| 30. Haec illo loquente, multi crediderunt in eum. | 30. When he spoke these things, many believed in him. |
| 31. Dicebat ergo Iesus ad eos, qui crediderunt ei Iudaeos: Si vos manseritis in sermone meo, vere discipuli mei eritis: | 31. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him: If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed. |
31. Christ here lays down the test by which His disciples are to be known. It is only when we accept His words, [pg 158] and conform our works thereto, that we can be truly said to be His disciples.
| 32. Et cognoscetis veritatem, et veritas liberabit vos. | 32. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. |
32. The truth; i.e., the whole body of revelation.
| 33. Responderunt ei: Semen Abrahae sumus, et nemini servivimus unquam: quomodo tu dicis: Liberi eritis? | 33. They answered him: We are the seed of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to any man: how sayest thou: You shall be free? |
| 34. Respondit eis Iesus: Amen, amen dico vobis: quia omnis qui facit peccatum, servus est peccati: | 34. Jesus answered them: Amen, amen, I say unto you, that whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin. |
| 35. Servus autem non manet in domo in aeternum: filius autem manet in aeternum: | 35. Now the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the son abideth for ever: |
| 36. Si ergo vos filius liberaverit, vere liberi eritis. | 36. If therefore the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. |
33-36. To Christ's promise that the truth should make them free, some of the crowd who remained incredulous, replied that they were never slaves, to which Christ makes answer that they are the slaves of sin: and only when the Son of God shall free them, shall they be truly free. Verse 35 is an illustration drawn from ordinary life. As slaves who displease their masters may be sold, or expelled from the household, so you who, instead of serving God, are the slaves of sin, are, and shall remain, excluded from the household of God here and hereafter.
| 37. Scio quia filii Abrahae estis: sed quaeritis me interficere, quia sermo meus non capit in vobis. | 37. I know that you are the children of Abraham: but you seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. |
| 38. Ego quod vidi apud Patrem meum loquor, et vos quae vidistis apud patrem vestrum, facitis. | 38. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do the things that you have seen with your father. |
38. Your father; i.e., the devil (see verse [44]). Others understand ποιεῖτε as an imperative; do then the works which [pg 159] you have seen with your father (Abraham). But since the following verse proves that the Jews understood Christ to speak of another father than Abraham, for this reason, and because of verse 44, the first interpretation is preferable. The sense then is: You do the works that you have learned from your father the devil.
| 39. Responderunt, et dixerunt ei: Pater noster Abraham est. Dicit eis Iesus: Si filii Abrahae estis, opera Abrahae facite. | 39. They answered, and said to him: Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them: If you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham. |
39. If you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham. The Greek is: If you were the (true) children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham.