John 8:57

The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?”

BSB

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”

KJV

Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

ASV

The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

BBE

Then the Jews said to him, You are not fifty years old; have you seen Abraham?

Original Greek

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εἶπον eipon Said G2036 οὖν oun therefore G3767 οἱ hoi the G3588 Ἰουδαῖοι Ioudaioi Jews G2453 πρὸς pros to G4314 αὐτόν auton Him G846 πεντήκοντα pentēkonta Fifty G4004 ἔτη etē years [old] G2094 οὔπω oupō not yet G3768 ἔχεις echeis are You G2192 καὶ kai and G2532 Ἀβραὰμ Abraam Abraham G11 ἑώρακας;¶ he'ōrakas You have seen G3708

The early church

"Thou art not yet forty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham?" So that we conclude that Christ was nearly forty.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on John
(Hom. xviii. in Evang.) The carnal minds of the Jews are intent on the flesh only; they think only of His age in the flesh: Then said the Jews unto Him, Thou art not fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham? that is to say, Many ages have passed since Abraham died; and how then could he see thy day? For they took His words in a carnal sense.
Gregory the Dialogist · d. 604Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
Christ was then thirty-three years old. Why then do they not say, Thou art not yet forty years old, instead of fifty? A needless question this: they simply spoke as chance led them at the time. Some however say that they mentioned the fiftieth year on account of its sacred character, as being the year of jubilee, in which they redeemed their captives, and gave up the possessions they had bought.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 54–59

Christ and all that are his, depend upon God for honour. Men may be able to dispute about God, yet may not know him. Such as know not God, and obey not the gospel of Christ, are put together, 2Th 1:8. All who rightly know anything of Christ, earnestly desire to know more of him. Those who discern the dawn of the light of the Sun of Righteousness, wish to see his rising. "Before Abraham was, I AM." This speaks Abraham a creature, and our Lord the Creator; well, therefore, might he make himself greater than Abraham. I AM, is the name of God, Ex 3:14; it speaks his self-existence; he is the First and the Last, ever the same, Re 1:8. Thus he was not only before Abraham, but before all worlds, Pr 8:23; Joh 1:1. As Mediator, he was the appointed Messiah, long before Abraham; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Re 13:8. The Lord Jesus was made of God Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption, to Adam, and Abel, and all that lived and died by faith in him, before Abraham. The Jews were about to stone Jesus for blasphemy, but he withdrew; by his miraculous power he passed through them unhurt. Let us stedfastly profess what we know and believe concerning God; and if heirs of Abraham's faith, we shall rejoice in looking forward to that day when the Saviour shall appear in glory, to the confusion of his enemies, and to complete the salvation of all who believe in him.

Read Matthew Henry on John 8 →

People & places

Abraham

Topics

Blindness

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