John 8:37

I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I KNOW THAT YE ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED; BUT YE SEEK TO KILL ME. He had said this to their face before; He now repeats it, and they do not deny it; yet are they held back, as by some marvelous spell-it was the awe which His combined dignity, courage, and benignity struck into them. BECAUSE MY WORD HATH NO PLACE IN YOU, [ ou (G3756) choorei (G5562) en (G1722) humin (G5213)] - 'finds no entrance' or 'room in you.' When did ever human prophet so speak of his words? They tell us of "the word of the Lord" coming to them. But here...

37._I know that you are Abraham’s seed. _I explain this as said by way of concession. Yet at the same time he ridicules their folly in glorying in so absurd a title, as if he had said: “Granting that on which you flatter yourselves so much, still what avails it that those men are called _the children of Abraham_, who are enraged against God and his ministers, and who are actuated by such wicked and detestable hatred of the truth, that they rush headlong to shed innocent blood?” Hence it follows that nothing is farther from their true character than what they wished to be called, because they have no resemblance to _Abraham _ _You seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you. _He means that they are not merely murderers, but are driven to such rage by hatred of God and his truth, which is far more heinous; for such an enormity does not merely extend to men, but likewise dishonors...

37-40 Our Lord opposed the proud and vain confidence of these Jews, showing that their descent from Abraham could not profit those of a contrary spirit to him. Where the word of God has no place, no good is to be expected; room is left there for all wickedness. A sick person who turns from his physician, and will take neither remedies nor food, is past hope of recovery. The truth both heals and nourishes the hearts of those who receive it. The truth taught by philosophers has not this power and effect, but only the truth of God. Those who claim the privileges of Abraham, must do Abraham's works; must be strangers and sojourners in this world; keep up the worship of God in their families, and always walk before God....

Verse 37. _MY WORD HATH NO PLACE IN YOU._] Or, _this doctrine of_ _mine hath no place to you_. Ye _hear_ the truths of God, but ye do not _heed_ them: the word of life has no influence over you; and how can it, when you seek to kill me because I proclaim this truth to you? It is a dismal omen when a person is _regardless_ of the truth of God: it is more so to be _provoked_ against it: but to _persecute_ and endeavour to _destroy_ those who preach it is the last degree of perverseness and obduracy. The word of God requires a heart which is _empty_. A heart filled with earthly projects, carnal interests ambition, thoughts of raising a fortune, and with the love of the superfluities and pleasures of life, is not fit to receive the seed of the kingdom. When a man shuts his heart against it by his passions, he at the same time opens it to all sorts of crimes. QUESNEL. From what is here sai...

I KNOW ... - I admit that you are the descendants of Abraham. Jesus did not wish to call that in question, but he endeavored to show them that they might be his descendants and still lack entirely his spirit. See the notes at Matthew 3:9. YE SEEK TO KILL ME - John 5:16; John 7:32. BECAUSE MY WORD - My doctrine; the principles of my religion. You have not the spirit of my doctrine; you hate it, and you therefore seek to kill me. HATH NO PLACE - That is, you do not embrace my doctrine, or it exerts no influence over you. The original word conveys the notion that there was no room for

EXPOSITION Verses 7:53-8:11 (8) _The pericope adulterae. _(A)_ Excursus on the genuineness of _John 7:53-43__John 7:53-43. It is our duty to examine the various grounds on which this passage has been almost universally concluded to have formed no portion of the original Fourth Gospel; and then the internal grounds on which it has been rejected, and some of the speculations as to its origin and value. Doubts have beset the authenticity of the passage from the fourth and fifth centuries in the Eastern Church, both on external and internal grounds. The authority and practice of Augustine, Ambrose, and Jerome gave it a secure resting place till the criticism of Erasmus re-awakened doubt. Calvin expressed a more favourable opinion con

I KNOW THAT YE ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED,.... In answer to the other part of the Jews' objection to Christ, and in favour of themselves, Christ owns that they were the natural seed of Abraham; for truth must be allowed to an adversary. But then this hindered not but they might be, as they were, in moral bondage to sin, and a generation of vipers, as those of them who came to John's baptism were; and might not be the sons of God, for not because they were the natural seed of Abraham, were they all the adopted sons of God; and might be cast out of the house of God, as Ishmael was cast out of Abraham's, though he was his natural seed. And what follows proves them to be under the power, and in the servitude of sin, and that they were the seed of the serpent that was to bruise the heel of the woman's seed, or put the Messiah to death, though they were the natural seed of Abraham: BUT YE SEEK TO KIL...

John 8:12. _Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees_ These wasps were always stinging him; when he drove them away once, they quickly returned to attack him again: «The Pharisees» John 8:13. _Therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them; Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man._ He did not come for that purpose the first time; he will come, a second time, to judge all mankind....

ABRAHAM'S Compare (John 8:39). The contrast, "I know that ye are Abraham's seed" -- "If ye were Abraham's children," is that between the natural and the spiritual posterity of Abraham. The Israelitish people and Ishmaelites are the former; all who are "of like precious faith with Abraham," whether Jews or Gentiles, are the latter; (Romans 9:6); (Galatians 3:6). See "Abrahamic Covenant," (_ See Scofield) - (Genesis 15:18). _...

CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The Woman Taken in Adultery. (John 8:1 .)_ 2. The Light of the World. (John 8:12 .) 3. His Testimony Concerning Himself and the Father. (John 8:13 .) 4. His Solemn Declarations. (John 8:21 .) 5. Before Abraham Was, I Am. (John 8:48 .) The first verse belongs to the preceding chapter. The officers returned without Him, bearing their testimony that “never man spake like this man.” Nicodemus ventured his timid defense. Then every man went to his own house while the Lord went to the Mount of Olives. The story of the woman