Teks -- John 8:37 (NET)

8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. But you want to kill me, because my teaching makes no progress among you.

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Robertson: Joh 8:37 - Yet ye seek to kill me

Yet ye seek to kill me ( alla zēteite me apokteinai ).

As at the recent feast (Joh 7:20, Joh 7:25, Joh 7:30, Joh 7:32; Joh 8:20). Some of these very professed believers were even now glowering with murderous vengeance.

Robertson: Joh 8:37 - Hath not free course in you

Hath not free course in you ( ou chōrei en humin ).

Intransitive use of chōreō , old verb from chōros (space, place), to have space or room for. They would not abide in Christ’ s word (Joh 8:31). They had no longer room for his word when once they understood the spiritual aspect of his message. Jerusalem was now just like Galilee once before (Joh 6:60-66).

Vincent: Joh 8:37 - Hath no place

Hath no place ( οὐ χωρεῖ )

Rev., hath not free course , or maketh no way . This rendering is in harmony with Joh 8:30, Joh 8:31, concerning those who believed , but did not believe on Him, and who showed by their angry answer, in Joh 8:33, that the word of Jesus had made no advance in them. The rendering of the A.V. is not supported by usage, though Field (" Otium Norvicense" ) cites an undoubted instance of that sense from the Epistles of Alciphron, a post-Christian writer, who relates the story of a parasite returning gorged from a banquet and applying to a physician, who administered an emetic. The parasite, describing the effect of the medicine, says that the doctor wondered where such a mess had place (ἐχώρησε ). For the rendering of the Rev., compare Aristophanes: πῶς οὖν οὐ χωρεῖ τοὔργον ; " How is it that the work makes no progress? " (" Peace," 472). Plutarch, ἐχώρει διὰ τῆς πόλεως ὁ λόγος , " the word: (or report) spread (or advanced) through the city (" Caesar," 712).

Wesley: Joh 8:37 - I know that ye are Abraham's offspring

As to the other branch of your objection, I know that, ye are Abraham's offspring, after the flesh; but not in a spiritual sense. Ye are not followers of the faith of Abraham: my word hath no place in your hearts.

JFB: Joh 8:37-41 - ye seek to kill me

He had said this to their face before: He now repeats it, and they do not deny it; yet are they held back, as by some marvellous spell--it was the awe which His combined dignity, courage, and benignity struck into them.

JFB: Joh 8:37-41 - because my word hath no place in you

When did ever human prophet so speak of His words? They tell us of "the word of the Lord" coming to them. But here is One who holds up "His word" as that which ought to find entrance and abiding room for itself in the souls of all who hear it.

Clarke: Joh 8:37 - My word hath no place in you

My word hath no place in you - Or, this doctrine of mine hath no place to you. Ye hear the truths of God, but ye do not heed them: the word of life has no influence over you; and how can it, when you seek to kill me because I proclaim this truth to you

It is a dismal omen when a person is regardless of the truth of God: it is more so to be provoked against it: but to persecute and endeavor to destroy those who preach it is the last degree of perverseness and obduracy. The word of God requires a heart which is empty. A heart filled with earthly projects, carnal interests ambition, thoughts of raising a fortune, and with the love of the superfluities and pleasures of life, is not fit to receive the seed of the kingdom. When a man shuts his heart against it by his passions, he at the same time opens it to all sorts of crimes. Quesnel

From what is here said, it is manifest, says Dr. Lightfoot, that the whole tendency of our Savior’ s discourse is to show the Jews, that they are the seed of that serpent which was to bruise the heel of the Messiah: else what could that mean, Joh 8:44 : Ye are of your father the devil, i.e. ye are the seed of the serpent.

Calvin: Joh 8:37 - I know that you are Abraham’s seed // You seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you

37.I know that you are Abraham’s seed I explain this as said by way of concession. Yet at the same time he ridicules their folly in glorying in so absurd a title, as if he had said: “Granting that on which you flatter yourselves so much, still what avails it that those men are called the children of Abraham, who are enraged against God and his ministers, and who are actuated by such wicked and detestable hatred of the truth, that they rush headlong to shed innocent blood?” Hence it follows that nothing is farther from their true character than what they wished to be called, because they have no resemblance to Abraham

You seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you He means that they are not merely murderers, but are driven to such rage by hatred of God and his truth, which is far more heinous; for such an enormity does not merely extend to men, but likewise dishonors God. He says, that they cannot receive his words, because through malice they keep their minds shut, so that they cannot admit anything wholesome.

TSK: Joh 8:37 - know // but // because

know : Joh 8:33; Act 13:26; Rom 9:7

but : Joh 8:6, Joh 8:40,Joh 8:59, Joh 5:16-18, Joh 7:1, Joh 7:19, Joh 7:25, Joh 10:31, Joh 11:53

because : Joh 8:43, Joh 8:45-47, Joh 5:44, Joh 12:39-43; Mat 13:15, Mat 13:19-22; 1Co 2:14

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Poole: Joh 8:37

According to the flesh you are descended from Abraham, that I know; but of what advantage is or can this be to you, while in the mean time you are implacable enemies to me, and seek to murder me, who am not only an innocent person, but am the Lord of life, and came to save the world? And the root of this is your unbelief: did you receive and believe the word that I have spoken to you, you would do otherwise; but although the sound of my word pierceth your ears, and then you receive a little of it, yet it passeth not into your hearts, it hath no place within you; you do not believe it, you are not affected with it, it doth not dwell in you as it ought to do, so that you are not turned into the likeness and obedience of it. Men may be professors and members of the church of God, in whom yet the word of God hath no rooting, and findeth no true place; so as that their condition may be sad enough.

Lightfoot: Joh 8:37 - But ye seek to kill me

I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.   

[But ye seek to kill me.] From this whole period it is manifest that the whole tendency of our Saviour's discourse is to shew the Jews that they are the seed of that serpent that was to bruise the heel of the Messiah: else what could that mean, Joh 8:44; "Ye are of your father the devil," but this, viz. "Ye are the seed of the serpent?"

Haydock: Joh 8:37 - You

You. That is, many of you, seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you; that is, is not rightly understood, nor received by you: you reject my doctrine, and are displeased with it. (Witham)

Gill: Joh 8:37 - I know that ye are Abraham's seed // but ye seek to kill me // because my word hath no place in you

I know that ye are Abraham's seed,.... In answer to the other part of the Jews' objection to Christ, and in favour of themselves, Christ owns that they were the natural seed of Abraham; for truth must be allowed to an adversary. But then this hindered not but they might be, as they were, in moral bondage to sin, and a generation of vipers, as those of them who came to John's baptism were; and might not be the sons of God, for not because they were the natural seed of Abraham, were they all the adopted sons of God; and might be cast out of the house of God, as Ishmael was cast out of Abraham's, though he was his natural seed. And what follows proves them to be under the power, and in the servitude of sin, and that they were the seed of the serpent that was to bruise the heel of the woman's seed, or put the Messiah to death, though they were the natural seed of Abraham:

but ye seek to kill me; which none but such who are under the governing power of sin, are slaves unto it, and the vassals of the devil, would ever do: the reason of which is,

because my word hath no place in you; their hearts were barred and bolted against it, with ignorance, enmity, and unbelief; it had no entrance into them; it did not come with power to their hearts, nor work effectually in them; it had no place at all in them, much less a dwelling; had it had one, it would have produced another effect in them, even love to Christ; which the doctrine of Christ, wherever it comes with power, and takes place in the soul, brings along with it; but where it does not, as here, hatred and indignation, envy and malice, more or less, show themselves. This clause is differently rendered, and so admits of different senses. The Vulgate Latin renders it, "my word does not take in you"; it did not take place in them, nor did it take with them; they could not receive it; in which sense the word is used in Mat 19:11; for the natural man cannot receive the doctrines of Christ; they are not suited to his taste: they are disagreeable to him. The Syriac version renders it, "ye are not sufficient for my word", to take it in; they were not capable of it; they could not understand it; it requires divine illumination, and a spiritual discerning, which they had not: the Persic version is, "ye are not worthy of my words"; of having the Gospel preached to them, and continued with them; they contradicting and blaspheming it, and rejecting the author of it; see Act 13:45. The Ethiopic version renders it, "my word does not remain with you"; and to the same purpose the Arabic version, "my word is not firm in you"; as soon as it was heard by them, it was caught away from them by Satan, whose children they were; it made no lasting impressions on them, but was like water spilt upon the ground: it may be rendered, "my word does not enter into you"; it did not make its way and penetrate into their hearts; for though, when attended with the demonstration of the Spirit, and of power, it is quick and powerful, and sharper than a twoedged sword, and enters into the conscience, and penetrates to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and lays open the secret thoughts and intents of the heart; yet of itself is an insufficient means of conversion; it cannot make its own way; there must be an exertion of powerful and efficacious grace; which shows the hardness and obstinacy of the heart of man.