# John 8.42

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-11-12 | updated: 2026-11-12 -->

**Book:** [John](/codex/john/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.</span> 41. Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
>
> **42. Jesus said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me.</span>**
>
> 43. <span class="rl-speech">Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.</span> 44. <span class="rl-speech">Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.</span> (John 8:40-44, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.</span> 41. You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”
>
> **42. Therefore Jesus said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.</span>**
>
> 43. <span class="rl-speech">Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.</span> 44. <span class="rl-speech">You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.</span> (John 8:40-44, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.</span> 41. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
>
> **42. Jesus said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.</span>**
>
> 43. <span class="rl-speech">Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.</span> 44. <span class="rl-speech">Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. <sup>of his own: or, from his own will or disposition</sup></span> (John 8:40-44, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">and now, ye seek to kill me, a man who hath spoken to you the truth I heard from God; this Abraham did not;</span> 41. ye do the works of your father.' They said, therefore, to him, 'We of whoredom have not been born; one Father we have, God;'
>
> **42. Jesus then said to them, <span class="rl-speech">'If God were your father, ye were loving me, for I came forth from God, and am come; for neither have I come of myself, but He sent me;</span>**
>
> 43. <span class="rl-speech">wherefore do ye not know my speech? because ye are not able to hear my word.</span> 44. <span class="rl-speech">'Ye are of a father, the devil, and the desires of your father ye will to do; he was a man-slayer from the beginning, and in the truth he hath not stood, because there is no truth in him; when one may speak the falsehood, of his own he speaketh, because he is a liar, also his father.</span> (John 8:40-44, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- None of the words in this verse has its own lexicon entry yet.


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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Sent One Cannot Be God Objection Defeater](/codex/sent-one-cannot-be-god-objection-defeater/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [John 8](/codex/john-8/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## 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](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/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](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.