John 8:40
But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
The accusation 'you seek to kill me' wasn't paranoia or exaggeration. John 7:1 explicitly states 'the Jews sought to kill him,' forcing Jesus to avoid Judea. John 7:19-20 records Jesus asking, 'Why go ye about to kill me?'—though the crowd denies it, the authorities' intent was clear. John 7:32 shows 'the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.' By John 8:59, they'll attempt stoning. Within months, they'll succeed in crucifying Him (John 19).
The contrast with Abraham is theologically loaded. Genesis 18 records Abraham receiving three visitors (likely the pre-incarnate Christ and two angels). Abraham showed lavish hospitality: running to meet them, bowing, offering water, rest, bread—then preparing a feast with choice calf, curds, and milk. When the visitors announced Sarah would bear a son, Abraham believed despite seeming impossibility. When God revealed plans to destroy Sodom, Abraham interceded for the righteous. Abraham's consistent response to divine revelation was faith, worship, and obedience.
Jesus's opponents, by contrast, responded to divine revelation (Jesus is God's incarnate word, v.38) with hostility, rejection, and murderous plots. This proved genealogy meant nothing. Paul would later argue that Abraham's true children are 'the children of the promise' (Romans 9:8), those who believe God's word like Abraham did. The Jerusalem Pharisees' rejection of Christ demonstrated they were 'children of the flesh,' not 'children of the promise.'
The phrase 'a man that hath told you the truth' carries irony. In John's Gospel, Jesus repeatedly claims deity—equal with the Father (5:18), the bread of life (6:35), the light of the world (8:12). Yet He's also genuinely human, the Word made flesh (1:14). This dual reality—fully God, fully man—enabled Him to be the perfect mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). They sought to kill God incarnate for telling them truth about God—the ultimate irony and tragedy.
Questions for Reflection
- How does hostility toward biblical truth reveal our true spiritual paternity more than religious profession?
- What is the connection between rejecting God's word and rejecting God's messengers?
- How did Abraham's response to divine revelation (faith, worship, obedience) contrast with the Pharisees' response to Christ?
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Analysis & Commentary
But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God—Jesus starkly contrasts their murderous intent with His truthful revelation. The present tense ζητεῖτε (zēteite, 'you seek') indicates ongoing, active plotting. The verb 'kill' (ἀποκτεῖναι/apokteinai) is brutally direct—not 'oppose' or 'reject' but murder. Their hostility aims at His death.
The self-description 'a man' (ἄνθρωπον/anthrōpon) is fascinating. Jesus doesn't deny full humanity, though He's claimed deity throughout this chapter. He is genuinely human—the Incarnation united divine and human natures in one person. Yet this humanity makes their murderous intent more heinous: they're killing one who has done nothing but speak truth.
The relative clause 'that hath told you the truth' (ὃς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑμῖν λελάληκα/hos tēn alētheian hymin lelalēka) emphasizes Jesus's faithful witness. The perfect tense λελάληκα (lelalēka) indicates completed action with ongoing effects: 'I have spoken and my words remain.' The truth He's spoken isn't His own invention—it's 'which I have heard of God' (ἣν ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ/hēn ēkousa para tou Theou). The aorist ἤκουσα (ēkousa) points to definite hearing in eternity past. Jesus is faithful messenger of divine revelation, deserving acceptance, not assassination.
This did not Abraham—The devastating final clause exposes their claim to be Abraham's children (v.39) as false. Abraham welcomed divine messengers (Genesis 18:1-8), even pleading for Sodom's salvation (Genesis 18:22-33). Abraham believed God's word, though it promised the impossible (Genesis 15:6). Abraham obeyed, even when commanded to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:1-19). Never did Abraham seek to kill God's messenger. Their murderous intent proves they're NOT Abraham's children—they're acting opposite to their claimed father. This prepares for the coming revelation: their true father is the murderer from the beginning (v.44).