John 8:46-48

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. John 8:46 tn Or “can convict me.”
2. John 8:46 tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
3. John 8:46 tn Or “if I tell you.”
4. John 8:47 tn Grk “who is of.”
5. John 8:47 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
6. John 8:47 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
7. John 8:47 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
8. John 8:48 tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.
9. John 8:48 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
10. John 8:48 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
11. John 8:48 tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (Samaritēs ei su kai daimonion echeis). The meaning could be “you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon.” Note that the dual charge gets one reply (John 8:49). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.