John 8:58-59

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - John 8:59

John 8:59. Then took they up stones— The Jews, thinking the Lord Jesus a blasphemer, because he made himself not only greater than Abraham, but equal with God, Ch. Joh 5:18 fell into a violent rage, as Dr. Clagett expresses it, reckoning him not worthyto be answered any other way than by an immediate and zealous attempt upon his life. They took up some of the stones which happened to be lying thereabouts for the reparation of the temple, and, being in a great fury, were going with one accord to... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - John 8:58

58. Before Abraham was, I am—The words rendered "was" and "am" are quite different. The one clause means, "Abraham was brought into being"; the other, "I exist." The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did (as Arians affirm is the meaning), but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally (as John 1:1). In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since "then took they... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - John 8:59

57-59. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old—"No inference can be drawn from this as to the age of our Lord at the time as man. Fifty years was with the Jews the completion of manhood" [ALFORD]. and hast thou seen Abraham?—He had said Abraham saw Him, as being his peculiar privilege. They give the opposite turn to it—"Hast Thou seen Abraham?" as an honor too great for Him to pretend to. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - John 8:12-59

5. The light of the world discourse 8:12-59Following Jesus’ claim to be the water of life (John 7:37-38), official opposition against Him intensified considerably. The following sections of this Gospel trace this rising opposition. While some believed on Jesus, most of His own people rejected Him (cf. John 1:11-12). This section of the text deals with Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the World and the controversy it generated. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - John 8:48-59

The violent response of Jesus’ critics 8:48-59 read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - John 8:58

This was the third and last of Jesus’ solemn pronouncements in this discourse (cf. John 8:34; John 8:51). If Jesus had only wanted to claim that He existed before Abraham, He could have said, "I was." By saying, "I am," He was not just claiming preexistence but deity (cf. John 8:24; John 8:28; John 5:18; Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 43:13). [Note: See John A. Witmer, "Did Jesus Claim to Be God?" Bibliotheca Sacra 125:498 (April-June 1968):147-56.] "It is eternity of being and not simply... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - John 8:59

The Jews understood that Jesus was claiming to be God. They began to stone Him for making what they considered a blasphemous claim (John 5:18; Leviticus 24:16). However, Jesus hid Himself because His hour had not yet come (John 2:4; John 7:6; John 7:8; John 7:30; John 7:44; John 8:20; John 18:6). Then He departed from the temple. He did not protest or retaliate, another indication of His submission to the Father.This concludes Jesus’ light of the world discourse (John 8:12-59). The Light of the... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - John 8:1-59

The Feast of Tabernacles Continued. Christ the Light of the WorldJohn 7:53 to John 8:11. The woman taken in adultery. All modern critics agree that this section is no original part of the Fourth Gospel. It is not in the author’s style; it breaks the sequence of our Lord’s discourses, and is omitted by most of the ancient authorities. Probably it is an authentic apostolic tradition inserted here to illustrate the principle of John 8:15. Some MSS place it at the end of the Gospel. The incident... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - John 8:58

(58) Before Abraham was, I am.—Better, Before Abraham was born, I am. (Comp. Note on John 1:6; and see another striking instance in Luke 6:36, “Become ye merciful as your Father also is merciful.”) Here they ask in wonder, not unmixed with scorn, if He was coeval with Abraham. The answer is that Abraham, like all men, came into being. There was a time when he was not. But there was never a time when the Son of God was not. In the time before Abraham, in the eternity before time (John 1:1), He... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - John 8:59

(59) Then took they up stones to cast at him.—At last the meaning of His words flashes upon them. They had heard this I AM before (John 8:24) without perceiving that in it He applied to Himself the name Jehovah. Now there is no room for doubt. His own Divinity is the only explanation of what He has said; and it is in these words so plainly asserted, that those who had constantly misunderstood can misunderstand no more. The subtleties of later days, by which men have tried to show that there is... read more

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