John 8:37
New International Version
I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word.

New Living Translation
Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message.

English Standard Version
I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

Berean Standard Bible
I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.

Berean Literal Bible
I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you seek to kill Me because My word receives no place in you.

King James Bible
I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

New King James Version
“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

New American Standard Bible
I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

NASB 1995
“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

NASB 1977
“I know that you are Abraham’s offspring; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

Legacy Standard Bible
I know that you are Abraham’s seed; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

Amplified Bible
I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no place [to grow] in you [and it makes no change in your heart].

Christian Standard Bible
I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill Me because My word is not welcome among you.

American Standard Version
I know that ye are Abraham's seed: yet ye seek to kill me, because my word hath not free course in you.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“I know you are the seed of Abraham, but you seek to kill me because you cannot comprehend my word.”

Contemporary English Version
I know that you are from Abraham's family. Yet you want to kill me, because my message isn't really in your hearts.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I know that you are the children of Abraham: but you seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

English Revised Version
I know that ye are Abraham's seed; yet ye seek to kill me, because my word hath not free course in you.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I know that you're Abraham's descendants. However, you want to kill me because you don't like what I'm saying.

Good News Translation
I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me, because you will not accept my teaching.

International Standard Version
"I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me because you've not received what I've told you.

Literal Standard Version
I have known that you are seed of Abraham, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you;

Majority Standard Bible
I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.

New American Bible
I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you.

NET Bible
I know that you are Abraham's descendants. But you want to kill me, because my teaching makes no progress among you.

New Revised Standard Version
I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word.

New Heart English Bible
I know that you are Abraham's descendants, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

Webster's Bible Translation
I know that ye are Abraham's offspring; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Weymouth New Testament
You are descendants of Abraham, I know; but you want to kill me, because my teaching gains no ground within you.

World English Bible
I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

Young's Literal Translation
'I have known that ye are seed of Abraham, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Children of the Devil
36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. 38I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”…

Cross References
Matthew 3:9
And 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.

John 7:1
After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He did not want to travel in Judea, because the Jews there were trying to kill Him.

John 8:33
"We are Abraham's descendants," they answered. "We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?"

John 8:39
"Abraham is our father," they replied. "If you were children of Abraham," said Jesus, "you would do the works of Abraham.

John 8:40
But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.

John 8:56
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad."

1 John 2:14
I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.


Treasury of Scripture

I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you.

know.

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

Acts 13:26
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

Romans 9:7
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

but.

John 8:6,40,59
This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not

John 5:16-18
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day…

John 7:1,19,25
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him…

because.

John 8:43,45-47
Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word…

John 5:44
How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

John 12:39-43
Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, …

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Abraham Abraham's Conscious Course Descendants Desire Entrance Finds Free Gains Ground Kill Offspring Ready Seed Seek Teaching Want Within Word
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Abraham Abraham's Conscious Course Descendants Desire Entrance Finds Free Gains Ground Kill Offspring Ready Seed Seek Teaching Want Within Word
John 8
1. Jesus delivers the woman taken in adultery.
12. He declares himself the light of the world, and justifies his doctrine;
31. promises freedom to those who believe;
33. answers the Jews who boasted of Abraham;
48. answers their reviling, by showing his authority and dignity;
59. and slips away from those who would stone him.














(37) I know that ye are Abraham's seed.--He uses the word which they had used in John 8:33, acknowledging their merely physical descent from Abraham. He has since used the word "Son," but does not apply it to them. In John 8:39 He refuses to acknowledge that they are Abraham's "children."

But ye seek to kill me.--The difficulty of understanding these words to refer to those who believed on Him (John 8:30-31), have led to the opinion that others of the hierarchy answer in John 8:33. This seems unnatural, and is opposed to the words which immediately follow. As a party, they had been, and still were, seeking to kill Him. These believers, by their question in John 8:33, were showing the spirit which declined discipleship, were identifying themselves with His opponents. . . .

Verse 37. - I know (οϊδα, I know absolutely, I do not come to know it from your retort) that ye are the seed of Abraham. They belonged to the noble race, "whose are the fathers;" they were the σπέρμα of him who received the promises. Christ admitted the pedigree, but he proceeds to show that mere hereditary descent would be of no avail to them apart from moral considerations. These ideas, these revolutionary conceptions, so far as Judaism was concerned, were not the evolution of Christian ideas in the second century. It is most instructive to see how clearly St. Paul had already grasped them, and woven them into a powerful argument when dealing with the Judaizers in Galatia, many years before this Gospel was written (see the entire argument of Galatians 3, which thus rests on the teaching of the Christ himself). But ye seek to kill me. This charge is certainly difficult to suppose applicable to those who "had come to believe in him" (ver. 31). One of three suppositions must be made - either

(1) the believing Jews were surrounded by angry groups of his bitter enemies, to whom he here addressed himself; or

(2) the Lord spoke here to them as representing the large company of Jerusalem opponents, whom he knew at that moment to be planning his death, and as all orators and debaters are in the habit of dealing with opposing arguments by showing the character they assume in others, who make them their boast; or

(3) those who had come to believe him up to a certain point had as rapidly relapsed, at the first touch of spiritual proof, into disbelief and cruel hostility. This seems the more natural interpretation of the fact, which may, at the same time, have become patent from some angry manifestation of his implacable foes. There is much to be found in the background and scenery of this dramatic colloquy, reported with such extreme brevity, which would, if we exactly knew how to paint it, solve its difficulties. Ye seek to slay me, because my word - the word which is mine - makes no progress - or, advance - in you. Ξωρέω has both transitive and intransitive meanings; thus it means "leave," "depart," "turn," or "come to," with εἰς (2 Peter 3:9, "contain;" John 2:6; John 21:25; Mark 2:2); but it has the force frequently in Plato "to make progress or advance," and it has this force here. So Meyer, Westcott, R.T., etc. (Luthardt and Tholuck suggest "find entrance," which would require εἰς rather than ἐν). Not only did they not continue in Christ's word (ver. 31), but the word itself made no way in their minds; it was barred out by prejudices, and thus choked at its very first working. Christ thus represents his word first as the very atmosphere and home in which his true disciples abide, and then as a powerful influence which grows evermore in power and command as it is pondered. It means more and more to those who abide in it; it implicitly contains a whole universe of truth and reality, of impulse and motive, for those who allow to it "free course" - who are of the truth, and hear his voice.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
I know
Οἶδα (Oida)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

you are
ἐστε (este)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

Abraham’s
Ἀβραάμ (Abraam)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 11: Abraham, progenitor of the Hebrew race. Of Hebrew origin; Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch.

descendants,
σπέρμα (sperma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4690: From speiro; something sown, i.e. Seed; by implication, offspring; specially, a remnant.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

you are trying
ζητεῖτέ (zēteite)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2212: To seek, search for, desire, require, demand. Of uncertain affinity; to seek; specially, to worship, or to plot.

to kill
ἀποκτεῖναι (apokteinai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 615: To put to death, kill; fig: I abolish. From apo and kteino; to kill outright; figuratively, to destroy.

Me
με (me)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

because
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

My
ἐμὸς (emos)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1699: My, mine. From the oblique cases of ego; my.

word
λόγος (logos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

has no place
χωρεῖ (chōrei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5562: From chora; to be in space, i.e. to pass, enter, or to hold, admit.

within
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

you.
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.


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NT Gospels: John 8:37 I know that you are Abraham's seed (Jhn Jo Jn)
John 8:36
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