New Testament Commentary - John 8

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 8 The woman taken in adultery— Christ is the light of the world—He again proclaims his Messiahship— True children of Abraham believe in Christ—'Before Abraham was I Jehovah.'
1 JESUS went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the ^atemple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a ^awoman taken in ^badultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
5 Now Moses in the ^alaw commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger ^awrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without ^asin among you, let him ^bfirst cast a ^cstone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own ^aconscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I ^acondemn thee: go, and sin ^bno more.
12 ¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the ^alight of the world: he that followeth me shall not ^bwalk in ^cdarkness, but shall have the light of life. 13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.
14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know ^awhence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell ^bwhence I come, and whither I go. 15 Ye judge after the flesh; I ^ajudge no man. 16 And yet if I ^ajudge, my ^bjudgment is true: for I am not ^calone, but I and the Father that sent me.
17 It is also written in your law, that the ^atestimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the ^aFather that sent me beareth ^bwitness of me. 19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had ^aknown me, ye should have known my Father also.
20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come. 21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your ^asins: whither I go, ye cannot come. 22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from ^abeneath; I am from above: ye are of this ^bworld; I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall ^adie in your sins: for if ye ^bbelieve not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have ^aheard of him. 27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do ^anothing of myself; but as my ^bFather hath ^ctaught me, I ^dspeak these things. 29 And he that ^asent me is with me: the Father hath not left me ^balone; for I ^cdo always those things that ^dplease him. 30 As he spake these words, many ^abelieved on him.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye ^acontinue in my word, then are ye my ^bdisciples indeed; 32 And ye shall ^aknow the ^btruth, and the ^ctruth shall make you ^dfree.
33 ¶ They answered him, We be ^aAbraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever ^acommitteth ^bsin is the ^cservant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you ^afree, ye shall be free indeed.
37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me^a, because my word hath no place in you^b. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.	37^a ye seek to kill me 37^b because my word hath no place in you
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were ^aAbraham's ^bchildren, ye would do the ^cworks of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and ^acame from God; neither came I of myself, but he ^bsent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot ^ahear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the ^adevil, and the ^blusts of your father ye will do. He was a ^cmurderer from the beginning, and abode not in the ^dtruth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a ^elie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a ^fliar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you ^aconvinceth me of ^bsin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God ^aheareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan^a, and hast a ^adevil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I ^ahonour my Father, and ye do dishonour me^a.	48^a Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan[?] Here the certain Jews, likely of the Sanhedrin, establish by their own mouths that they knew Jesus to the the Son of Joseph and that the House of David was rightfully and legally of the seed of Ephraim the second son of Joseph of Egypt. A Samaritan was one who was of the House of Israel, meaning of the northern tribes House of Ephraim, who had mingled his seed with those of foreigners not of the House of Jacob. Now the House of David had so been mixed by the many marriages to women outside of the Hebrew framily beginning with Rahab the mother of Boaz, Ruth the Moabitess the wife of Mahlon that Ephrathite son of Elimelech, Bathsheba the previous wife of the Hittite Uriah and so on down through the various polictical marriages of the various Kings of Israel and of Judah. And since Boaz did raise up seed unto Mahlon, Obed was in fact the legal and rightful seed of Mahlon and the house of Elimelech those Ephrathites who were of the Ephraimite linage of Joshua and Nun (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). That is in fact the Jews had 'said well' that Jesus was a Samaritan in that like the Samaritan he was of that mixed seed linage of the House of David who was in all reality of the House of Ephraim and Joseph which had mixed its seed, like the Samaritans with those of other nations. 48^b ye do dishonour me Now ' Jesus never does deny that he could well be considered a Samaritan being like unto why the Jews despised the Samaritans because of their mixed linage of Ephraim with other nations. But in several levels of irony had the Jews dishonoured him. First they had just dishonoured the very House of David by their comparison of that royal line to being even as the Samaritans. David had once honored Judah by selecting the Jews over 'Israel' or Ephraim even though 'Israel' or Ephraim had the greater claim in David, David being by the Law of Moses of the house of Ephraim, the Son of Joseph. Even Jesse, David's father had honored that rightful linage as he was so called an Ephrathite as were his rightful ancestors Obed, Mahlon, Elimelech, Joshua and Nun. (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). Second, the Jews had defamed and blasphemed God and his Son by so slanderously addressing Only Begotten Son of God. Ironically this would be 'the charge' upon which the Sanhedrin would condemn Jesus, that he was himself guilty of blasphemy, calling himself the Son of God. And while this is the greatest dishonor being against God, the second is like unto it, that is being unto 'one of the least of these' their fellow brethren. For indeed the Samaritans were the brethren of Judah, being also of Israel. Yet in the false pride of their hardened hearts the Jews did but consider the Samaritans to be even lower than the Gentiles, whom they considered but dogs or 'non human' as they where not Sons of Abraham as were the Jews. This was the third dishonoring, the dishonoring of one's fellow child of God, for God is not respector of persons as practiced by the Jews in their discriminations against all other peoples and nations but themselves, consider only themselves to be God's elite chosen people. But in this even the Jews did err, for it was not the house of Judah whereby the Covenant of Abraham was preserved, but by Joseph (D&C 27:10, Jeremiah 31:9, 1 Chronicals 5;1-2, etc.). Thus their pride was totally baseless and false pride for they did but usurp unto it falsely, like unto the Zoramites of the Book of Mormon during the time that Alma and Amuleck did lead a missionary effort unto them. And thus the Jews where even so hypocritical to the point of discreminating against all people falsely. Is it any wonder that God's punishment of them included that all nations would come to despise the Jews for and even beyond what that had done unto the Christ?
50 And I seek not mine own ^aglory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see ^adeath.
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 ^ataste 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 ^aFather that ^bhonoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56 Your father ^aAbraham ^brejoiced to ^csee my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, ^aBefore Abraham was, ^bI am. 59 Then took they up ^astones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so ^bpassed by.