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Selected Verse: John 8:58 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Joh 8:58 |
Strong Concordance |
Jesus [2424] said [2036] unto them [846], Verily [281], verily [281], I say [3004] unto you [5213], Before [4250] Abraham [11] was [1096], I [1473] am [1510]. |
| |
King James |
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Before Abraham was, I am--The words rendered "was" and "am" are quite different. The one clause means, "Abraham was brought into being"; the other, "I exist." The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did (as Arians affirm is the meaning), but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally (as Joh 1:1). In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since "then took they up stones to cast at Him," just as they had before done when they saw that He made Himself equal with God (Joh 5:18).
hid himself--(See on Luk 4:30). |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Verily, verily - This is an expression used only in John. It is a strong affirmation denoting particularly the great importance of what was about to be affirmed. See the notes at Joh 3:5.
Before Abraham was - Before Abraham lived.
I am - The expression I am, though in the present tense, is clearly designed to refer to a past time. Thus, in Psa 90:2, "From everlasting to everlasting thou art God." Applied to God, it denotes continued existence without respect to time, so far as he is concerned. We divide time into the past, the present, and the future. The expression, applied to God, denotes that he does not measure his existence in this manner, but that the word by which we express the present denotes his continued and unchanging existence. Hence, he assumes it as his name, "I AM," and "I AM that I AM," Exo 3:14. Compare Isa 44:6; Isa 47:8. There is a remarkable similarity between the expression employed by Jesus in this place and that used in Exodus to denote the name of God. The manner in which Jesus used it would strikingly suggest the application of the same language to God. The question here was about his pre-existence. The objection of the Jews was that he was not 50 years old, and could not, therefore, have seen Abraham. Jesus replied to that that he existed before Abraham. As in his human nature he was not yet 50 years old, and could not, as a man, have existed before Abraham, this declaration must be referred to another nature; and the passage proves that, while he was a man, he was also endowed with another nature existing before Abraham, and to which he applied the term (familiar to the Jews as expressive of the existence of God) I AM; and this declaration corresponds to the affirmation of John Joh 1:1, that he was in the beginning with God, and was God. This affirmation of Jesus is one of the proofs on which John relies to prove that he was the Messiah Joh 20:31, to establish which was the design of writing this book. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Was, I am (γενέσθαι, ἐγώ εἰμι)
It is important to observe the distinction between the two verbs. Abraham's life was under the conditions of time, and therefore had a temporal beginning. Hence, Abraham came into being, or was born (γενέσθαι). Jesus' life was from and to eternity. Hence the formula for absolute, timeless existence, I am (ἐγώ εἰμι). See on Joh 1:3; see on Joh 7:34. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Before Abraham was I AM - Even from everlasting to everlasting. This is a direct answer to the objection of the Jews, and shows how much greater he was than Abraham. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| Before Abraham was, I am - The following is a literal translation of Calmet's note on this passage: - "I am from all eternity. I have existed before all ages. You consider in me only the person who speaks to you, and who has appeared to you within a particular time. But besides this human nature, which ye think ye know, there is in me a Divine and eternal nature. Both, united, subsist together in my person. Abraham knew how to distinguish them. He adored me as his God; and desired me as his Savior. He has seen me in my eternity, and he predicted my coming into the world." On the same verse Bishop Pearce speaks as follows: - "What Jesus here says relates (I think) to his existence antecedent to Abraham's days, and not to his having been the Christ appointed and foretold before that time; for, if Jesus had meant this, the answer I apprehend would not have been a pertinent one. He might have been appointed and foretold for the Christ; but if he had not had an existence before Abraham's days, neither could he have seen Abraham, (as, according to our English translation, the Jews suppose him to have said), nor could Abraham have seen him, as I suppose the Jews understood him to have said in the preceding verse, to which words of the Jews the words of Jesus here are intended as an answer." |
30 But [1161] he [846] passing [1330] through [1223] the midst [3319] of them [846] went his way [4198],
18 Therefore [1223] [5124] [3767] the Jews [2453] sought [2212] the more [3123] to kill [615] him [846], because [3754] he [3089] not [3756] only [3440] had broken [3089] the sabbath [4521], but [235] said [3004] also [2532] that God [2316] was his [2398] Father [3962], making [4160] himself [1438] equal [2470] with God [2316].
1 In [1722] the beginning [746] was [2258] the Word [3056], and [2532] the Word [3056] was [2258] with [4314] God [2316], and [2532] the Word [3056] was [2258] God [2316].
31 But [1161] these [5023] are written [1125], that [2443] ye might believe [4100] that [3754] Jesus [2424] is [2076] the Christ [5547], the Son [5207] of God [2316]; and [2532] that [2443] believing [4100] ye might have [2192] life [2222] through [1722] his [846] name [3686].
1 In [1722] the beginning [746] was [2258] the Word [3056], and [2532] the Word [3056] was [2258] with [4314] God [2316], and [2532] the Word [3056] was [2258] God [2316].
8 Therefore hear [08085] now this, thou that art given to pleasures [05719], that dwellest [03427] carelessly [0983], that sayest [0559] in thine heart [03824], I am, and none else [0657] beside me; I shall not sit [03427] as a widow [0490], neither shall I know [03045] the loss of children [07908]:
6 Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] the King [04428] of Israel [03478], and his redeemer [01350] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635]; I am the first [07223], and I am the last [0314]; and beside [01107] me there is no God [0430].
14 And God [0430] said [0559] unto Moses [04872], I AM [01961] THAT I AM [01961]: and he said [0559], Thus shalt thou say [0559] unto the children [01121] of Israel [03478], I AM hath sent [07971] me unto you.
2 Before the mountains [02022] were brought forth [03205], or ever thou hadst formed [02342] the earth [0776] and the world [08398], even from everlasting [05769] to [05704] everlasting [05769], thou art God [0410].
5 Jesus [2424] answered [611], Verily [281], verily [281], I say [3004] unto thee [4671], Except [3362] a man [5100] be born [1080] of [1537] water [5204] and [2532] of the Spirit [4151], he cannot [3756] [1410] enter [1525] into [1519] the kingdom [932] of God [2316].
34 Ye shall seek [2212] me [3165], and [2532] shall [2147] not [3756] find [2147] me: and [2532] where [3699] I [1473] am [1510], thither ye [5210] cannot [3756] [1410] come [2064].
3 All things [3956] were made [1096] by [1223] him [846]; and [2532] without [5565] him [846] was [1096] not [3761] any thing [1520] made [1096] that [3739] was made [1096].