John 8:53

◄You are certainly not greater than our ancestor Abraham!/Do you think you are greater than our ancestor Abraham?► [RHQ] He died, and all the prophets died, so who do you think you are by saying something like that?”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

In Context

52Then the Jewish leaders [SYN], thinking that he was talking about ordinary death and not about spiritual death, said to him, “Now we are sure that a demon controls you! Abraham and the prophets died long ago! But you say that anyone who obeys what you teach will never die!

54Jesus replied, “If I were honoring myself, that would be worthless. My Father is the one who you say is your God. He is the one who honors me.

Read all of John 8

Cross References

Isaiah 9:6Another reason that we will rejoice is that a special child will be born for us; a woman will give birth to a son, who will be our ruler. And his names will be ‘Wonderful Counselor’, ‘Mighty/Powerful God’, ‘ Our Everlasting Father’, and ‘Prince/Ruler who enables us to have Peace’.

Matthew 12:41When God judges all people, the people who lived in Nineveh will stand in front of him with you people who have seen me perform miracles. The people of Nineveh turned from their sinful ways as a result of hearing what Jonah preached. Jonah was important, but I, who am more important than Jonah, have come and preached to you, but you have not turned from your sinful ways. So when God judges all people, he will condemn you.

John 5:18The Jewish leaders [SYN] considered that he was disobeying their rules about ◄the Sabbath/the day of rest►, and that by saying that God was his Father, he was making himself equal with God. And they considered that both these things were grounds for killing him. So they tried even harder to find a way to kill him.

John 10:29Those that my Father has given to me are more precious than anything else (OR, My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than anything that opposes them). So no one can pull them away from belonging to him [MTY].

John 12:34Someone in the crowd answered him, “We understand from the Scriptures that the Messiah will live forever. So why do you say that the one who came from heaven, who is the Messiah, will be lifted up {that men will lift up the one who came from heaven, who is the Messiah,} on a cross? What kind of man who came from heaven are you talking about? (OR, That’s not the kind of Messiah we are expecting!)”

Romans 9:5It was our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom God chose to found our nation. And, most importantly, it was from us Israelites that the Messiah received his human nature. Nevertheless, most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ, who is the one who controls all things! He is God, the one who is worthy that we praise him forever! This is true! (OR, Amen!)

Matthew Henry on John 8:52-59

Christ's Discourse with the Pharisees 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye… Read the whole commentary →

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