You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?”
Parallel translations
- WEB Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”
- KJV Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
- BSB Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, as did the prophets. Who do You claim to be?”
- NKJV Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
- NLT Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
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
They demand to know if Jesus claims to be greater than Abraham and the prophets. The question, meant as a rebuke, presses Jesus toward his greatest claim.
Overview
Incredulous, they ask who Jesus thinks he is to surpass Abraham and the prophets. Ironically, the answer is yes: he is far greater. Their hostile question becomes the occasion for Jesus to reveal his eternal existence and deity in the verses that follow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- John 4:12Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?”
- Rom 9:5of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.
- Isa 9:6For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Heb 7:1–7For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
- Heb 3:2–3who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house.
- John 12:34The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”
- Matt 12:41–42The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.
- John 10:33The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
- John 10:29–30My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
- John 19:7The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”
- John 5:18For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
- John 8:58Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM. ”
- Matt 12:6But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 8:53 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.