Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Yhn C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21
Yhn 8 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49 V51 V53 V55 V57 V59
OET (OET-LV) You_all are of the father the devil, and you_all_are_wanting to_be_doing the desires of_the father of_you_all.
That one was a_murderer from the_beginning, and has_ not _stood in the truth, because truth is not in him.
Whenever he_may_be_speaking the falsehood, he_is_speaking from his own, because he_is a_liar, and the father of_it.
OET (OET-RV) is because you come from your father, the devil, and you want to do what your father wants. But he was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stick to the truth because there’s no truth in him. Whenever he tells lies, he’s speaking from his own nature, because he’s a liar and the source of lying.
In this section Jesus continued to speak to those who did not believe in him. Although they said that they were Abraham’s children and that God was their Father, they did not do what those people would. They did not accept Jesus’ teaching and wanted to kill him. So he said that their real father was the devil, who was a murderer and a liar.
They replied that he was a Samaritan and had a demon. Jesus denied that and said that if they accepted what he said, they would never die. They said that Abraham died and asked if he was greater than him. Jesus replied that he knew Abraham and existed before him. Then they wanted to throw stones at Jesus, but he hid.
Here are some other possible section headings:
Those who rejected Jesus had the devil for a father
Jesus existed before Abraham
Jesus said that he came from God and spoke the truth. His opponents were from the devil, who was a murderer and a liar. The fact that they did not accept Jesus proved that they were not from God.
You belong to your father, the devil,
You(plur) belong to your father, who is the devil,
The ruler of demons, your(plur) real father, that is who you come from.
You belong to your father, the devil: The Greek text emphasizes the pronoun You. Jesus indicated that these people showed by their behavior that they were like the devil. They were closely related to him in their character and values. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
Your father is the devil (CEV)
For you are the children of your father the devil (NLT)
the devil: This phrase here refers to the chief of all evil spirits, Satan. He is the enemy of God and God’s people. Because both the devil and “Satan” refer to the same being, in some languages you may want to use the same word or phrase to translate both terms.
Here are some ways to translate the devil:
Use a local name or idiom that refers to the chief of all demons.
Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
the leader of the evil spirits
the spirit enemy of God
See how you translated this in Matthew 4:1 and Luke 4:2.
and you want to carry out his desires.
and you(plur) are willing to obey your father’s wishes.
And what he wants you to do, that is what you(plur) want to do.
you want to carry out his desires: This clause indicates that these people were willing and happy to obey their father, the devil. It implies that they actually obeyed him, not just that they chose or wanted to do so. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
you desire to do what your father wants (GW)
you do exactly what he wants (CEV)
He was a murderer from the beginning,
He has murdered people since the beginning of creation
The devil has always murdered people.
He was a murderer from the beginning: This clause probably refers to the devil’s attempts to destroy the human race beginning when God created people. He lied to Eve in order to cause the death of Adam and Eve and their descendants. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
From the very beginning he was a murderer. (GNT)
He has always been a murderer. (CEV)
refusing to uphold the truth,
and does not remain in the truth
He does not base/establish himself in/on what is true
refusing to uphold the truth: This phrase here indicates that the devil has not based or grounded (established) himself in truth. He does not believe or speak the truth, particularly the truth about God.It is difficult to know whether the original Greek text said “was not standing in the truth” or “has not stood in the truth.” The UBS Greek New Testament indicates that there is a high degree of doubt. The meaning is basically the same, so it is best to translate using the tense that is most natural in your language. He is the enemy of truth. For example:
does not follow the truth
he was never grounded in the truth (NJB)
He has always hated the truth. (NLT)
because there is no truth in him.
because he has nothing in common with truth.
because nothing is true in him.
because there is no truth in him: This clause means that the devil’s habit is to not speak the truth. For example:
There is nothing truthful about him. (CEV)
When he lies, he speaks his native language,
When the devil lies, he is talking in the way that is natural for him,
His lies reveal his nature
When he lies: This verb phrase implies that the devil lies regularly or as a habit. It is possible to translate this as a noun phrase. For example:
His lies are according to his nature
His lies reveal/show his true nature
he speaks his native language: The devil tells lies because of who he is. He is by nature a liar, and his lies display his true nature. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
he is only doing what is natural to him (GNT)
he speaks out of his own character (ESV)
he shows what he is really like (NCV)
because he is a liar and the father of lies.
because he is a liar and he is the origin/source of lies.
because he is a liar and all lies come from him.
because: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates literally as because here introduces the basis or reason for Jesus’ conclusion about Satan in 8:44f. The reason Jesus could say that Satan’s lies are according to his nature is that Satan is truly a liar. That is his nature.
he is a liar and the father of lies: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the father of lies is a figure of speech. It means that all lies come from Satan. For example:
he is a liar and he is the source of lies
because he is a liar and the origin of all lies
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρός τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ καί τάς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρός ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς καί ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἕστηκεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐστίν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ Ὅταν λαλῇ τό ψεῦδος ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστίν καί ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ)
The phrase from your father could refer to: (1) the person to whom the subject belongs, as in the UST. (2) the origin of the subject. Alternate translation: [You came from your father, the devil]
Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns
ἐκεῖνος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρός τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ καί τάς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρός ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς καί ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἕστηκεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐστίν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ Ὅταν λαλῇ τό ψεῦδος ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστίν καί ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ)
That one refers to the devil. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [The devil]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς
˓a˒_murderer was from ˓the˒_beginning
Here, the beginning refers to the time when the first humans, Adam and Eve, sinned. It does not refer to the very beginning of time. The devil tempted Eve to sin and Adam sinned as well. Because they sinned, all living things die as part of the punishment for sin. Therefore, Jesus calls the devil a murderer for starting the process that brought death to the world. You could indicate this explicitly if it would be helpful to your readers, particularly if they would not know the story. Alternate translation: [was a murderer from the time when he tempted the first people to sin]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἔστηκεν
in the truth not in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρός τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ καί τάς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρός ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς καί ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἕστηκεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐστίν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ Ὅταν λαλῇ τό ψεῦδος ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστίν καί ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ)
The phrase does not stand in the truth is an idiom that means to not accept or approve of what is true. If this might confuse your readers, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: [does not approve of the truth]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ
not not (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρός τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ καί τάς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρός ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς καί ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἕστηκεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐστίν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ Ὅταν λαλῇ τό ψεῦδος ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστίν καί ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ)
Jesus speaks of truth as if it were an object that could exist inside someone. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [he never speaks the truth]
ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ
of from his own ˱he˲_˓is˒_speaking
Alternate translation: [he speaks according to his character] or [he speaks what is most natural for him to speak]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ
the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρός τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ καί τάς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρός ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς καί ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἕστηκεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐστίν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ Ὅταν λαλῇ τό ψεῦδος ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστίν καί ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ)
Jesus uses father to refer to the one who originated the act of lying. Since the devil is the first being to tell a lie, he is called the father of lying. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the first one to lie]
Note 7 topic: writing-pronouns
ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ
the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρός τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ καί τάς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρός ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς καί ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἕστηκεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐστίν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ Ὅταν λαλῇ τό ψεῦδος ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστίν καί ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ)
Here, it refers to the act of lying. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [the father of lying]
8:44 Since the unbelieving people did not love Jesus (8:42; 1 Jn 5:1), they were not children of the Father in heaven who sent his beloved Son (John 8:47). Their true spiritual ancestry was revealed in their desire to kill God’s Son. This was the work of the devil, who brought death to the world (see Gen 3:1-20; Rom 5:12-14).
OET (OET-LV) You_all are of the father the devil, and you_all_are_wanting to_be_doing the desires of_the father of_you_all.
That one was a_murderer from the_beginning, and has_ not _stood in the truth, because truth is not in him.
Whenever he_may_be_speaking the falsehood, he_is_speaking from his own, because he_is a_liar, and the father of_it.
OET (OET-RV) is because you come from your father, the devil, and you want to do what your father wants. But he was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stick to the truth because there’s no truth in him. Whenever he tells lies, he’s speaking from his own nature, because he’s a liar and the source of lying.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.