John 8:57
What does John 8:57 mean?
A plain-English look at John 8:57 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 8:57 means
They scoff that Jesus is not yet fifty years old and ask if He has seen Abraham. They interpret His words in a flat, temporal sense, missing the theological depth. Their focus on His apparent age blinds them to His true nature. The question reveals both incredulity and contempt. They cannot imagine a category in which a man before them could surpass time’s limits. Yet this very objection opens the door for Jesus to speak the greatest claim of the chapter—His existence before Abraham in the eternal present of God’s name.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
KJV
King James Version · 1611Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Then the Jews said to him, You are not fifty years old; have you seen Abraham?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862The Jews, therefore, said unto him, `Thou art not yet fifty years old, and Abraham hast thou seen?'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The Jews therefore said to him: Thou art not yet fifty years old. And hast thou seen Abraham?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890The Jews therefore said to him, Thou hast not yet fifty years, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Context
This retort follows Jesus’ statement about Abraham rejoicing to see His day. It reflects the ongoing pattern: Jesus speaks spiritual truth; opponents reduce it to literal chronology. Their question sets the stage for Jesus’ unambiguous declaration of pre-existence. The next verse delivers that claim in the language of divine self-identification, which will provoke an attempt to stone Him for blasphemy. The narrative is moving toward its crisis point, where identity cannot be evaded or diluted.
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