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An Exegetical Study of John 8:57b-58: Textual Criticism and the Identity of Christ
This exegetical study of An Exegetical Study of John 8:57b-58: Textual Criticism and the Identity of Christ is based on a b-greek discussion from Fri Dec 24 09:33:25 EST 1999.
The initial scholarly contribution to the discussion highlighted Tjitze Baarda’s article, “John 8:57B. The Contribution of the Diatessaron of Tatian,” published in Novum Testamentum 38.4 (1996): 336-343, as a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of John 8:58, despite the specific details of Baarda’s argument being recalled somewhat indistinctly.
The primary exegetical issue under examination revolves around a significant textual variant in John 8:57b, which profoundly impacts the nature of the Jews’ challenge to Jesus and, by extension, the interpretation of Jesus’ subsequent divine declaration in 8:58. The variant concerns the subject and object of the verb “to see,” shifting the question from “You have seen Abraham?” to “Abraham has seen you?” This alteration drastically changes the rhetorical flow and the thematic connection to Jesus’ prior statements regarding Abraham, necessitating careful textual and grammatical analysis to discern the most probable original reading and its theological implications.
Greek text (Nestle 1904):
Οἱ οὖν Ἰουδαῖοι εἶπον πρὸς αὐτόν, Πεντήκοντα ἔτη οὔπω ἔχεις καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακας; εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἰησοῦς, Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί.
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- No significant differences in the main textual presentation for John 8:57b-58 exist between Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT 2010. Both editions present the reading καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακας; (“and you have seen Abraham?”). However, the present exegetical discussion explores a notable variant reading for 8:57b found in certain manuscript traditions, which is not adopted by either Nestle 1904 or SBLGNT 2010 in their primary text.
Textual Criticism (NA28), Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG):
The textual apparatus of NA28 identifies a significant variant for John 8:57b. The reading καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακέν σε; (“and Abraham has seen you?”) is attested by substantial early witnesses including P75vid, א*, D, 070*, Ψ, f13, the Koine text type (represented by 𝔪), some Old Latin manuscripts (it), the Syriac Sinaiticus (syrs), Sahidic Coptic (copsa), Ethiopic (eth), Georgian (geo), and Armenian (arm) versions. This variant offers a plausible alternative to the more widely accepted reading καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακας; (“and you have seen Abraham?”), which is supported by witnesses such as A, B, C, L, W, Θ, 070c, f1, some minuscules (pc), the Vulgate (vg), and the Syriac Peshitta (syrp), and Bohairic Coptic (copbo). The discussion in the b-greek forum directly alludes to this variant, noting its support from א, P75, and Syriac witnesses. The presence of such strong and diverse early support for the variant reading necessitates careful consideration.
Lexically, the variant hinges on the verb ἑώρακας (perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular of ὁράω, “to see”), meaning “you have seen,” versus ἑώρακέν (perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular of ὁράω), meaning “he has seen,” with the addition of the object pronoun σε (“you”). Both forms derive from ὁράω, signifying a completed act of seeing with ongoing results. The phrase ἐγὼ εἰμί (“I am”) in John 8:58 is a crucial Christological declaration. BDAG (s.v. εἰμί) emphasizes its absolute use in John as a self-designation of divine identity, echoing the Septuagintal rendering of Exodus 3:14 (LXX: ἐγὼ εἰμι ὁ ὤν). KITTEL (TDNT, s.v. ἐγώ) elaborates on the profound theological implications of ἐγὼ εἰμί as a divine self-revelation, denoting eternal pre-existence and intrinsic deity, which is Jesus’ direct response to the Jews’ temporal challenge.
Translation Variants with Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis
The primary translational challenge in John 8:57b concerns the textual variant καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακας; versus καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακέν σε; This difference significantly alters the question posed by the Jews to Jesus, thereby influencing the rhetorical context for Jesus’ declaration in 8:58.
- Reading 1: καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακας; (“and you have seen Abraham?”)
This reading, supported by the majority of later manuscripts and adopted by critical editions like Nestle-Aland and SBLGNT, presents the Jews questioning Jesus’ claim to have known or interacted with Abraham. Grammatically, ἑώρακας is a 2nd person singular verb, making “you” (Jesus) the subject who performs the action of seeing. Rhetorically, this question is a direct challenge to Jesus’ prior statement in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” The Jews, perceiving Jesus as a man “not yet fifty years old,” find it absurd for him to claim to have “seen Abraham,” a figure from millennia past. This sets up Jesus’ subsequent declaration of pre-existence (πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί) as a response to their literal, temporal misunderstanding.
- Reading 2: καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακέν σε; (“and Abraham has seen you?”)
This variant, though a minority reading in terms of sheer manuscript count, boasts strong and early textual support, as noted in the b-greek discussion. Grammatically, ἑώρακέν is a 3rd person singular verb, making “Abraham” the subject who performs the action, with “you” (Jesus) as the object. This reading maintains a stronger immediate contextual link to John 8:56 (“Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad”). If the Jews ask, “and Abraham has seen you?”, they are not accusing Jesus of chronologically seeing Abraham, but rather questioning whether Abraham’s prophetic vision (of Jesus’ day) would logically entail Abraham seeing Jesus himself, particularly in a manner that would justify Jesus’ extraordinary claims. This makes their challenge more sophisticated, perhaps misinterpreting Jesus’ statement about Abraham’s prophetic vision. The change from “you have seen Abraham?” to “Abraham has seen you?” would represent a profound shift in the Jews’ line of argumentation, transforming it from a simple chronological absurdity into a theological or prophetic challenge regarding Abraham’s interaction with the Messiah.
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
The textual variant in John 8:57b presents a fascinating interpretive crux. While the majority text’s reading (Jesus seeing Abraham) sets up a straightforward chronological challenge to Jesus’ age, the minority reading (Abraham seeing Jesus) offers a more nuanced engagement with Jesus’ prior claim about Abraham’s prophetic vision. Both readings ultimately lead to Jesus’ powerful declaration of pre-existence in John 8:58, but they frame the immediate conversational dynamic differently. The discussion within the b-greek forum highlights the importance of the minority reading for its strong early support and its contextual coherence with Jesus’ statements about Abraham’s interaction with his “day.”
Based on this analysis, the following translation suggestions are offered:
- “The Jews therefore said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'”
This translation reflects the majority textual tradition (Nestle 1904, SBLGNT 2010), presenting the Jews’ question as a direct, almost incredulous, challenge to Jesus’ claim of personal acquaintance with Abraham based on his apparent age. - “The Jews therefore said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and Abraham has seen you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'”
This translation incorporates the significant textual variant (καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακέν σε;), interpreting the Jews’ question as a more profound, perhaps sarcastic or bewildered, response to Jesus’ earlier statement about Abraham seeing “my day.” It implies they are questioning how Abraham could have “seen” Jesus himself. - “The Jews therefore said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and Abraham—has he truly seen you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham came into being, I eternally exist.'”
This interpretive translation attempts to capture the rhetorical weight of the variant, suggesting a question about the reality or scope of Abraham’s vision of Jesus. It also renders ἐγὼ εἰμί with an emphasis on eternal existence, further highlighting the theological depth of Jesus’ response.
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John 8:57-59 Abraham died about two thousand years before this date. The crowd thus reasonably asks, surely sarcastically, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” They know that Jesus could not possibly have seen Abraham.
There are lots of things that Jesus could have said. In His preincarnate form He indeed met with Abraham on multiple occasions (e.g., Gen 15; 17:1-22; 18). However, Jesus doesn’t mention those incidents. Instead, He alludes to an incident in which He met with Moses: “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Jesus is not only claiming to precede Abraham in time, but also to be Yahweh (“I AM”) who met with Moses at the burning bush (see Ex 3:14).
Abraham believed in Jesus. Why didn’t those who claimed to be his children?
8:59. Their reaction is predictable: they took up stones to throw at Him. The chapter has come full circle. Like bookends the chapter opens and closes with threatened, but unfulfilled, stonings. Jesus uses His supernatural powers and slips through the midst of them unharmed, thwarting their efforts to kill Him.