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When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/john/8-44.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/2/43_Jhn_08_44.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="John 8:44 - The Children of the Devil" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="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." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/john/8-44.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/john/8-44.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/john/">John</a> > <a href="/john/8.htm">Chapter 8</a> > Verse 44</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad4.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/john/8-43.htm" title="John 8:43">◄</a> John 8:44 <a href="/john/8-45.htm" title="John 8:45">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Greek </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv">Verse<a href="/bsb/john/8.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><a href="/niv/john/8.htm">New International Version</a> You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father&#8217s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/nlt/john/8.htm">New Living Translation</a> For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/esv/john/8.htm">English Standard Version</a> You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/bsb/john/8.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> 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. <a href="/blb/john/8.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a> You are of your father the devil, and you desire to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he might speak falsehood, he speaks from the own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. <a href="/kjv/john/8.htm">King James Bible</a> 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. <a href="/nkjv/john/8.htm">New King James Version</a> You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. <a href="/nasb_/john/8.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/nasb/john/8.htm">NASB 1995</a> &#8220You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/nasb77/john/8.htm">NASB 1977 </a> “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. <a href="/lsb/john/8.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/amp/john/8.htm">Amplified Bible</a> You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths. <a href="/csb/john/8.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/hcsb/john/8.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father&#8217s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars. <a href="/asv/john/8.htm">American Standard Version</a> Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth 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 thereof. <a href="/cev/john/8.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies. <a href="/erv/john/8.htm">English Revised Version</a> Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood 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 thereof. <a href="/gwt/john/8.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn't know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he's doing what comes naturally to him. He's a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/gnt/john/8.htm">Good News Translation</a> You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies. <a href="/isv/john/8.htm">International Standard Version</a> You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/msb/john/8.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to stand in 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. <a href="/net/john/8.htm">NET Bible</a> You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/nheb/john/8.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father. <a href="/wbt/john/8.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> 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. <a href="/wey/john/8.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a> The father whose sons you are is the Devil; and you desire to do what gives him pleasure. *He* was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth--for there is no truth in him. Whenever he utters his lie, he utters it out of his own store; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. <a href="/web/john/8.htm">World English Bible</a> You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/john/8.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> You are of a father—the Devil, and the desires of your father you will to do; he was a manslayer from the beginning, and he has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him; when one may speak the falsehood, he speaks of his own, because he is a liar—also his father. <a href="/blb/john/8.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a> You are of your father the devil, and you desire to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he might speak falsehood, he speaks from the own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. <a href="/ylt/john/8.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> 'Ye are of a father -- the devil, and the desires of your father ye will to do; he was a man-slayer from the beginning, and in the truth he hath not stood, because there is no truth in him; when one may speak the falsehood, of his own he speaketh, because he is a liar -- also his father. <a href="/slt/john/8.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> Ye are of your father the devil, and the eager desires of your father will ye do. He was slaying men from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he would speak a lie, he speaks of his own things; for he is a liar, and the father of him.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/john/8.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. <a href="/cpdv/john/8.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> You are of your father, the devil. And you will carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning. And he did not stand in the truth, because the truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks it from his own self. For he is a liar, and the father of lies. <a href="/nabre/john/8.htm">New American Bible</a> You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies. <a href="/nrsvce/john/8.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/john/8.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> You are from the father of accusation, and you want to do the lusts of your father, he who is a murderer of men from the very beginning and who never stands by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks he speaks his own lie, because he is a liar, and the father of it. <a href="/aramaic-plain-english/john/8.htm">Aramaic Bible in Plain English</a> “You are from your father The Devil, and the desire of your father you are willing to do; from the beginning he has been murdering men and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him; whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from what is his, because he is of falsehood and is also its father.”<div class="vheading2">NT Translations</div><a href="/anderson/john/8.htm">Anderson New Testament</a> You are of your father, the devil; and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the be ginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks that which is false, he speaks from what is his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. <a href="/godbey/john/8.htm">Godbey New Testament</a> <FR>You are of your father the devil, and you wish to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there was no truth in him. When he may speak a lie, he speaks of his own: because he is a liar, and the father of the same.<Fr> <a href="/haweis/john/8.htm">Haweis New Testament</a> Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will practise. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not fast in the truth, because truth was not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh what is peculiarly his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. <a href="/mace/john/8.htm">Mace New Testament</a> you, who have the devil for your father, will execute the designs of your father: he was a murderer from the beginning, and deserted the truth, since he has no love for the truth: when he lyes, he speaks like himself: for he is a lyar, and the father of a lyar. <a href="/wey/john/8.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a> The father whose sons you are is the Devil; and you desire to do what gives him pleasure. *He* was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth--for there is no truth in him. Whenever he utters his lie, he utters it out of his own store; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. <a href="/worrell/john/8.htm">Worrell New Testament</a> <FR>Ye are of your father the Devil; and the desires of your father ye wish to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own; because he is a liar, and the father of it.<Fr> <a href="/worsley/john/8.htm">Worsley New Testament</a> <FR>Ye are of <Fr>your<FR> father the devil, and are bent upon doing the lusts of your father: he was a murderer from the beginning, and continued not in the truth: for there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh like himself, for he is a liar, and the father of such.<Fr> <a href="/parallel/john/8-44.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ixy2bchmXZ0?start=3054" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/john/8.htm">The Children of the Devil</a> …43Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message. 44<a href="/greek/4771.htm" title="4771: hymeis (PPro-N2P) -- You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.">You</a> <a href="/greek/1510.htm" title="1510: este (V-PIA-2P) -- I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.">belong to</a> <a href="/greek/1537.htm" title="1537: ek (Prep) -- From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out."></a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tou (Art-GMS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">your</a> <a href="/greek/3962.htm" title="3962: patros (N-GMS) -- Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a father.">father,</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tou (Art-GMS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">the</a> <a href="/greek/1228.htm" title="1228: diabolou (Adj-GMS) -- From diaballo; a traducer; specially, Satan.">devil,</a> <a href="/greek/2532.htm" title="2532: kai (Conj) -- And, even, also, namely. ">and</a> <a href="/greek/2309.htm" title="2309: thelete (V-PIA-2P) -- To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design. ">you want</a> <a href="/greek/4160.htm" title="4160: poiein (V-PNA) -- (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.">to carry out</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tas (Art-AFP) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the."></a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tou (Art-GMS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the."></a> <a href="/greek/4771.htm" title="4771: hymōn (PPro-G2P) -- You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou."></a> <a href="/greek/3962.htm" title="3962: patros (N-GMS) -- Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a father.">his</a> <a href="/greek/1939.htm" title="1939: epithymias (N-AFP) -- Desire, eagerness for, inordinate desire, lust. From epithumeo; a longing.">desires.</a> <a href="/greek/1565.htm" title="1565: ekeinos (DPro-NMS) -- That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.">He</a> <a href="/greek/1510.htm" title="1510: ēn (V-IIA-3S) -- I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.">was</a> <a href="/greek/443.htm" title="443: anthrōpoktonos (N-NMS) -- A murderer, man-slayer. From anthropos and kteino; a manslayer.">a murderer</a> <a href="/greek/575.htm" title="575: ap’ (Prep) -- From, away from. A primary particle; off, i.e. Away, in various senses.">from</a> <a href="/greek/746.htm" title="746: archēs (N-GFS) -- From archomai; a commencement, or chief.">the beginning,</a> <a href="/greek/2532.htm" title="2532: kai (Conj) -- And, even, also, namely. "></a> <a href="/greek/3756.htm" title="3756: ouk (Adv) -- No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.">refusing</a> <a href="/greek/4739.htm" title="4739: estēken (V-IIA-3S) -- To stand fast, stand firm, persevere. From the perfect tense of histemi; to be stationary, i.e. to persevere.">to uphold</a> <a href="/greek/1722.htm" title="1722: en (Prep) -- In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; in, at, on, by, etc."></a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tē (Art-DFS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">the</a> <a href="/greek/225.htm" title="225: alētheia (N-DFS) -- From alethes; truth.">truth,</a> <a href="/greek/3754.htm" title="3754: hoti (Conj) -- Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.">because</a> <a href="/greek/1510.htm" title="1510: estin (V-PIA-3S) -- I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.">there is</a> <a href="/greek/3756.htm" title="3756: ouk (Adv) -- No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.">no</a> <a href="/greek/225.htm" title="225: alētheia (N-NFS) -- From alethes; truth.">truth</a> <a href="/greek/1722.htm" title="1722: en (Prep) -- In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; in, at, on, by, etc.">in</a> <a href="/greek/846.htm" title="846: autō (PPro-DM3S) -- He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.">him.</a> <a href="/greek/3752.htm" title="3752: hotan (Conj) -- When, whenever. From hote and an; whenever; also causatively inasmuch as.">When</a> <a href="/greek/2980.htm" title="2980: lalē (V-PSA-3S) -- A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.">he lies,</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: to (Art-ANS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the."></a> <a href="/greek/5579.htm" title="5579: pseudos (N-ANS) -- A lie, falsehood, untruth; false religion. From pseudomai; a falsehood."></a> <a href="/greek/2980.htm" title="2980: lalei (V-PIA-3S) -- A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.">he speaks</a> <a href="/greek/1537.htm" title="1537: ek (Prep) -- From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out."></a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tōn (Art-GNP) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">his</a> <a href="/greek/2398.htm" title="2398: idiōn (Adj-GNP) -- Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate.">native language,</a> <a href="/greek/3754.htm" title="3754: hoti (Conj) -- Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.">because</a> <a href="/greek/1510.htm" title="1510: estin (V-PIA-3S) -- I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.">he is</a> <a href="/greek/5583.htm" title="5583: pseustēs (N-NMS) -- A liar, deceiver. From pseudomai; a falsifier.">a liar</a> <a href="/greek/2532.htm" title="2532: kai (Conj) -- And, even, also, namely. ">and</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: ho (Art-NMS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">the</a> <a href="/greek/3962.htm" title="3962: patēr (N-NMS) -- Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a father.">father</a> <a href="/greek/846.htm" title="846: autou (PPro-GN3S) -- He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.">of lies.</a> 45But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/genesis/3-4.htm">Genesis 3:4-5</a> “You will not surely die,” the serpent told the woman. / “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” <a href="/2_corinthians/11-3.htm">2 Corinthians 11:3</a> I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ. <a href="/revelation/12-9.htm">Revelation 12:9</a> And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. <a href="/1_john/3-8.htm">1 John 3:8</a> The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. <a href="/2_thessalonians/2-9.htm">2 Thessalonians 2:9-10</a> The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, / and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. <a href="/matthew/13-38.htm">Matthew 13:38</a> The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, <a href="/1_peter/5-8.htm">1 Peter 5:8</a> Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. <a href="/ephesians/2-2.htm">Ephesians 2:2</a> in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. <a href="/2_corinthians/4-4.htm">2 Corinthians 4:4</a> The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. <a href="/revelation/20-2.htm">Revelation 20:2</a> He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. <a href="/isaiah/14-12.htm">Isaiah 14:12-15</a> How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. / You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. / I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” ... <a href="/ezekiel/28-14.htm">Ezekiel 28:14-17</a> You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. / From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways—until wickedness was found in you. / By the vastness of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and I banished you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. ... <a href="/genesis/3-1.htm">Genesis 3:1</a> Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” <a href="/job/1-6.htm">Job 1:6-7</a> One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. / “Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.” <a href="/zechariah/3-1.htm">Zechariah 3:1-2</a> Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. / And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stayed not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.are.<a href="/john/8-38.htm">John 8:38,41</a> I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father… <a href="/john/6-70.htm">John 6:70</a> Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?<a href="/genesis/3-15.htm">Genesis 3:15</a> And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.He was.<a href="/genesis/3-3.htm">Genesis 3:3-7</a> But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die… <a href="/1_kings/22-22.htm">1 Kings 22:22</a> And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.<a href="/1_chronicles/21-1.htm">1 Chronicles 21:1</a> And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.and abode.<a href="/2_peter/2-4.htm">2 Peter 2:4</a> For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;<a href="/jude/1-6.htm">Jude 1:6</a> And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.When.<a href="/genesis/3-4.htm">Genesis 3:4,5</a> And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: … <a href="/2_chronicles/18-20.htm">2 Chronicles 18:20-22</a> Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? … <a href="/job/1-11.htm">Job 1:11</a> But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.<div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/john/7-9.htm">Abode</a> <a href="/john/8-25.htm">Beginning</a> <a href="/john/7-16.htm">Belong</a> <a href="/john/6-28.htm">Carry</a> <a href="/john/8-41.htm">Children</a> <a href="/john/8-40.htm">Desire</a> <a href="/john/7-17.htm">Desires</a> <a href="/john/7-20.htm">Devil</a> <a href="/john/8-34.htm">Evil</a> <a href="/john/8-38.htm">Father's</a> <a href="/luke/21-19.htm">Firm</a> <a href="/john/8-25.htm">First</a> <a href="/john/8-18.htm">Gives</a> <a href="/john/2-6.htm">Holding</a> <a href="/john/8-43.htm">Language</a> <a href="/luke/18-20.htm">Lie</a> <a href="/hosea/9-13.htm">Murderer</a> <a href="/luke/4-24.htm">Native</a> <a href="/john/1-13.htm">Nature</a> <a href="/john/7-17.htm">Pleasure</a> <a href="/john/7-26.htm">Speaketh</a> <a href="/john/7-46.htm">Speaks</a> <a href="/john/8-16.htm">Stand</a> <a href="/micah/1-15.htm">Taker</a> <a href="/john/7-21.htm">Thereof</a> <a href="/john/8-40.htm">Truth</a> <a href="/john/3-34.htm">Utters</a> <a href="/john/8-41.htm">True.</a> <a href="/john/8-37.htm">Want</a> <a href="/john/7-27.htm">Whenever</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/john/10-40.htm">Abode</a> <a href="/john/9-32.htm">Beginning</a> <a href="/john/8-47.htm">Belong</a> <a href="/john/19-38.htm">Carry</a> <a href="/john/8-47.htm">Children</a> <a href="/john/9-27.htm">Desire</a> <a href="/acts/15-20.htm">Desires</a> <a href="/john/8-48.htm">Devil</a> <a href="/john/8-48.htm">Evil</a> <a href="/john/9-3.htm">Father's</a> <a href="/acts/26-22.htm">Firm</a> <a href="/john/10-40.htm">First</a> <a href="/john/8-47.htm">Gives</a> <a href="/romans/1-18.htm">Holding</a> <a href="/john/10-6.htm">Language</a> <a href="/acts/5-3.htm">Lie</a> <a href="/acts/3-14.htm">Murderer</a> <a href="/acts/2-8.htm">Native</a> <a href="/acts/14-15.htm">Nature</a> <a href="/john/9-31.htm">Pleasure</a> <a href="/john/9-37.htm">Speaketh</a> <a href="/john/9-37.htm">Speaks</a> <a href="/john/10-34.htm">Stand</a> <a href="/1_peter/4-15.htm">Taker</a> <a href="/acts/15-16.htm">Thereof</a> <a href="/john/8-45.htm">Truth</a> <a href="/1_corinthians/14-2.htm">Utters</a> <a href="/john/8-45.htm">True.</a> <a href="/john/9-27.htm">Want</a> <a href="/john/10-4.htm">Whenever</a><div class="vheading2">John 8</div>1. <a href="/john/8-1.htm">Jesus delivers the woman taken in adultery.</a> 12. <a href="/john/8-12.htm">He declares himself the light of the world, and justifies his doctrine;</a> 31. <a href="/john/8-31.htm">promises freedom to those who believe;</a> 33. <a href="/john/8-33.htm">answers the Jews who boasted of Abraham;</a> 48. <a href="/john/8-48.htm">answers their reviling, by showing his authority and dignity;</a> 59. <a href="/john/8-59.htm">and slips away from those who would stone him.</a> </div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/john/8.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/john/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/john/8.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div>You belong to your father, the devil This phrase indicates a spiritual lineage rather than a physical one. In the biblical context, Jesus is addressing the Pharisees, who prided themselves on being descendants of Abraham. However, Jesus challenges their spiritual state, suggesting that their actions and attitudes align more with Satan than with God. This echoes the theme of spiritual parentage found in 1 <a href="/john/3-10.htm">John 3:10</a>, where the children of God and the children of the devil are distinguished by their actions.and you want to carry out his desires The desires of the devil are contrary to the will of God, characterized by sin, rebellion, and deceit. This phrase highlights the human tendency to follow sinful inclinations, as seen in <a href="/genesis/3.htm">Genesis 3</a> with the fall of man. The Pharisees' desire to kill Jesus (<a href="/john/8-37.htm">John 8:37</a>) aligns with Satan's destructive nature, emphasizing the moral and spiritual conflict between God's truth and Satan's deception.He was a murderer from the beginning This refers to Satan's role in the fall of humanity, where his deception led to spiritual death (Genesis 3). The term "murderer" underscores the destructive consequences of sin and Satan's influence. It also connects to Cain's murder of Abel (1 <a href="/john/3-12.htm">John 3:12</a>), illustrating how sin leads to physical and spiritual death.refusing to uphold the truth Satan's nature is fundamentally opposed to truth, as seen in his deception of Eve (<a href="/genesis/3-4.htm">Genesis 3:4-5</a>). This refusal to uphold truth is a defining characteristic of his rebellion against God. In contrast, Jesus embodies truth (<a href="/john/14-6.htm">John 14:6</a>), highlighting the stark difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness.because there is no truth in him This phrase emphasizes the complete absence of truth in Satan's character. Unlike God, who is the source of all truth (<a href="/john/17-17.htm">John 17:17</a>), Satan's nature is entirely deceitful. This absence of truth is evident in his actions throughout scripture, from the temptation of Adam and Eve to the temptation of Jesus (<a href="/matthew/4.htm">Matthew 4:1-11</a>).When he lies, he speaks his native language Lying is intrinsic to Satan's nature, as natural to him as speaking one's native tongue. This phrase underscores the habitual and inherent deceitfulness of Satan. It contrasts with the nature of God, who cannot lie (<a href="/titus/1-2.htm">Titus 1:2</a>), and highlights the importance of truth in the life of a believer (<a href="/ephesians/4-25.htm">Ephesians 4:25</a>).because he is a liar and the father of lies Satan is not only a liar but the originator of falsehood. This title, "father of lies," indicates his role in introducing deceit into the world. It connects to the broader biblical narrative of spiritual warfare, where truth and lies are in constant conflict. Believers are called to resist Satan's lies by standing firm in the truth of God's word (<a href="/ephesians/6-14.htm">Ephesians 6:14</a>).<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <a href="/topical/j/jesus_christ.htm">Jesus Christ</a> The speaker in this passage, addressing the Pharisees and Jewish leaders who were opposing Him. 2. <a href="/topical/t/the_devil.htm">The Devil</a> Referred to as the "father" of those who reject the truth, characterized as a murderer and liar. 3. <a href="/topical/p/pharisees_and_jewish_leaders.htm">Pharisees and Jewish Leaders</a> The audience Jesus is addressing, who are accused of aligning with the devil's desires. 4. <a href="/topical/t/the_beginning.htm">The Beginning</a> Refers to the time of creation and the fall of man, highlighting the devil's role in introducing sin. 5. <a href="/topical/t/truth.htm">Truth</a> Central theme in this passage, representing God's nature and the opposite of the devil's character.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><a href="/topical/u/understanding_the_enemy.htm">Understanding the Enemy</a> Recognize the devil's character as a liar and murderer. This awareness helps Christians to discern truth from deception. <a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_truth.htm">The Importance of Truth</a> Emphasize the necessity of aligning with God's truth, as opposed to the devil's lies. Truth is foundational to the Christian faith. <a href="/topical/s/spiritual_parentage.htm">Spiritual Parentage</a> Reflect on spiritual lineage. Believers are called to be children of God, not of the devil, by living in truth and righteousness. <a href="/topical/g/guarding_against_deception.htm">Guarding Against Deception</a> Equip oneself with the Word of God and prayer to resist the devil's lies and temptations. <a href="/topical/l/living_in_the_light.htm">Living in the Light</a> Encourage a lifestyle that reflects God's truth, promoting honesty, integrity, and love in all interactions.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_john_8.htm">Top 10 Lessons from John 8</a> <a href="/q/what_did_jesus_mean_by_'your_father'.htm">What did Jesus mean by "your father the devil"?</a> <a href="/q/who_is_the_evil_one_in_the_story.htm">Who is The Evil One in the story?</a> <a href="/q/why_does_god_permit_deception.htm">Why does God permit deception?</a> <a href="/q/who_is_known_as_the_father_of_lies.htm">Who is known as the father of lies?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/john/8.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(44) Ye are of your father the devil.--"Ye" is emphatic. "Ye who have claimed Abraham and God as your father. Ye are of the father, but that father is the devil." The possessive pronoun (your) is not expressed in the Greek, and the form of the sentence is one which would have required it if it were included in the sense. The father who has been referred to in <a href="/john/8-38.htm" title="I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do that which you have seen with your father.">John 8:38</a>; <a href="/john/8-41.htm" title="You do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.">John 8:41</a> is now definitely named. The relation between father and son is maintained, but the father of the thoughts and acts of those to whom He speaks was not God, not Abraham, but the devil.And the lusts of your father ye will do.--Better, ye desire to do, ye will to do. The verb is not an auxiliary, as it appears to be in our version, but expresses the determination of the will. (Comp. Notes on <a href="/john/5-40.htm" title="And you will not come to me, that you might have life.">John 5:40</a>; <a href="/john/7-17.htm" title="If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.">John 7:17</a>.)He was a murderer from the beginning.--Comp. <a href="//apocrypha.org/wisdom_of_solomon/2-23.htm" title="For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.">Wisdom Of Solomon 2:23-24</a>, "For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of His own eternity. Nevertheless, through envy of the devil came death into the world, and they that do hold of his side do find it." So St. Paul, "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin" (<a href="/romans/5-12.htm" title="Why, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed on all men, for that all have sinned:">Romans 5:12</a>). The Fall was the murder of the human race; and it is in reference to this, of which the fratricide in the first family was a signal result, that the Tempter is called a murderer from the beginning (see Note on <a href="/john/1-1.htm" title="In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.">John 1:1</a>). "Cain was of that wicked one, and slew his brother." (Comp. Notes on <a href="/context/1_john/3-8.htm" title="He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.">1John 3:8-12</a>, where the thought is expanded.) The reference to the murderer is suggested here by the fact that the Jews had been seeking to kill our Lord (<a href="/john/8-40.htm" title="But now you seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.">John 8:40</a>). They are true to the nature which their father had from the beginning. . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/john/8.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 44. - Ye are of the father who is the devil. In this way the great bulk of the best commentators translate this difficult clause, Hilgenfeld, Volkmar, and Davidson translate, "You are of the father of the devil;" and suggest that here the evangelist betrays his fierce Gnostic (Ophite) antagonism to the Jews, and adopts the view that the God of the Old Testament, the "Creator," was the Father of the serpent. This is surely untenable. The Creator of all things, in the prologue, is none other than the Father acting through the Logos. In the third, fourth, and fifth chapters, the greatest honours are ascribed to the God of the Jewish people, and not the faintest hint given of such radical divergence from the standpoint of Judaism. In this very passage the father of the faithful Jews is spoken of with profound reverence. "The second-century Gnostic" must have so cleverly concealed his sentiments, and have refuted his position so frequently, that it is inexcusably inept for him to have shown his cloven foot on this occasion. Thoma ignores the wild conjecture of Hilgenfeld. Our Lord was not dealing with the parentage of the devil, but with the moral and religious parentage of those Jews who were manifesting the most bitter antagonism to himself and plotting his destruction. For them to claim spiritual kinship and childlike feeling to the Father whose holy nature and whose love to them he was revealing, was a strange contradiction in terms. Our Lord repudiated it in this terrible language. He had worsted the seductive suggestions of the devil, and when he saw and heard them repeated and set forth as Divine proposals, he gave them their true name. "You disclaim the faintest sympathy with other gods; you resent the bar sinister on your escutcheon; you say that religiously as well as historically you are not born of any fornication - there is no taint in your theological position; but I tell you plainly that you are from, you are manifesting the very essence and substance of, the father who is the prime enemy of God and man. The phrase is in perfect keeping with many synoptic phrases (<a href="/matthew/13-38.htm">Matthew 13:38</a>; <a href="/matthew/23-15.htm">Matthew 23:15</a>; cf. John the Baptist's language, <a href="/matthew/3-7.htm">Matthew 3:7</a>). And the lusts of your father - those of falsehood and murder, lying and slaughter, being the top and chief of all his evil passions - ye are willing, desirous to do. He has engendered these very lusts within you. The paternity of your angry passions, your incapacity to see and accept my word, are both alike explained. There is no more terrible rebuke in the whole compass of revelation. The disciple whom Jesus loved, in preserving these words, shows very decidedly that he was a "Son of Thunder," and calls down fire from heaven (a very storm) which has been ever since descending upon the heads of these and all other bitter antagonists of the Son of man. He was a murderer (literally, a manslayer) from the beginning. This has often been referred to the spirit which animated Cain in the slaughter of his brother Abel. There is some corroboration of such a reference in <a href="/1_john/3-12.htm">1 John 3:12</a>, "Cain was ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ of that wicked one, and slew his brother;" and in the language of <a href="/1_john/3-15.htm">1 John 3:15</a>, "Whoso hateth his brother is a murderer." (So Lucke, Reuss, De Wette, and others.) But the narrative of the death of Abel makes no reference to the agency of the devil, but rather indicates that the sin of Cain was originated by his having been begotten in the image of the fallen Adam. The better interpretation and reference of the words may be seen in <a href="/1_john/3-8.htm">1 John 3:8</a>, "He that doeth sin is from the devil (ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου), for the devil sinneth from the beginning (ἀπ ἀρχῆς)." And sin entered into the world through the seduction and false statements of the devil, by which the first man was veritably slain, his moral nature killed outright. Grace was not shut out, but Adam died. In the day that he ate of the forbidden tree, man most surely and in the deepest sense died. "God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity. Nevertheless, through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of its side do find it" (Wisd. 2:23, 24; <a href="/revelation/12-9.htm">Revelation 12:9</a>); "Sin entered into the world, and death by sin" (<a href="/romans/5-12.htm">Romans 5:12</a>). The work of destruction at the beginning of humanity upon earth has never been exhausted. In murderous propensity, in lying and seductive words and ways, the children of wrath are ever showing their parentage. To this statement our Lord added what has by many been regarded as a distinct revelation of the fall of Satan himself from the condition of rectitude (cf. <a href="/jude/1-6.htm">Jude 1:6</a>; <a href="/2_peter/2-4.htm">2 Peter 2:4</a>). He stands not; continues not - in the truth (ἕστηκεν in the perfect is the better reading, and demands this translation; the rendering of the Vulgate, stetit, favoured by Augustine, and involving a reference to the fall of the devil, would have required εἱστήκει, pluperfect). Jesus (lid not, therefore, explicitly assert anything with reference to the act of original revolt of the devil, but declared that the devil has no place in truth; he restlessly resists, throwing a hopeless, perilous glamour of falsehood round all he touches. Schaff suggests, rightly, that the combination of this statement with that of the prologue (<a href="/john/1-3.htm">John 1:3</a>) presupposes the fall of this mighty and murderous spirit from a previous condition of rectitude, and the dictum of our Lord ought never to have been charged with the admission of an eternal principle of evil. The fall of the lost angels is not explicitly stated. Because there is no truth in him. The absence of the article before "truth" shows that in the previous clause the objective truth is meant, that the reality of things as known by him is referred to. The truth was that region or sphere of action in which he elected not to stand, and, as a matter of fact, does not stand nor find place. By "truth" is meant subjective truth or "truthfulness," the spirit which repudiates falsehood in all its forms and manifestations. There is no consistency with himself, no inward harmony with reality. This is given as reason why the devil stands not in the truth. Whensoever he speaketh a lie, he speaketh (λαλεῖ) from (ἐκ, out of) his own resources - from what is most entirely his own, revealing the depth of his truthless, loveless, fatal, godless nature. Schaff quotes from Gothe's 'Faust' the account which Mephistopheles gives of his own being. Here it is in Kegan Paul's translation - "I am the spirit, who aye deny! And rightly so; for everything Is only good for perishing; So better 'twere that nought had been, And, therefore, all that you call sin Ruin, whate'er with evil's rife Is my true element of life." Gothe exactly expressed the ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων by "mein eigentliches element." Because he is a liar, and the father of the liar. This translation makes the αὐτοῦ refer to τεύστης, which is the most natural antecedent (so Bengel, Meyer, Lange, Godet, etc.), notwithstanding the difficulty of the construction. This language asserts not only the agelong proof which history gives of the falsehood of this terrible personality, but declares that he exerts an evil paternity in the life of every liar. "Brood of vipers" is a phrase used by John Baptist and Christ himself when addressing Pharisees. The well known imagery of the first promise, "I will put enmity between her seed and thy seed," etc., suggests the same thought. There is an awful significance in this power of the devil to sow his deadly seed in human life, and to produce thus, on the soil of human nature, "children of the wicked one" (cf. Paul's language, <a href="/acts/13-10.htm">Acts 13:10</a>, addressed to Elymas, υἱὲ διαβόλου, "son of the devil"). Another translation makes αὐτοῦ refer to ψεῦδος: He is a liar, and the father of falsehood, or thereof (Revised Version); thus drawing an abstract out of the concrete ψεύστης, or possibly referring to the first he which slew the spiritual life of men - to the "Ye shall not surely die" of <a href="/genesis/3-4.htm">Genesis 3:4</a>. It is against this view that our Lord is here dealing with persons rather than with abstractions. Westcott and Moulton and Revised Version in margin have given indefiniteness to the subject of the verb λαλῇ, and translate, "Whensoever one [or, 'a man'] speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for his father also is a liar;" the idea being that the evil inheritance from the father of lies has even made falsehood the essential element, the proprium, of the liar. This, however, appears to involve a very complicated thought. The ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων, if strictly spoken, contradicts the idea of the liar's peculiarities being the result of inheritance. Still less satisfactory is the vain endeavour of the Gnostics, who found here a second reference to the father of the devil. They discovered in some Italic Versions, and in the usage of some of the Fathers, καθὼς καί, in place of καὶ, and so took it to mean, "he is a liar, as also his father." Higenfeld and Volkmar have fastened upon this text also, and thus found further proof of Gnostic (Ophite) heresy in the Gospel. Riggenbach and Godet have remarked that, if the father of the devil was spoken of in the previous clause, "his father" would mean "the father of the father of the devil"! We have already seen how groundless such a charge against the Gospel is, and how such a rendering would throw the entire context into confusion. If we accept the first translation, we find that our Lord announces a doctrine concerning the devil, and conveys more information than can be obtained from any other source. This is not mere accommodation to the consciousness of a daemoniac or the prejudices of the Jews, as some have interpreted Christ's language in the synoptic Gospels, but it is distinct dogmatic teaching about the personality, character, and method of the devil. <a href="/commentaries/john/8-44.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Greek</div>You ὑμεῖς (hymeis) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_4771.htm">Strong's 4771: </a> You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. belong to ἐστὲ (este) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_1510.htm">Strong's 1510: </a> I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. [your] τοῦ (tou) Article - Genitive Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. father, πατρὸς (patros) Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3962.htm">Strong's 3962: </a> Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. the τοῦ (tou) Article - Genitive Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. devil, διαβόλου (diabolou) Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_1228.htm">Strong's 1228: </a> From diaballo; a traducer; specially, Satan. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction <a href="/greek/strongs_2532.htm">Strong's 2532: </a> And, even, also, namely. you want θέλετε (thelete) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_2309.htm">Strong's 2309: </a> To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design. to carry out ποιεῖν (poiein) Verb - Present Infinitive Active <a href="/greek/strongs_4160.htm">Strong's 4160: </a> (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do. [his] πατρὸς (patros) Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3962.htm">Strong's 3962: </a> Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. desires. ἐπιθυμίας (epithymias) Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_1939.htm">Strong's 1939: </a> Desire, eagerness for, inordinate desire, lust. From epithumeo; a longing. He ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos) Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_1565.htm">Strong's 1565: </a> That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed. was ἦν (ēn) Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_1510.htm">Strong's 1510: </a> I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. a murderer ἀνθρωποκτόνος (anthrōpoktonos) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_443.htm">Strong's 443: </a> A murderer, man-slayer. From anthropos and kteino; a manslayer. from ἀπ’ (ap’) Preposition <a href="/greek/strongs_575.htm">Strong's 575: </a> From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses. [the] beginning, ἀρχῆς (archēs) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_746.htm">Strong's 746: </a> From archomai; a commencement, or chief. refusing οὐκ (ouk) Adverb <a href="/greek/strongs_3756.htm">Strong's 3756: </a> No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not. to uphold ἔστηκεν (estēken) Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_4739.htm">Strong's 4739: </a> To stand fast, stand firm, persevere. From the perfect tense of histemi; to be stationary, i.e. to persevere. the τῇ (tē) Article - Dative Feminine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. truth, ἀληθείᾳ (alētheia) Noun - Dative Feminine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_225.htm">Strong's 225: </a> From alethes; truth. because ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction <a href="/greek/strongs_3754.htm">Strong's 3754: </a> Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. there is ἔστιν (estin) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_1510.htm">Strong's 1510: </a> I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. no οὐκ (ouk) Adverb <a href="/greek/strongs_3756.htm">Strong's 3756: </a> No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not. truth ἀλήθεια (alētheia) Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_225.htm">Strong's 225: </a> From alethes; truth. in ἐν (en) Preposition <a href="/greek/strongs_1722.htm">Strong's 1722: </a> In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. him. αὐτῷ (autō) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_846.htm">Strong's 846: </a> He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. When ὅταν (hotan) Conjunction <a href="/greek/strongs_3752.htm">Strong's 3752: </a> When, whenever. From hote and an; whenever; also causatively inasmuch as. he lies, λαλῇ (lalē) Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_2980.htm">Strong's 2980: </a> A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words. he speaks λαλεῖ (lalei) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_2980.htm">Strong's 2980: </a> A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words. [his] τῶν (tōn) Article - Genitive Neuter Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. native [ language], ἰδίων (idiōn) Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_2398.htm">Strong's 2398: </a> Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate. because ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction <a href="/greek/strongs_3754.htm">Strong's 3754: </a> Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. he is ἐστὶν (estin) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_1510.htm">Strong's 1510: </a> I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. a liar ψεύστης (pseustēs) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_5583.htm">Strong's 5583: </a> A liar, deceiver. From pseudomai; a falsifier. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction <a href="/greek/strongs_2532.htm">Strong's 2532: </a> And, even, also, namely. the ὁ (ho) Article - Nominative Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. father πατὴρ (patēr) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3962.htm">Strong's 3962: </a> Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. of [lies]. αὐτοῦ (autou) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Neuter 3rd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_846.htm">Strong's 846: </a> He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/john/8-44.htm">John 8:44 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/john/8-44.htm">NT Gospels: John 8:44 You are of your father the devil (Jhn Jo Jn) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/john/8-43.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="John 8:43"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="John 8:43" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/john/8-45.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="John 8:45"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="John 8:45" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>