I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
Parallel translations
- WEB I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.
- KJV I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
- NKJV “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
- NASB I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus acknowledges their physical descent from Abraham yet exposes their murderous intent because his word finds no place in them. Heritage cannot replace receptive faith.
Overview
Jesus concedes their biological lineage but denies that it makes them true children of Abraham. Their desire to kill him proves his word has gained no foothold in their hearts. The verse distinguishes physical ancestry from spiritual kinship, a theme that runs throughout this confrontation and points to the necessity of receiving Christ's word.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- 1 Cor 2:14The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- John 8:45–47But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!
- Rom 9:7Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
- John 7:1After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He did not want to travel in Judea, because the Jews there were trying to kill Him.
- John 8:59At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.
- Acts 13:26Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
- John 8:43Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
- John 11:53So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.
- Matt 13:15For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
- John 7:19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”
- John 12:39–43For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says:
- John 5:16–18Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him.
- John 8:39–40“Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.
- John 10:31At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him.
- John 5:44How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
- John 7:25Then some of the people of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?
- John 8:6They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.
- Matt 13:19–22When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
- 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?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 8:37 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.