KJV: Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
YLT: They said, therefore, to him, 'Where is thy father?' Jesus answered, 'Ye have neither known me nor my Father: if me ye had known, my Father also ye had known.'
Darby: They said to him therefore, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye know neither me nor my Father. If ye had known me, ye would have known also my Father.
ASV: They said therefore unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye know neither me, nor my Father: if ye knew me, ye would know my Father also.
| Ἔλεγον | They were saying |
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Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say. |
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| αὐτῷ | to Him |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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| Ποῦ | Where |
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Parse: Adverb Root: ποῦ Sense: somewhere. |
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| Πατήρ | Father |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: προπάτωρ Sense: generator or male ancestor. |
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| σου | of You |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular Root: σύ Sense: you. |
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| Ἀπεκρίθη | Answered |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἀποκρίνομαι Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer. |
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| Ἰησοῦς | Jesus |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: Ἰησοῦς Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor. |
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| Οὔτε | Neither |
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Parse: Conjunction Root: οὔτε Sense: neither, and not. |
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| ἐμὲ | Me |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular Root: ἐγώ Sense: I, me, my. |
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| οἴδατε | you know |
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Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: οἶδα Sense: to see. |
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| οὔτε | nor |
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Parse: Conjunction Root: οὔτε Sense: neither, and not. |
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| Πατέρα | Father |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: προπάτωρ Sense: generator or male ancestor. |
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| μου | of Me |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular Root: ἐγώ Sense: I, me, my. |
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| ᾔδειτε | you had known |
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Parse: Verb, Pluperfect Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: οἶδα Sense: to see. |
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| καὶ | also |
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Parse: Conjunction Root: καί Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but. |
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| ἂν | - |
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Parse: Particle Root: ἄν Sense: has no exact English equivalent, see definitions under AV. |
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| ᾔδειτε | you would have known |
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Parse: Verb, Pluperfect Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: οἶδα Sense: to see. |
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Greek Commentary for John 8:19
“The testimony of an unseen and unheard witness would not satisfy them” (Vincent). Bernard understands the Pharisees to see that Jesus claims God the Father as his second witness and so ask “where,” not “who” he is. Augustine has it: Patrem Christi carnaliter acceperunt, Christ‘s human father, as if the Pharisees were “misled perhaps by the Lord‘s use of αντρωπον anthrōpon (John 8:17)” (Dods). Cyril even took it to be a coarse allusion to the birth of Jesus as a bastard according to the Talmud. Perhaps the Pharisees used the question with double entendre, even with all three ideas dancing in their hostile minds. Ye would know my Father also Conclusion of second-class condition determined as unfulfilled with αν an and second perfect active of οιδα oida used as imperfect in both condition and conclusion. See this same point made to Philip in John 14:9. In John 14:7 Jesus will use γινωσκω ginōskō in the condition and οιδα oida in the conclusion. The ignorance of the Pharisees about Jesus proves it and is due to their ignorance of the Father. See this point more fully stated in John 5:36-38 when Jesus had his previous controversy in Jerusalem. In John 7:28 Jesus said that they knew his home in Nazareth, but he denied then that they knew the Father who sent him. Jesus will again on this occasion (John 8:55) deny their knowledge of the Father. Later he will deny their knowledge of the Father and of the Son (John 16:3). The Pharisees are silenced for the moment. [source]
The testimony of an unseen and unheard witness would not satisfy them. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 8:19
Literally, what ye know not. Rev., rightly, that which ye know not. Compare Acts 17:23, where the correct reading is ὃ , what, instead of ὃν , whom: “what therefore ye worship in ignorance.” This worship of the unknown is common to vulgar ignorance and to philosophic culture; to the Samaritan woman, and to the Athenian philosophers. Compare John 7:28; John 8:19, John 8:27. The neuter expresses the unreal and impersonal character of the Samaritan worship. As the Samaritans received the Pentateuch only, they were ignorant of the later and larger revelation of God, as contained especially in the prophetic writings, and of the Messianic hope, as developed among the Jews. They had preserved only the abstract notion of God. [source]
This absolute use of the title the Father is characteristic of John. He speaks of God as the Father, and my Father, more commonly the former. On the distinction between the two Canon Westcott observes: “Generally it may be said that the former title expresses the original relation of God to being, and specially to humanity, in virtue of man's creation in the divine image; and the latter more particularly the relation of the Father to the Son incarnate, and so indirectly to man in virtue of the Incarnation. The former suggests those thoughts which spring from the consideration of the absolute moral connection of man with God; the latter those which spring from what is made known to us, through revelation, of the connection of the Incarnate Son with God and with man.” See John 6:45; John 10:30; John 20:21; John 8:18, John 8:19; John 14:6-10; John 15:8. John never uses our Father; only once your Father (John 20:17), and never Father without the article, except in address. [source]
Και Kai here = “and yet.” Jesus repeats the claim of John 7:17 and also in John 5:30; John 8:28; John 12:49; John 14:10. Whom ye know not Jesus passes by a controversy over the piece of popular theology to point out their ignorance of God the Father who sent him. He tersely agrees that they know something of him. Jesus says of these Jews that they know not God as in John 8:19, John 8:55. [source]
Adversative use again of και kai = “and yet.” Perfect active indicative of γινωσκω ginōskō the verb for experiential knowledge. This was true of the κοσμος kosmos (John 1:10; John 17:25) and of the hostile Jews (John 16:3). Jesus prays that the world may know (John 17:23) and the handful of disciples had come to know (John 17:25). But I know him Equipped by eternal fellowship to reveal the Father (1:1-18). This peculiar intimate knowledge Jesus had already claimed (John 7:29). Jesus used οιδα oida (John 8:19; John 15:21) or γινωσκω ginōskō (John 17:23, John 17:25) for the knowledge of the Father. No undue distinction can be drawn here. And if I should say Third-class condition (concession), “even if I say,” with και εαν kai ean Apodosis of the condition. ομοιος Homoios (like) is followed by the associative-instrumental case υμιν humin The word πσευστης pseustēs (liar), in spite of the statement that they are the children of the devil, the father of lying (John 8:44), comes with a sudden jolt because it is a direct charge. This word liar is not considered polite today in public speech when hurled at definite individuals. There is a rather free use of the word in 1 John 2:4, 1 John 2:22; 1 John 4:20; 1 John 5:10. It is not hard to imagine the quick anger of these Pharisees. [source]
To know God is to know him as the one, true God as distinguished from false gods; to know his will, his holiness, his hatred of sin, and his saving intent toward mankind. Two words are used of such knowledge, εἰδέναι and γινώσκειν . Both are applied to the heathen and to Christians, and both are used of the Jews' knowledge of God. Ἑιδέναι , of heathen, Galatians 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8. Γινώσκειν of heathen, Romans 1:21; 1 Corinthians 1:21. Ἑιδέναι , of Christ and Christians, John 7:29, John 8:19, John 8:55; John 14:7. Γινώσκειν of Christ and Christians, Galatians 4:9; 1 John 2:13, 1 John 2:14; 1 John 4:6, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:8; John 10:15; John 17:3. In John, γινώσκειν of Jews who do not know the Father, John 16:3; John 8:55: εἰδέναι , John 7:28; John 8:19; John 15:21. The two are combined, John 1:26; John 7:27; John 8:55; 2 Corinthians 5:16. A distinction is asserted between γινώσκειν as knowledge grounded in personal experience, apprehension of external impressions - and εἰδέμαι purely mental perception in contrast with conjecture or knowledge derived from others. There are doubtless passages which bear out this distinction (see on John 2:24), but it is impossible to carry it rigidly through the N.T. In the two classes, - those who know not God and those who obey not the gospel, - it is not probable that Paul has in mind a distinction between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews were not ignorant of God, yet they are described by John as not knowing him. The Gentiles are described by Paul as knowing God, but as refusing to glorify him as God (Romans 1:21). Paul rather describes here the subjects of God's judgment as one class, but under different aspects. [source]