John 8:45

But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.

BSB

But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

KJV

And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

ASV

But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.

BBE

But because I say what is true, you have no belief in me.

Original Greek

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ἐγὼ egō I myself G1473 δὲ de now G1161 ὅτι hoti because G3754 τὴν tēn the G3588 ἀλήθειαν alētheian truth G225 λέγω legō speak G3004 οὐ ou not G3756 πιστεύετέ pisteuete you do believe G4100 μοι moi Me G3165

The early church

"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not." What kind of consequence is this? "Having no charge against Me, ye desire to kill Me. For because ye are enemies of the truth, therefore ye persecute Me. Since had this not been the reason, ye would have named your charge." Wherefore He added, "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" Then they said, "We be not born of fornication." Yet in fact many of them were born of fornication, for they practiced unbefitting unions. Still He doth not convict them of this, but setteth Himself to the other point. For when He hath proved them to be, not of God, but of the devil, by all these signs, (for to do murder is of the devil, and to lie is of the devil, both which ye do,) then He showeth that to love is the sign of being of God.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on John
Our Lord being the truth, and the Son of the true God, spoke the truth; but the Jews, being the sons of the devil, were averse to the truth; and this is why our Lord says, Because I tell you the truth, ye believe not.
Alcuin of York · d. 804Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 41–47

Satan prompts men to excesses by which they murder themselves and others, while what he puts into the mind tends to ruin men's souls. He is the great promoter of falsehood of every kind. He is a liar, all his temptations are carried on by his calling evil good, and good evil, and promising freedom in sin. He is the author of all lies; whom liars resemble and obey, with whom all liars shall have their portion for ever. The special lusts of the devil are spiritual wickedness, the lusts of the mind, and corrupt reasonings, pride and envy, wrath and malice, enmity to good, and enticing others to evil. By the truth, here understand the revealed will of God as to the salvation of men by Jesus Christ, the truth Christ was now preaching, and which the Jews opposed.

Read Matthew Henry on John 8 →

Cross-references

6

Topics

Jesus, The ChristWord Of GodFalsehoodUnbelief

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.