John 8:58 "Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

◄ John 8:58 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
"Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

English Standard Version
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

New American Standard Bible
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."

King James Bible
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus said to them, "I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am."

International Standard Version
Jesus told them, "Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, before there was an Abraham, I AM!"

American Standard Version
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am.

Darby Bible Translation
Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Young's Literal Translation
Jesus said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham's coming -- I am;'

Cross References

Exodus 3:14
And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 8:24
I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins.

John 8:28
Then said Jesus to them, When you have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father has taught me, I speak these things.

John 10:25
Jesus answered them, I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

John 17:5
And now, O Father, glorify you me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was.

John 17:24
Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me: for you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Colossians 1:17
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

8:54-59 Christ and all that are his, depend upon God for honour. Men may be able to dispute about God, yet may not know him. Such as know not God, and obey not the gospel of Christ, are put together, 2Th 1:8. All who rightly know anything of Christ, earnestly desire to know more of him. Those who discern the dawn of the light of the Sun of Righteousness, wish to see his rising. Before Abraham was, I AM. This speaks Abraham a creature, and our Lord the Creator; well, therefore, might he make himself greater than Abraham. I AM, is the name of God, Ex 3:14; it speaks his self-existence; he is the First and the Last, ever the same, Re 1:8. Thus he was not only before Abraham, but before all worlds, Pr 8:23; Joh 1:1. As Mediator, he was the appointed Messiah, long before Abraham; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Re 13:8. The Lord Jesus was made of God Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption, to Adam, and Abel, and all that lived and died by faith in him, before Abraham. The Jews were about to stone Jesus for blasphemy, but he withdrew; by his miraculous power he passed through them unhurt. Let us stedfastly profess what we know and believe concerning God; and if heirs of Abraham's faith, we shall rejoice in looking forward to that day when the Saviour shall appear in glory, to the confusion of his enemies, and to complete the salvation of all who believe in him.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

58. Before Abraham was, I am—The words rendered "was" and "am" are quite different. The one clause means, "Abraham was brought into being"; the other, "I exist." The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did (as Arians affirm is the meaning), but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally (as Joh 1:1). In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since "then took they up stones to cast at Him," just as they had before done when they saw that He made Himself equal with God (Joh 5:18).

hid himself—(See on [1814]Lu 4:30).