ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

John 8.16

Book: John · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"14. Jesus answered and said unto them, Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye know not whence I come, or whither I go. 15. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man."

"16. Yea and if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me."

"17. Yea and in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true. 18. I am he that beareth witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." (John 8:14-18, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"14. Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going. 15. You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one."

"16. Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me."

"17. It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. 18. I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”" (John 8:14-18, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"14. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. 15. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man."

"16. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me."

"17. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." (John 8:14-18, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"14. Jesus answered and said to them, 'And if I testify of myself, my testimony is true, because I have known whence I came, and whither I go, and ye, ye have not known whence I come, or whither I go. 15. 'Ye according to the flesh do judge; I do not judge any one,"

"16. and even if I do judge my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me;"

"17. and also in your law it hath been written, that the testimony of two men are true; 18. I am [one] who is testifying of myself, and the Father who sent me doth testify of me.'" (John 8:14-18, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: John the Apostle (traditionally) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
  • Audience: later Christian audience (high-Christological emphasis; against early gnosticism)
  • Location: first-century Palestine (events); possibly Ephesus (composition)
  • Time period: events c. 26-33 AD (3-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85-95

Theological reading

Key words

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.