Focused Passage

John 8:12-20

The Light of the World, True Freedom, and the I AM Before Abraham

Jesus exposes hypocritical judgment, declares himself the Light of the world, warns unbelievers that they will die in sin, calls true disciples to abide in his word and be free, exposes false Abrahamic confidence, and reveals himself as the eternal I AM before Abraham.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

12Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

13So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”

14Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.

15You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

16But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent Me.

17Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.

18I am One who testifies about Myself, and the Father, who sent Me, also testifies about Me.”

19“Where is Your Father?” they asked Him. “You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”

20He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Original words

Once againΠάλινG3825Adverb. . .οὖνG3767Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularspokeἐλάλησενG2980Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto [the people]αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural[and] saidλέγωνG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularIἘγώG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingularamεἰμιG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularlightφῶςG5457Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularworldκόσμουG2889Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularWhoeverG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularfollowsἀκολουθῶνG190Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularMeἐμοὶ*G1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person SingularvvvοὐG3756AdverbvvvμὴG3361Adverbwill never walkπεριπατήσῃG4043Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingulardarknessσκοτίᾳG4653Noun - Dative Feminine Singularbutἀλλ’G235Conjunctionwill haveἕξειG2192Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularlightφῶςG5457Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof lifeζωῆςG2222Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 13

Original words

SoοὖνG3767ConjunctiontheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralPhariseesΦαρισαῖοιG5330Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralsaidΕἶπονG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralto HimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularYouΣὺG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singularare testifyingμαρτυρεῖςG3140Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularaboutπερὶG4012PrepositionYourselfσεαυτοῦG4572Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 2nd Person SingularYourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulartestimonyμαρτυρίαG3141Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularisἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐκG3756AdverbvalidἀληθήςG227Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

JesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularrepliedἈπεκρίθηG611Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular. . .καὶG2532Conjunction. . .εἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralEven ifΚἂνG2579AdverbIἐγὼG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingulartestifyμαρτυρῶG3140Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person SingularaboutπερὶG4012PrepositionMyselfἐμαυτοῦG1683Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 1st Person SingularMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulartestimonyμαρτυρίαG3141Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularvalidἀληθήςG227Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularbecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctionI knowοἶδαG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularwhereπόθενG4159AdverbI came {from}ἦλθονG2064Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwhereποῦG4226AdverbI am goingὑπάγωG5217Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularButδὲG1161ConjunctionyouὑμεῖςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plural{do} notοὐκG3756AdverbknowοἴδατεG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralwhereπόθενG4159AdverbI came {from}ἔρχομαιG2064Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person SingularorG2228ConjunctionwhereποῦG4226AdverbI am goingὑπάγωG5217Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Verse 15

Original words

YouὙμεῖςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person PluraljudgeκρίνετεG2919Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Pluralaccording toκατὰG2596PrepositiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularfleshσάρκαG4561Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularIἐγὼG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingularjudgeκρίνωG2919Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularvvvοὐG3756Adverbno oneοὐδέναG3762Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionevenκαὶG2532ConjunctionifἐὰνG1437ConjunctionIἐγώG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singulardo judgeκρίνωG2919Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person SingularMyἐμὴG1699Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Feminine 1st Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularjudgmentκρίσιςG2920Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulartrueἀληθινήG228Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularbecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctionI amεἰμίG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularnotοὐκG3756AdverbaloneμόνοςG3441Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-ἀλλ’G235ConjunctionIἐγὼG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular[am with]καὶG2532ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularFatherπατήρG3962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular[who] sentπέμψαςG3992Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularMeμεG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular

BSB notes

  • Literally but (it is) I and the Father who sent Me; NE but (it is) I and the One who sent Me
Verse 17

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionEvenΚαὶG2532ConjunctioninἐνG1722Preposition-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularyourὑμετέρῳG5212Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 2nd Person Plural[own]τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularLawνόμῳG3551Noun - Dative Masculine Singularit is writtenγέγραπταιG1125Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularthatὅτιG3754ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulartestimonyμαρτυρίαG3141Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularof twoδύοG1417Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralmenἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularvalidἀληθήςG227Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • See Deuteronomy 19:15.
Verse 18

Original words

IἐγώG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingularamεἰμιG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular[One]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularwho testifiesμαρτυρῶνG3140Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularaboutπερὶG4012PrepositionMyselfἐμαυτοῦG1683Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 1st Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularFatherΠατήρG3962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular[who] sentπέμψαςG3992Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularMeμεG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular[also] testifiesμαρτυρεῖG3140Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularaboutπερὶG4012PrepositionMeἐμοῦG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Verse 19

Original words

WhereΠοῦG4226AdverbisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularYourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularFatherΠατήρG3962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-οὖνG3767Conjunctionthey askedἜλεγονG2036Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralHimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularYou do not knowοἴδατεG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural. . .ΟὔτεG3777ConjunctionMeἐμὲG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular[or]οὔτεG3777ConjunctionMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularFatherΠατέραG3962Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularansweredἈπεκρίθηG611Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularIfεἰG1487Conjunctionyou knewᾔδειτεG1492Verb - Pluperfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralMeἐμὲG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person SingularvvvἂνG302Particleyou would knowᾔδειτεG1492Verb - Pluperfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularFatherΠατέραG3962Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularas wellκαὶG2532Conjunction
Verse 20

Original words

He spokeἐλάλησενG2980Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheseΤαῦταG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralwordsῥήματαG4487Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralwhile teachingδιδάσκωνG1321Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter Singulartemple [courts]ἱερῷG2411Noun - Dative Neuter SingularnearἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingulartreasuryγαζοφυλακίῳG1049Noun - Dative Neuter SingularYetκαὶG2532Conjunctionno oneοὐδεὶςG3762Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularseizedἐπίασενG4084Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHimαὐτόνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularbecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctionHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularhourὥραG5610Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular{had} not yetοὔπωG3768AdverbcomeἐληλύθειG2064Verb - Pluperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.