John 8:53

Art thou greater than our father Abraham ?.... So the woman of Samaria said, concerning Jacob, John 4:12 . The Jews had a mighty opinion of their ancestors, especially of Abraham; and yet they allow the Messiah to be greater than he, as Jesus truly was: so one of their ancient commentators F23 Tachuma apud Huls. p. 321. on those words of Isaiah 52:13 thus paraphrases them,

""Behold my servant shall deal prudently", this is the King Messiah; "he shall be exalted" above Abraham, as it is written, Genesis 14:22 , "and extolled" above Moses, as it is written, Numbers 11:12 , and he shall be higher than the ministering angels, as it is written, Ezekiel 1:26 , for he shall be גדול מן אבות , "greater than the fathers".'

They add here, of Abraham,

which is dead ; he was a great and good man, and yet dead:

and the prophets are dead ; though they truly kept, and faithfully delivered the word of God:

whom makest thou thyself ? who art a poor carpenter's son, a Galilean, a Nazarene, and yet makest thyself greater than Abraham, or any of the prophets; yea, makest thyself to be God, to promise security from death, and an everlasting continuance of life upon keeping thy word.