I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in 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.
- BSB I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within 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 2:14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- John 8:45–47And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
- Rom 9:7Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
- John 7:1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
- John 8:59Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
- Acts 13:26Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
- John 8:43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
- John 11:53Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
- Matt 13:15For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
- John 7:19Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
- John 12:39–43Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
- John 5:16–18And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
- John 8:39–40They 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.
- John 10:31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
- John 5:44How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
- John 7:25Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
- John 8:6This 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.
- Matt 13:19–22When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
- John 8:33They 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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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
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