John 8:56-59

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 8:51-59

In these verses we have, I. The doctrine of the immortality of believers laid down, John 8:51. It is ushered in with the usual solemn preface, Verily, verily, I say unto you, which commands both attention and assent, and this is what he says, If a man keep my sayings, he shall never see death. Here we have, 1. The character of a believer: he is one that keeps the sayings of the Lord Jesus, ton logon ton emon?my word; that word of mine which I have delivered to you; this we must not only... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 8:56-59

8:56-59 "Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it and was glad." The Jews said to him: "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them: "This is the truth I tell you--before Abraham was I am." So they lifted stones to throw them at him, but Jesus slipped out of their sight, and went out of the Temple precincts. All the previous lightning flashes pale into significance before the blaze of this passage. When Jesus said to the Jews that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 8:56

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day ,.... Or "he was desirous to see my day", as the Syriac and Arabic versions rightly render the word; or "very desirous", as the Persic version: and indeed, this was what many kings and prophets, and righteous men, were desirous of, even of seeing the Messiah and his day: we often read of ימות המשיח , "the days of the Messiah": and the Jews, in their Talmud F25 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1. , dispute much about them, how long they will be;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 8:57

Then said the Jews unto him, thou art not yet fifty years old ,.... One copy reads forty, but he was not that; no, not much more than thirty; not above two or three and thirty years old: the reason of their fixing on this age of fifty might be, because Christ might look like such an one, being a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs, as well as of great gravity; or they might be free in allowing him as many years, as could be thought he should be of, and gain their point; for what were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 8:58

Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you ,.... Whether it will be believed or not, it is certainly fact: before Abraham was, I am ; which is to be understood, not of his being in the purpose and decree of God, foreordained to sufferings, and to glory; for so all the elect of God may be said to be before Abraham, being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world: or that Christ was man, before Abraham became the father of many nations; that is, before the calling of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 8:59

Then they took up stones to cast at him ,.... Supposing that he had spoken blasphemy; for they well understood that he, by so saying, made himself to be the eternal God, the unchangeable Jehovah. Should it be asked how they came by their stones in the temple? it may be replied, the temple was still building, John 2:20 , and stones, or pieces of stones, might lie about, with which they furnished themselves, in order to have destroyed Christ: and this they attempted, though it was on the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 8:56

Abraham rejoiced to see my day - Or, he earnestly desired to see my day; ηγαλλιασατο , from αγαν , very much, and ἁλλομαι , I leap - his soul leaped forward in earnest hope and strong expectation that he might see the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The metaphor appears to be taken from a person who, desiring to see a long-expected friend who is coming, runs forward, now and then jumping up to see if he can discover him. There is a saying very like this in Sohar Numer fol. 61: "Abraham... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 8:57

Thou art not yet fifty years old - Some MSS. read forty. The age of our blessed Lord has never been properly determined. Some of the primitive fathers believed that he was fifty years old when he was crucified; but their foundation, which is no other than these words of the Jews, is but a very uncertain one. Calmet thinks that our Lord was at this time about thirty-four years and ten months old, and that he was crucified about the middle of his thirty-sixth year; and asserts that the vulgar... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 8:58

Before Abraham was, I am - The following is a literal translation of Calmet's note on this passage: - "I am from all eternity. I have existed before all ages. You consider in me only the person who speaks to you, and who has appeared to you within a particular time. But besides this human nature, which ye think ye know, there is in me a Divine and eternal nature. Both, united, subsist together in my person. Abraham knew how to distinguish them. He adored me as his God; and desired me as his... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 8:59

Then took they up stones, etc. - It appears that the Jews understood him as asserting his Godhead; and, supposing him to be a blasphemer, they proceeded to stone him, according to the law. Leviticus 24:16 . But Jesus hid himself - In all probability he rendered himself invisible - though some will have it that he conveyed himself away from those Jews who were his enemies, by mixing himself with the many who believed on him, ( John 8:30 , John 8:31 ;), and who, we may suppose,... read more

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