John 8:41
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
The phrase 'born of fornication' had specific covenantal connotations in Second Temple Judaism. Deuteronomy 23:2 excluded 'bastards' (מַמְזֵר/mamzer, children of forbidden unions) from the assembly for ten generations. This wasn't merely social stigma but ritual exclusion from covenant community. By asserting 'we're not born of fornication,' they claim full covenant membership, legitimate standing before God.
The prophetic tradition used marriage/adultery as extended metaphor for God's covenant relationship with Israel. Hosea married prostitute Gomer to dramatize Israel's spiritual adultery (Hosea 1:2). Jeremiah accused Judah: 'Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers' (Jeremiah 3:1). Ezekiel 16 describes Jerusalem as unfaithful wife who 'played the harlot' with Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. In this symbolic framework, idolatry = adultery/fornication; monotheistic faithfulness = covenant marriage fidelity.
By claiming 'we have one Father, even God,' Jesus's opponents assert they've remained faithful to Yahweh, unlike their idolatrous ancestors who worshiped Baal, Asherah, Molech, and foreign gods. They've kept the first commandment: 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' (Exodus 20:3). They worship at the true temple, observe Torah, maintain ritual purity—surely this proves God is their Father?
Yet Jesus will demolish this claim (v.42-44) by showing that true children of God love the Son whom the Father sent. Their rejection of Christ proves they don't truly know or love the Father, despite orthodox monotheism. This anticipates 1 John 2:23: 'Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.' Claiming God as Father while rejecting His Son is impossible—such claims are self-refuting lies.
Some scholars speculate the 'born of fornication' comment was veiled attack on Jesus's virgin birth. Talmudic texts (though written later) contain hostile traditions about Jesus's parentage. Celsus (2nd century pagan critic) claimed Mary committed adultery with Roman soldier Pantera. While we can't be certain Jesus's opponents knew His birth circumstances, the awkward insertion of this claim suggests possible double meaning: asserting their own legitimacy while questioning His.
Questions for Reflection
- How can people claim God as Father while rejecting the Son whom the Father sent?
- What is the relationship between orthodox theology (claiming monotheism) and true knowledge of God through Christ?
- How does the prophetic metaphor of spiritual adultery/fornication illuminate our faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God?
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Analysis & Commentary
Ye do the deeds of your father—Jesus repeats His accusation from verse 38, now driving toward explicit identification. The present tense ποιεῖτε (poieite, 'you are doing') indicates habitual action, not isolated incidents. Their consistent behavior—rejecting truth, plotting murder—reveals paternity. Children imitate fathers; their deeds expose whose children they truly are.
Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication—This response may function on multiple levels. Literally, they assert legitimate birth and covenant membership—not illegitimate children excluded from the assembly (Deuteronomy 23:2). But there may be darker subtext: were they subtly attacking Jesus's virgin birth, implying HE was illegitimate? Matthew and Luke's Gospels record Joseph's initial plan to divorce Mary quietly when she was found pregnant (Matthew 1:18-19), suggesting rumors about Jesus's paternity may have circulated. If so, this is vicious ad hominem attack: 'We're not bastards—unlike you.'
Theologically, the claim 'not born of fornication' asserts covenant faithfulness. The prophets repeatedly used adultery/fornication as metaphor for Israel's idolatry (Hosea 1-3, Jeremiah 3:6-10, Ezekiel 16, 23). Claiming 'we're not born of fornication' means 'we haven't committed spiritual adultery by worshiping false gods—we're faithful to Yahweh, the one true God.'
We have one Father, even God—The climactic claim: God is their Father (πατέρα ἕνα ἔχομεν τὸν Θεόν/patera hena echomen ton Theon). The emphatic 'one' (ἕνα/hena) may echo Shema: 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD' (Deuteronomy 6:4). They're asserting monotheistic orthodoxy against perceived accusations of spiritual illegitimacy. Jesus has questioned their Abrahamic paternity; they escalate by claiming God Himself as Father. This sets up Jesus's devastating response in verse 42: if God were your Father, you would love me.