John 8:48
Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Samaritan-Jewish hostility dated to the Assyrian conquest (722 BC) when Assyria deported Israelites and imported pagans who intermarried and syncretized worship (2 Kings 17:24-41). Jews returning from Babylonian exile rejected Samaritan help rebuilding the temple (Ezra 4:1-3), cementing centuries of mutual hatred. By Jesus's day, Jews traveling from Galilee to Judea would cross the Jordan to avoid Samaritan territory.
Ironically, Jesus had recently ministered to Samaritans (John 4), and would later make a Samaritan the hero of a parable exposing Jewish prejudice (Luke 10:25-37). The label "Samaritan" was meant as insult but actually highlighted Jesus's mission to "other sheep not of this fold" (10:16)—Gentile inclusion in God's family.
The demon-possession charge reflected Jewish categories for explaining the inexplicable. Confronted with Jesus's wisdom, miracles, and moral authority, they had three options:
- acknowledge Him as Messiah
- dismiss Him as demon-possessed, or
- kill Him.
They chose all but the first. This exchange foreshadows His trial before the Sanhedrin, where false witnesses sought evidence for execution (Mark 14:55-59).
Questions for Reflection
- When we cannot refute biblical truth, how are we tempted to attack the messenger rather than examine our hearts?
- What does this slander reveal about the human heart's capacity for self-deception when confronted with inconvenient truth?
- How should Christians respond when accused falsely, following Jesus's example in the next verse?
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Analysis & Commentary
The religious leaders' response reveals their bankruptcy of argument. Unable to answer Jesus's logic (v.46-47), they resort to ad hominem attacks. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? This dual slander attempts to discredit Jesus through ethnic bigotry and demonic accusation.
"Samaritan" (Σαμαρίτης/Samaritēs) was a devastating epithet from Jewish lips. Samaritans were despised as half-breed apostates who worshiped on Mount Gerizim rather than Jerusalem (4:9, 20). The Mishnah later stated, "He who eats the bread of a Samaritan is like one who eats pork." By calling Jesus a Samaritan, they questioned His Jewish heritage, covenant membership, and right to teach in the temple.
"Hast a devil" (δαιμόνιον ἔχεις/daimonion echeis) escalates from ethnic slur to spiritual accusation. They had previously attributed His miracles to Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24), claiming demonic rather than divine power. This charge is not mere insult but blasphemy—attributing the Holy Spirit's work to Satan, the "unforgivable sin" Jesus warned against (Matthew 12:31-32).
The conjunction "and" links the two accusations: as a Samaritan, He's a heretic; as demon-possessed, He's deceived and deceiving. Both charges attempt to explain away His teaching without engaging its truth. This is the refuge of those who cannot refute the argument: attack the arguer.