 → | 73 times |
| ἐσμεν | esmen | we are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐδενὶ | oudeni | to no [one] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| δεδουλεύκαμεν | dedouleukamen | have we been under bondage | G1398 → | |
| πώποτε· | popote | ever; | G4455 → | 6 times |
| πῶς | pos | How | G4459 → | 103 times |
| σὺ | su | You yourself | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| λέγεις | legeis | say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἐλεύθεροι | eleutheroi | Free | G1658 → | |
| γενήσεσθε; | genesesthe | you will become’? | G1096 → | 667 times |
ἀπεκρίθησανThey answered
apekrithesanG611 →231 times
πρὸςunto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτόν·Him;
autonG846 →5565 times
σπέρμαSeed
spermaG4690 →43 times
Ἀβραάμof Abraham
abraamG11 →73 times
ἐσμενwe are
esmenG1510 →2333 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐδενὶto no [one]
oudeniG3762 →232 times
δεδουλεύκαμενhave we been under bondage
dedouleukamenG1398 →
πώποτε·ever;
popoteG4455 →6 times
πῶςHow
posG4459 →103 times
σὺYou yourself
suG4771 →2973 times
λέγειςsay
legeisG3004 →1325 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἐλεύθεροιFree
eleutheroiG1658 →
γενήσεσθε;you will become’?
genesestheG1096 →667 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 3:9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
it leads to
- Luke 3:8
Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up…
- Romans 9:7–8
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
- Galatians 3:27–29
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
- Luke 3:8
Through
Genesis 15:13Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
it leads to
- Acts 7:6–7
God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
- Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
- Acts 7:6–7
Through
John 8:39“Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:7
Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham.
- John 8:37
I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
- Romans 9:7
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
- Galatians 3:7
Where this verse is studied
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About John
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 8; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 5; Dallas Willard, Why Bother With Discipleship? (in The Great Omission); J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 54; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON JOHN 3.8.33; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.