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I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge.
John 8:50 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.
  • KJV And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
  • NKJV And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
  • NASB But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges.
  • NLT And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge.

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 does not seek his own glory; the Father seeks it and will judge. He entrusts his vindication to God rather than defending himself.

Overview

Jesus disclaims self-glorification, leaving his honor and the judgment of his opponents in the Father's hands. This models trust in God's righteous judgment over self-vindication. It also points to the day when God will glorify the Son and judge all, assuring believers that Christ's cause will be upheld.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • John 5:41I do not accept glory from men,
  • John 8:54Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. The One who glorifies Me is My Father, of whom you say ‘He is our God.’
  • John 7:18He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood.
  • John 5:20–23The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these.
  • John 12:47–48As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
  • John 5:45Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 8:50YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 8:50 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.