JHN 8:30-47

The Truth Will Set You Free

30As he spoke these things, many believed in him.

31Therefore Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him: "If you yourselves remain in my word, you are truly my disciples,

32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

33They answered him, "We are seed of Abraham and have never been under bondage to anyone. How do you say, 'You will become free'?"

34Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who is practicing sin is a slave of sin.

35Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

36So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.

37I know that you are seed of Abraham; but you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

38What I have seen with the Father, I speak; and what you heard from the father, you do."

39They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus says to them, "If you were children of Abraham, you would be doing the works of Abraham.

40But now you seek to kill me — a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

41You are doing the works of your father." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality; we have one Father, God."

42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came out from God and have come; for I have not come from myself, but that one sent me.

43Why do you not understand my speech? Because you are not able to hear my word.

44You are from your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own, because he is a liar and the father of it.

45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

46Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

47The one who is from God hears the words of God. Because of this you do not hear — because you are not from God."

In the world it was spoken into

In this exchange, Jesus addresses Jews who have begun to believe in Him, challenging their assumptions about freedom and identity. For 1st-century Jews, being descendants of Abraham was a cornerstone of their identity, granting them a sense of covenantal privilege and freedom from foreign domination. Yet, Jesus redefines freedom not as a national or ethnic status but as liberation from the power of sin, which He frames as a form of slavery. In the Greco-Roman world, slavery was a pervasive institution, and the metaphor of sin as slavery would have resonated deeply. The emphatic 'you yourselves' underscores the personal responsibility of His listeners to abide in His word, contrasting their claim of freedom with their actual spiritual condition. The term 'practicing sin' implies habitual action, suggesting a lifestyle enslaved to sin rather than isolated acts. Jesus’ use of 'truth' aligns with Jewish and Hellenistic philosophical ideals, where truth is linked to liberation and divine reality. This dialogue confronts their reliance on ancestral identity while inviting them into a deeper, transformative relationship with Him.

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How other translations render this

JHN 8:30

KJV: As he spake these words, many believed on him.
BSB: As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.
Koinōnos: As he spoke these things, many believed in him.

JHN 8:31

KJV: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
BSB: So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.
Koinōnos: Therefore Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him: "If you yourselves remain in my word, you are truly my disciples,

JHN 8:32

KJV: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
BSB: Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Koinōnos: and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

JHN 8:33

KJV: They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
BSB: “We are Abrahamʼs descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”
Koinōnos: They answered him, "We are seed of Abraham and have never been under bondage to anyone. How do you say, 'You will become free'?

JHN 8:34

KJV: Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
BSB: Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Koinōnos: Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who is practicing sin is a slave of sin.

JHN 8:35

KJV: And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
BSB: A slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever.
Koinōnos: Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

JHN 8:36

KJV: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
BSB: So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Koinōnos: So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.

JHN 8:37

KJV: I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
BSB: I know you are Abrahamʼs descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
Koinōnos: I know that you are seed of Abraham; but you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

JHN 8:38

KJV: I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
BSB: I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
Koinōnos: What I have seen with the Father, I speak; and what you heard from the father, you do.

JHN 8:39

KJV: They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
BSB: “Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.
Koinōnos: They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus says to them, "If you were children of Abraham, you would be doing the works of Abraham.

JHN 8:40

KJV: 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.
BSB: But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.
Koinōnos: But now you seek to kill me — a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

JHN 8:41

KJV: Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
BSB: You are doing the works of your father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they declared. “Our only Father is God Himself.”
Koinōnos: You are doing the works of your father." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality; we have one Father, God.

JHN 8:42

KJV: Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
BSB: Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.
Koinōnos: Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came out from God and have come; for I have not come from myself, but that one sent me.

JHN 8:43

KJV: Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
BSB: Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
Koinōnos: Why do you not understand my speech? Because you are not able to hear my word.

JHN 8:44

KJV: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
BSB: You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
Koinōnos: You are from your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own, because he is a liar and the father of it.

JHN 8:45

KJV: And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
BSB: But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!
Koinōnos: But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

JHN 8:46

KJV: Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
BSB: Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?
Koinōnos: Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

JHN 8:47

KJV: He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
BSB: Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Koinōnos: The one who is from God hears the words of God. Because of this you do not hear — because you are not from God.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

JHN 8:31

you yourselves:The word translated 'you yourselves' is emphatic, highlighting that the speaker is addressing these specific individuals directly, not a general audience.

JHN 8:33

have we been under bondage:The term translated 'have we been under bondage' refers to being a slave or in servitude, implying a state of complete submission and lack of freedom, not just being subject to someone.

JHN 8:34

is practicing:The word translated 'is practicing' indicates an ongoing, habitual action, suggesting a continuous pattern of behavior rather than a single instance.

JHN 8:43

speech:The word translated 'speech' here can refer to a particular way of speaking, an accent, or even a dialect, suggesting a distinctive manner of communication rather than just the act of talking.