The Meaning of John 10:33 Explained

John 10:33

KJV: The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

YLT: The Jews answered him, saying, 'For a good work we do not stone thee, but for evil speaking, and because thou, being a man, dost make thyself God.'

Darby: The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

ASV: The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The Jews  answered  him,  saying,  For  a good  work  we stone  thee  not;  but  for  blasphemy;  and  because  that thou,  being  a man,  makest  thyself  God. 

What does John 10:33 Mean?

Context Summary

John 10:31-42 - The Works Of The Father
In the strongest terms known to the Jews, our Lord insisted on His oneness with God; and they understood His claims, threatening Him with the penalty of blasphemy. This quotation from Psalms 82:6 was originally addressed to magistrates, and our Lord argued that if unjust judges were described by this phrase, because they exercised the divine prerogative of judgment, surely His opponents had no right to stone Him, when, as the Sent of God and sanctioned by God's witness in His works, He spoke of Himself as the Father's equal and fellow. See Zechariah 13:7; and Philippians 2:6. But their vindictive hate would brook no parley; and as His hour was not yet come, Jesus deemed it better to go beyond Jordan into hiding, until the minute-hand should reach the exact figure on the dial.
There was a special reason why He was attracted to the region beyond Jordan. It was the place of John's early appearance. That ground had been black with crowds, those waters had witnessed countless baptisms. All that wonderful past trooped back to memory, and the people remembered John's word as they saw in Christ their precise fulfillment. We may work no miracle, but let us speak true words about Jesus Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 10

1  Jesus is the door, and the good shepherd
19  Diverse opinions of him
23  He proves by his works that he is Jesus the Son of God;
31  escapes the Jews;
39  and goes again beyond Jordan, where many believe on him

Greek Commentary for John 10:33

For a good work we stone thee not [περι καλου εργου ου λιταζομεν]
“Concerning a good deed we are not stoning thee.” Flat denial that the healing of the blind man on the Sabbath had led them to this attempt (John 8:59) in spite of the facts. But for blasphemy See Acts 26:7 where περι — peri with the genitive is also used with εγκαλουμαι — egkaloumai for the charge against Paul. This is the only example in John of the word βλασπημια — blasphēmia (cf. Matthew 12:31). And because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God In John 5:18 they stated the charge more accurately: “He called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” That is, he made himself the Son of God. This he did beyond a doubt. But was it blasphemy? Only if he was not the Son of God. The penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning (Leviticus 24:16; 1 Kings 21:10, 1 Kings 21:13). [source]
Saying []
Omit. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 10:33

John 10:1 Some other way [ἀλλαχόθεν]
Literally, from some other quarter. The thief does not, like the shepherd, come from some well-known direction, as from his dwelling or from the pasture, but from an unknown quarter and by a road of his own. This from is significant, because, in the previous discourses, Jesus has laid great stress on the source from which He proceeded, and has made the difference in character between Himself and His opposers turn upon difference of origin. See John 8:23, John 8:42, John 8:44. In the latter part of this chapter He brings out the same thought (John 10:30, John 10:32, John 10:33, John 10:36). [source]
John 10:11 The good shepherd [ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς]
Literally, the shepherd the good (shepherd). Καλὸς , though not of frequent occurrence in John, is more common than ἀγαθός , good, which occurs but four times and three times out of the four in the neuter gender, a good thing, or that which is good. Καλὸς in John is applied to wine (John 2:10), three times to the shepherd in this chapter, and twice to works (John 10:32, John 10:33). In classical usage, originally as descriptive of outward form, beautiful; of usefulness, as a fair haven, a fair wind. Auspicious, as sacrifices. Morally beautiful, noble; hence virtue is called τὸ καλὸν . The New Testament usage is similar. Outwardly fair, as the stones of the temple (Luke 21:5): well adapted to its purpose, as salt (Mark 9:50): competent for an office, as deacons (1 Timothy 4:6); a steward (1 Peter 4:10); a soldier (2 Timothy 2:3): expedient, wholesome (Mark 9:43, Mark 9:45, Mark 9:47): morally good, noble, as works (Matthew 5:16); conscience (Hebrews 13:18). The phrase it is good, i.e., a good or proper thing (Romans 14:21). In the Septuagint καλὸς is the most usual word for good as opposed to evil (Genesis 2:17; Genesis 24:50; Isaiah 5:20). In Luke 8:15, καλὸς and ἀγαθός are found together as epithets of the heart; honest (or virtuous, noble) and good. The epithet καλὸς , applied here to the shepherd, points to the essential goodness as nobly realized, and appealing to admiring respect and affection. As Canon Westcott observes, “in the fulfillment of His work, the Good Shepherd claims the admiration of all that is generous in man.” [source]
John 1:30 A man [ἀνὴρ]
Three words are used in the New Testament for man: ἄῤῥην , or ἄρσην , ἀνήρ , and ἄνθρωπος . Ἄρσην marks merely the sexual distinction, male (Romans 1:27; Revelation 12:5, Revelation 12:13). Ἁνήρ denotes the man as distinguished from the woman, as male or as a husband (Acts 8:12; Matthew 1:16), or from a boy (Matthew 14:21). Also man as endowed with courage, intelligence, strength, and other noble attributes (1 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:13; James 3:2). Ἄνθρωπος is generic, without distinction of sex, a human being (John 16:21), though often used in connections which indicate or imply sex, as Matthew 19:10; Matthew 10:35. Used of mankind (Matthew 4:4), or of the people (Matthew 5:13, Matthew 5:16; Matthew 6:5, Matthew 6:18; John 6:10). Of man as distinguished from animals or plants (Matthew 4:19; 2 Peter 2:16), and from God, Christ as divine and angels (Matthew 10:32; John 10:33; Luke 2:15). With the notion of weakness leading to sin, and with a contemptuous sense (1 Corinthians 2:5; 1 Peter 4:2; John 5:12; Romans 9:20). The more honorable and noble sense thus attaches to ἀνήρ rather than to ἄνθρωπος . Thus Herodotus says that when the Medes charged the Greeks, they fell in vast numbers, so that it was manifest to Xerxes that he had many men combatants ( ἄνθρωποι ) but few warriors ( ἄνθρωποι ) vii., 210. So Homer: “O friends, be men ( ἀνέρες ), and take on a stout heart” (“Iliad,” v., 529). Ἁνήρ is therefore used here of Jesus by the Baptist with a sense of dignity. Compare ἄνθρωπος , in John 1:6, where the word implies no disparagement, but is simply indefinite. In John ἀνήρ has mostly the sense of husband (John 4:16-18). See John 6:10. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

John 5:18 Sought the more [μαλλον εζητουν]
Imperfect active of ζητεω — zēteō graphic picture of increased and untiring effort “to kill him” John repeats this clause “they sought to kill him” in John 7:1, John 7:19, John 7:25; John 8:37, John 8:40. Their own blood was up on this Sabbath issue and they bend every energy to put Jesus to death. If this is a passover, this bitter anger, murderous wrath, will go on and grow for two years. Not only brake the Sabbath Imperfect active of λυω — luō He was now a common and regular Sabbath-breaker. Λυω — Luō means to loosen, to set at naught. The papyri give examples of λυω — luō in this sense like λυειν τα πεντη — luein ta penthē (to break the period of mourning). This was the first grudge against Jesus, but his defense had made the offense worse and had given them a far graver charge. But also called God his own Father “His own” Ισος — Isos is an old common adjective (in papyri also) and means equal. In Philemon 2:6 Paul calls the Pre-incarnate Christ ισα τεωι — isa theōi “equal to God” (plural ισα — isa attributes of God). Bernard thinks that Jesus would not claim to be ισος τεωι — isos theōi because in John 14:28 he says: “The Father is greater than I.” And yet he says in John 14:7 that the one who sees him sees in him the Father. Certainly the Jews understood Jesus to claim equality with the Father in nature and privilege and power as also in John 10:33; John 19:7. Besides, if the Jews misunderstood Jesus on this point, it was open and easy for him to deny it and to clear up the misapprehension. This is precisely what he does not do. On the contrary Jesus gives a powerful apologetic in defense of his claim to equality with the Father (verses 19-47). [source]
John 8:53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham? [Μη συ μειζων ει του πατρος ημων Αβρααμ]
Negative answer expected by μη — mē with ablative case of comparison in πατρος — patros after μειζων — meizōn The question was designed to put Jesus in a difficult position, for Abraham and the prophets all “died.” They do not see that Jesus uses death in a different sense. Whom makest thou thyself? Σεαυτον — Seauton is predicate accusative with ποιεις — poieis They suspect that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy as they charged in John 5:18 in making himself equal with God. Later they will make it specifically (John 10:33; John 19:7). They set a trap for Jesus for this purpose. [source]
1 John 1:10 We make Him [ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν]
A phrase characteristic of John. See John 5:18; John 8:53; John 10:33; John 19:7, John 19:12. [source]

What do the individual words in John 10:33 mean?

Answered Him the Jews For a good work not we do stone You but blasphemy and because You a man being make yourself God
Ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι Περὶ καλοῦ ἔργου οὐ λιθάζομέν σε ἀλλὰ βλασφημίας καὶ ὅτι σὺ ἄνθρωπος ὢν ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν Θεόν

Ἀπεκρίθησαν  Answered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
Ἰουδαῖοι  Jews 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: Ἰουδαῖος  
Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.
καλοῦ  a  good 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: καλός  
Sense: beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.
ἔργου  work 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: ἔργον  
Sense: business, employment, that which any one is occupied.
λιθάζομέν  we  do  stone 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: λιθάζω  
Sense: to overwhelm or pelt with stones.
βλασφημίας  blasphemy 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: βλασφημία  
Sense: slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another’s good name.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ἄνθρωπος  a  man 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
ὢν  being 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ποιεῖς  make 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
σεαυτὸν  yourself 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 2nd Person Singular
Root: σεαυτοῦ  
Sense: thyself, thee.
Θεόν  God 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.