John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
Note Literally before Abraham was, I am!
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.”
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am.
Related passages
From the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, grouped by the word they explain.
- Verily
- John 8:34, 51
- Before
- John 1:1, 2; John 17:5, 24; Proverbs 8:22–30; Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:10–12; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:11, 17, 18; Revelation 2:8
- I am
- That our Lord by this expression asserted his divinity and eternal existence, as the great I AM, appears evident from the use of the present tense, instead of the past tense, from its being in answer to the Jews, who enquired whether he had seen Abraham, and from its being thus understood by the multitude, who were exasperated at it to such a degree that they took up stones to stone him. The ancient Jews not only believed that the Messiah was superior to and Lord of all the patriarchs, and even of angels, but that his celestial nature existed with God from whom it emanated, before the creation, and that the creation was effected by his ministry.
- Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 43:13; Isaiah 44:6, 8; Isaiah 46:9; Isaiah 48:12; Revelation 1:8