SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:39
Respondieron y le dijeron: Nuestro padre es Abraham. Les dice Jess: Si fuerais hijos de Abraham, las obras de Abraham haríais.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 8:39
Verse 39. If ye were Abraham's children] Griesbach reads este, ye are, instead of hte, ye were, on the authority of BDL, Vulgate, four copies of the Itala; Origen and Augustin. Ye would do the works of Abraham.] As the son has the nature of his father in him, and naturally imitates him, so, if ye were the children of Abraham, ye would imitate him in his faith, obedience, and uprightness; but this ye do not, for ye seek to kill me-ye are watching for an opportunity to destroy me, merely because I tell you the truth: Abraham never did any thing like this; therefore, you have no spiritual relationship to him.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 39. They answered and said unto him , etc.] On account of his making mention of a father, whose works they did, and whom they imitated: Abraham is our father ; meaning their only one, nor had they any other: Jesus saith unto them, if ye were Abrahams children, ye would do the works of Abraham ; for who should children imitate but their parents?
Abraham was a merciful, charitable, and hospitable man, as well as a man of strict justice and integrity; he feared God, believed in him, and was ready to receive every message and revelation which came from him; and they are his genuine children and offspring, who walk in the steps of his faith, charity, justice, and piety: and this is a rule which the Jews themselves give f394 , whereby the seed of Abraham may be known: whoever is merciful to the creature (man), it is evident that he is of the seed of Abraham, our father; but whoever has not mercy on the creature, it is a clear case that he is not of the seed of Abraham our father.
And if this is a sure rule of judging, these men could not be the seed of Abraham, who were a merciless, barbarous, and cruel generation. Another of their writers has this observation, agreeably to the way of reasoning Christ uses; a disciple is to be judged of according to his manners; he that walks in the ways of the Lord, he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father, seeing he is used to his manners, and learns of his works; but the disciple who is corrupt in his manners, though he is of the children of Israel, lo, he is not of the disciples of Abraham, seeing he is not accustomed to his manners.
Whence it appears, that they say these things not to distinguish themselves from other people who claimed a descent from Abraham, as the Ishmaelites or Saracens did; as did also the Spartans or Lacedemonians; for so writes Areus their king, to Onias the high priest of the Jews, it is found in writing, that the Lacedemonians and Jews are brethren, and that they are of the stock of Abraham, (1 Maccab. 12:20,21) But to distinguish those who were religious and virtuous among the Jews themselves, from those that were not; and so our Lord means not to deny, that the Jews, though they were evil men, were the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh; but that they were not so in a spiritual sense, they did not tread in his steps, or do the works he did. The Persic version reads in the singular number, ye would do the work of Abraham; and if any particular work is designed, it is most likely to be the work of faith, since it was that which Abraham was famous for; and the doing of which denominated men, even Gentiles, the children of Abraham, and which the Jews were wanting in, they disbelieving and rejecting the Messiah.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 37-40 - Our Lord opposed the proud and vain confidence of these Jews, showin that their descent from Abraham could not profit those of a contrar spirit to him. Where the word of God has no place, no good is to be expected; room is left there for all wickedness. A sick person wh turns from his physician, and will take neither remedies nor food, in past hope of recovery. The truth both heals and nourishes the hearts of those who receive it. The truth taught by philosophers has not thi power and effect, but only the truth of God. Those who claim the privileges of Abraham, must do Abraham's works; must be strangers an sojourners in this world; keep up the worship of God in their families and always walk before God.
Greek Textus Receptus
απεκριθησαν 611 5662 V-ADI-3P και 2532 CONJ ειπον 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3P αυτω 846 P-DSM ο 3588 T-NSM πατηρ 3962 N-NSM ημων 2257 P-1GP αβρααμ 11 N-PRI εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S λεγει 3004 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM ο 3588 T-NSM ιησους 2424 N-NSM ει 1487 COND τεκνα 5043 N-NPN του 3588 T-GSM αβρααμ 11 N-PRI ητε 2258 5713 V-IXI-2P τα 3588 T-APN εργα 2041 N-APN του 3588 T-GSM αβρααμ 11 N-PRI εποιειτε 4160 5707 V-IAI-2P αν 302 PRT
Vincent's NT Word Studies
39. Children (tekna). See on i. 12.
