John 8:25

I see that Dr Bob has written a reply but I cannot see the text of it yet (not fully posted?). Anyway I'll add my own 2 cents worth.

This is a historically difficult passage. The Greek is pretty simple up to the point where it says, "who art thou?"

After this it gets tough. One of the big problems is that older Greek manuscripts were written in all capitals with no spaces between words and no punctuation! Ugh!

The text from the Textus Receptus reads,

"Eipen autois ho Iesous ten archen ho ti kai lalo humin."

The first part is,"Jesus said to them." The second part (from ten archen) is the problem!

For one thing we don't know if the text meant ho ti (2 words) or hoti (one word)!

The Bodmer papyri (P66 - VERY old) adds "eipon humin" (I told you) right after the "Jesus said to them). This addition is favored by many scholars today (liberal and conservative among them).

That would make our passage to read,

"I told you what (I am) in the beginning and again I tell you".

The Greek the way we have it really does not make a neat sentence. Thus we end up having to paraphrase somewhat. Since not all the manuscripts agree we see some different translations in the KJV vs NIV vs NASV etc.

Hope this helps!

 

I should add that the last translation is not mine but that of Bruce Metzger. His "Textual Commentary on the Greek NT" has a nice discussion of this verse.

 

Vlugate: John 8:25
dicebant ergo ei tu quis es dixit eis Iesus principium quia et loquor vobis

English: John 8:25
They said, therefore, to him, `Thou -- who art thou?' and Jesus said to them, `Even what I did speak of to you at the beginning;

The site claims that the Young's English is closest to the Vulgate.

http://www.24hourlatin.com/cgi-bin/elbible.pl

Douay-Rheims:
John 8:25 They said therefore to him: Who art thou? Jesus said to them: The beginning, who also speak unto you.

HankD

 

Peshitta (Lamsa translation)
John 8:25 The Jews said, Who are you? Jesus said to them, Even though I should begin to speak to you,

 

Joh 8:25

(KJV) Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

(Geneva) Then saide they vnto him, Who art thou? And Iesus saide vnto them, Euen the same thing that I said vnto you from the beginning.

(ALT) So they were saying to Him, "You, who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I [have been] speaking to you* even [from] the beginning.

(LITV) Then they said to Him, Who are You? And Jesus said to them, The Beginning, what I also say to you.

 

Amen.

HankD