They did not understand
This phrase highlights the spiritual blindness and lack of comprehension among the listeners of Jesus. The Greek word used here is "οὐκ ἔγνωσαν" (ouk egnōsan), which implies a failure to perceive or recognize. This lack of understanding is not merely intellectual but spiritual, indicating a deeper inability to grasp the divine truths Jesus was revealing. Historically, this reflects the broader theme in the Gospel of John where Jesus' teachings often confound those who are not open to the spiritual insights He offers. It serves as a reminder of the necessity of spiritual discernment and openness to divine revelation.

that He was telling them
The phrase underscores the active communication of Jesus. The Greek verb "ἔλεγεν" (elegen) is in the imperfect tense, suggesting a continuous or repeated action. Jesus persistently communicated His message, emphasizing His role as the divine teacher. This persistence is a testament to His patience and desire for His audience to come to an understanding of His identity and mission. It reflects the historical context of Jesus' ministry, where He often faced misunderstanding and opposition, yet continued to teach with authority and clarity.

about the Father
This phrase is central to the identity and mission of Jesus as presented in the Gospel of John. The Greek term "τὸν πατέρα" (ton patera) refers to God the Father, highlighting the intimate relationship between Jesus and God. Jesus' teachings consistently pointed to the Father, emphasizing His divine origin and the unity between Him and the Father. This reflects the theological cornerstone of the Christian faith: the revelation of God through Jesus Christ. Historically, this was a radical claim that challenged the prevailing religious understanding of God, inviting listeners to a deeper, more personal relationship with the divine. It serves as an invitation for believers to seek a closer connection with God through the teachings and person of Jesus.

(27) They understood not that he spake (better, was speaking) to them of the Father.--We have seen in Note on John 8:21 that a new discourse commences there, and that the hearers are not necessarily the same as those who had asked the question and heard the answer of John 8:19. Still the speakers then, and those spoken of now, are "the Jews" (comp. John 8:13; John 8:22); and they are probably in part identical with those of whom our Lord tells us there, that they knew neither Him nor the Father. Of these men St. John tells us now that they did not know that the Sender and the Father are one. The statement of their want of perception, which strikes us as so marvellous, is made just because it was marvellous. St. John remembers it many years afterwards, and remembers that on account of it Jesus proceeded to declare more fully that every act He did was done in the Father, and that every word He spoke was taught by the Father, and that in every event of His life the Father was present.

Verse 27. - They understood (perceived) not that he spake to them of the Father. This difficult parenthesis of the evangelist calls attention to the fact that, during the immediately preceding discourse and controversy, Jesus had dropped his references to the Father, and had used the periphrasis, "he that sent me," probably suggesting to this strangely excited populace, fed with weird fancies and wild expectations, that the mysterious Being with whom they were conversing was but the Delegate of One mightier than he, who was hidden in the secret place of God's providence until the hour of his own manifestation should appear to have struck. They might have remembered the utter deference which the great prophet John had displayed before a Messiah whom as yet they knew not. They may have heard that even John himself, at a later date, sent from the prison two of his disciples to propound the query, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" in other words, "Art thou the final Manifestation of all that I have predicted and believed? or is another to make his appearance with fire and axe and available force to compel obedience and to secure universal homage?" It is more than probable that the evangelist, being personally alive to the cross currents of passion, enthusiasm, and hostility which were at work in the hearts of the populace, saw by the very blankness and confusion on their faces, and the "asides" of the multitude, that they had not perceived that Jesus was throughout in these references speaking of the Father of all - the supreme Source of all power, the Lord of hosts. Even when he had said, "Ye have not known me, nor my Father," they had not risen to such a conception of the Lord's meaning as to suppose that the supreme Father himself was being suggested to them and cited as the corroborative Witness, as the supernatural Aid and Divine Presence which was giving validity to all that Christ has said about himself. Their ignorance and lack of perception need not astonish us when we reflect upon the obscurity and non-receptivity of the apostles themselves, and the like obtuseness of theologians and cultivated men of the world in every age from that day to this. The remark is, moreover, added doubtless to interpret the following verses, in which the ideas of ver. 26 are repeated, with the difference that, whereas he had already spoken of him that sent him, and who had authorized his words and judgments, Jesus now gives to him the beloved name of "the Father."

Parallel Commentaries ...


They did not understand
ἔγνωσαν (egnōsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

He was telling
ἔλεγεν (elegen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

them
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

[about] the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Father.
Πατέρα (Patera)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.


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NT Gospels: John 8:27 They didn't understand that he spoke (Jhn Jo Jn)