YHN 8:33 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) [ref]But some queried, “We are Abraham’s descendants and we’ve never been slaves to anyone, so how can you say that we’ll be set free?”

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT They replied to him, “We are the seed of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone; how can you say, ‘You will be free’?”

UST They answered him, “We are the descendants of Abraham. We have never been anyone’s slaves! Why do you say that we need to be free?”

BSB “We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to [anyone]. How {can} You say [we] will be set free?”

BLB They answered unto Him, "We are Abraham's seed, and to no one ever have we been under bondage. How do You say, 'You will become free'?"

AICNT {They}[fn] answered him [[and said]],[fn] “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say [that][fn] we will become free?”

8:33, They: Some manuscripts read “the Jews.” Latin(a b e ff²)

8:33, and said: Some manuscripts include. D(05)

8:33, that: Absent from some manuscripts. W(032) Latin(b ff²)

OEB ‘We are descendants of Abraham,’ was their answer, ‘and have never yet been in slavery to anyone. What do you mean by saying “you will be set free”?’

LSB They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s seed and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. How is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

WEBBE They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET “We are descendants of Abraham,” they replied, “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

LSV They answered Him, “We are seed of Abraham; and we have been servants to no one at any time; how do You say—You will become free?”

FBV “We're descendants of Abraham! We've never been slaves to anyone,” they answered. “How can you say that we'll be set free?”

TCNT They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How then can yoʋ say, ‘You will be set free’?”

T4T They replied to him, “We are descendants of Abraham. We have never been anyone’s slaves. So why do you say we will be freed from being someone’s slaves?”

LEB They replied to him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have not been enslaved to anyone at any time. How do you say, ‘You will become free’?”

BBE They said to him in answer, We are Abraham's seed and have never been any man's servant: why do you say, You will become free?

Moff "We are Abraham's offspring," they retorted, "we have never been slaves to anybody. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be free'?"

Wymth "We are descendants of Abraham," they answered, "and have never at any time been in slavery to any one. What do those words of yours mean, `You shall become free'?"

ASV They answered unto him, We are Abraham’s seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

DRA They answered him: We are the seed of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to any man: how sayest thou: you shall be free?

YLT They answered him, 'Seed of Abraham we are; and to no one have we been servants at any time; how dost thou say — Ye shall become free?'

Drby They answered him, We are Abraham's seed, and have never been under bondage to any one; how sayest thou, Ye shall become free?

RV They answered unto him, We be Abraham’s seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
(They answered unto him, We be Abraham’s seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest/say thou/you, Ye/You_all shall be made free? )

SLT They answered him, We are Abraham’s seed, and have never served any; how sayest thou, That ye shall be free?

Wbstr They answered him, We are Abraham's offspring, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

KJB-1769 ¶ They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
(¶ They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest/say thou/you, Ye/You_all shall be made free? )

KJB-1611 ¶ They answered him, We be Abraham seed, and were neuer in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Yee shall be made free?
(¶ They answered him, We be Abraham seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest/say thou/you, Ye/You_all shall be made free?)

Bshps They aunswered hym: We be Abrahams seede, and were neuer bonde to any man: howe sayest thou then, ye shalbe made free?
(They answered him: We be Abrahams seed, and were never bond to any man: how sayest/say thou/you then, ye/you_all shall be made free?)

Gnva They answered him, Wee be Abrahams seede, and were neuer bonde to any man: why sayest thou then, Ye shalbe made free?
(They answered him, We be Abrahams seed, and were never bond to any man: why sayest/say thou/you then, Ye/You_all shall be made free? )

Cvdl Then answered they him: We are Abrahams sede, we were neuer bonde to eny man, how sayest thou then: Ye shal be fre?
(Then answered they him: We are Abrahams seed, we were never bond to any man, how sayest/say thou/you then: Ye/You_all shall be fre?)

TNT Iesus answered them: verely verely I saye vnto you that whosoever committeth synne is the servaunt of synne.
(Yesus/Yeshua answered them: verily/truly verily/truly I say unto you that whosoever committeth/commits sin is the servant of sin. )

Wycl Therfor the Jewis answeriden to hym, We ben the seed of Abraham, and we serueden neuere to man; hou seist thou, That ye schulen be fre?
(Therefore the Yews answered to him, We been the seed of Abraham, and we served never to man; how sayest/say thou/you, That ye/you_all should be fre?)

Luth Da antworteten sie ihm: Wir sind Abrahams Samen, sind nie keinmal jemands Knechte gewesen; wie sprichst du denn: Ihr sollt frei werden?
(So replied they/she/them him: We are Abrahams seed(s), are never no/notmal someone servant(s) been; as/like speak you(sg) because/than: You(pl) should free become?)

ClVg Responderunt ei: Semen Abrahæ sumus, et nemini servivimus umquam: quomodo tu dicis: Liberi eritis?[fn]
(Responderunt to_him: Semen Abrahæ we_are, and to_no_one serwe_live ever/at_any_time: how you(sg) you_say: Liberi you(pl)_will_be? )

8.33 Liberi. Hoc verbum Dominus posuit a libertate, non ut plerumque Latine dici solet, liberari aliquis ab infirmitate. Et non dixerat Dominus: liberi eritis, sed: Veritas liberabit vos, in quo tamen verbo non intellexerunt nisi libertatem carnalem. Respondit eis, etc. Non illi qui crediderunt, sed alii in turba qui non crediderunt, qui audito liberabit vos, indignati sunt se vocari servos, putantes dixisse de carnali libertate. Et nemini servivimus. Mentiuntur. Joseph servivit in Ægypto, patres in Ægypto servierunt in luto, isti eidem tributis Cæsaris. Amen, amen dico, etc. Amen Hebraice, verum dicitur Latine, quod nullus interpres mutavit, ne vilesceret nudatum, sed honorem habeat secretum, et est quasi juramentum, unde Hieronymus super Isaiam: Jurat Dominus per semetipsum, quoniam sententiam oris sui et verbum quod semel protulit, nequaquam irritum facit, hoc est, per semetipsum juravit.

8.33 Liberi. This the_word/saying Master put from freedom, not/no as usually/frequently Latin to_be_said usually, liberari someone away weakness. And not/no had_said Master: children you(pl)_will_be, sed: Veritas will_deliver you(pl), in/into/on where nevertheless word not/no they_understood except freedom carnalem. Respondit to_them, etc. Not/No them who/which they_believed, but others in/into/on crowd who/which not/no they_believed, who/which I_hear will_deliver you(pl), indignati are himself to_be_called server/keepers, they_thinkes to_have_said from/about carnal freedom. And to_no_one serwe_live. Mentiuntur. Yoseph served in/into/on to_Egypt, fathers in/into/on to_Egypt they_served in/into/on luto, these eidem tributis Cæsaris. Amen, amen I_mean/say, etc. Amen Hebraice, true it_is_said Latin, that none interpres changed, not vilesceret nakedtum, but honour have secretum, and it_is as_if oath, from_where/who Hieronymus over Isaiahm: Yurat Master through oneself, since/because opinion mouth self and the_word/saying that once/first brought_out, by_no_means void/nothingness he_does, this it_is, through oneself he_swore/promised.

UGNT ἀπεκρίθησαν πρὸς αὐτόν, σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ ἐσμεν, καὶ οὐδενὶ δεδουλεύκαμεν πώποτε; πῶς σὺ λέγεις, ὅτι ἐλεύθεροι γενήσεσθε?
(apekrithaʸsan pros auton, sperma Abraʼam esmen, kai oudeni dedouleukamen pōpote; pōs su legeis, hoti eleutheroi genaʸsesthe?)

SBL-GNT ἀπεκρίθησαν ⸂πρὸς αὐτόν⸃· Σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ ἐσμεν καὶ οὐδενὶ δεδουλεύκαμεν πώποτε· πῶς σὺ λέγεις ὅτι Ἐλεύθεροι γενήσεσθε;
(apekrithaʸsan ⸂pros auton⸃; Sperma Abraʼam esmen kai oudeni dedouleukamen pōpote; pōs su legeis hoti Eleutheroi genaʸsesthe;)

RP-GNT Ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ, Σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ ἐσμεν, καὶ οὐδενὶ δεδουλεύκαμεν πώποτε· πῶς σὺ λέγεις ὅτι Ἐλεύθεροι γενήσεσθε;
(Apekrithaʸsan autōi, Sperma Abraʼam esmen, kai oudeni dedouleukamen pōpote; pōs su legeis hoti Eleutheroi genaʸsesthe;)

TC-GNT Ἀπεκρίθησαν [fn]αὐτῷ, Σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ ἐσμεν, καὶ οὐδενὶ δεδουλεύκαμεν πώποτε· πῶς σὺ λέγεις ὅτι Ἐλεύθεροι γενήσεσθε;
(Apekrithaʸsan autōi, Sperma Abraʼam esmen, kai oudeni dedouleukamen pōpote; pōs su legeis hoti Eleutheroi genaʸsesthe; )

8:33 αυτω ¦ και ειπον αυτω PCK ¦ προς αυτον CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8:31–38: Jesus taught truth that frees people

In this section Jesus said that if his believers continued in his word, they would be true disciples. They would know the truth and the truth would make them free. But some people argued that they were never slaves. To them, Jesus said that those who sin are slaves of sin, but the Son could make them free. However, he said that they wanted to kill him because they rejected what he said.

Here are some other possible section headings:

The truth sets people free

Sin makes people slaves, but the Son makes them free

Paragraph 8:31–33

Jesus spoke to those who said that they believed in him. He said that to follow and obey him was the way to freedom. Some who heard him rejected this, saying that as the children of Abraham they were already free.

8:33a

“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered.

They answered him, “We^(excl) are the sons/children of Abraham
The Jewish leaders replied, “We^(excl) are descended from Abraham.

We are Abraham’s descendants: The pronoun We is best treated as exclusive here. It is true that the speakers knew that Jesus was a son of Mary, and therefore a descendant of Abraham. However, they were not sure about his father. They spoke about themselves rather than him, as they responded to the “you” in the previous verse. (Jesus did not say, “the truth will make us^(incl) free.”) They said that as children of Israel they did not need to be set free. They believed that they were already spiritually free and that they belonged to God.

they answered: There are two ways to understand whom the pronoun they refers to here:

It refers to Jesus’ opponents that have been the ones who talked to him in all of chapters 7 and 8.
It refers to the Jews who believed in him in verses 30 and 31. That is the most recent plural noun that they could refer to.

Scholars are divided on the issue.Augustine, Barnes, Beasley-Murray, Bernhard, Cornerstone Commentary, Hunn, Klink, and Lenski favor interpretation (1), while Carson, Dodds, Godet, Hendriksen, Meyer, Michaels, Morris, Plummer, Ridderbos, Robertson, Vincent, and Westcott favor interpretation (2). Interpretation (2) appears to be a natural way to understand the pronoun. However, it seems more probable that they refers to Jesus’ opponents.

In verse 37, Jesus said that they were trying to kill him and that there was no place in them for his word. That does not sound like he was talking to the believers mentioned in 8:30–31. And in several places in John there are pronouns which refer to people not yet mentioned. Later, in verses 48 and 52, John identifies the ones who have been talking with Jesus. It is the same term that he uses for Jesus’ opponents.

When you translate the pronoun, it is recommended that you use the pronoun they as all English translations do. However, if you must make the pronoun clear, it is recommended that you refer to Jesus’ opponents.

8:33b

“We have never been slaves to anyone.

and we^(excl) have never been slaves, not to anyone.
No one has ever made us^(excl) their slaves!

We have never been slaves to anyone: The Jewish speakers denied two things: they denied that they were slaves to anyone, and they denied that they had ever been slaves. Translate this as a statement that is emphasized. It is good to suggest a tone of anger. For example:

and have never been anyone’s slaves! (NET)

and we have never in our lives been any man’s slaves (JBP)

slaves: This word refers to people who were owned by another person. They worked for their owner/master and did not receive wages. They had no rights of their own (or very few rights).

In some cultures, slaves may not be known. In other cultures, the word for slave may imply different customs than in biblical culture. If that is true in your language, here are some ways to translate this word:

people who belonged to someone else

owned people

people who are forced to serve someone

Another way to translate this idea is to use a verb instead of a noun. (Actually, the Greek uses a verb form.) For example:

no one has ever forced us to serve them

8:33c

How can You say we will be set free?”

So why do you say, ‘You will be released?’ ”
How can you say that we^(excl) must be freed!”

How can You say we will be set free?: This is a rhetorical question. They used it to criticize or rebuke. The speakers were upset that Jesus wanted to set them free. They considered that they were already spiritually free, that they already followed God in a good way. There are two ways to translate this rebuke:

Use a rhetorical question. For example:
What do you mean, then, by saying, ‘You will be free’?” (GNT)
How can you say that we shall be set free? (NIV)
Use a statement that criticizes or rebukes Jesus. For example:
It does not make sense to say that we can be set free.

Translate this rebuke in a way that is most natural in your language.

we will be set free: This refers to what Jesus had said in 8:32b, “The truth will make you free.” You should translate the expression as it is here, and not make it agree exactly with what Jesus originally said. The verb set free is passive, and there are at least two ways to translate it:

General Comment on 8:33c

Use a passive verb. For example:
you will be made free (NRSV)
Use an active verb. For example:
you will be free (GNT)

John 8:33c contains a direct quotation inside another direct quotation. The inner direct quotation is not an exact word-for-word report of what Jesus had said (in 8:32b). In some languages it is more natural to use an indirect quotation. The speakers will therefore refer to themselves as “we^(excl)” rather than “you.” For example: