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.
What does John 8:44 mean?
Satan prompts men to excesses by which they murder themselves and others, while what he puts into the mind tends to ruin men's souls. He is the great promoter of falsehood of every kind.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside John 8:44-46 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on John 8:44
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. Ye are of your father the devil - That is, you have the temper, disposition, or spirit of the devil. You are influenced by him, you imitate him, and ought therefore to be called his children. See also 1 John 3:8-10 ; Acts 13:10 ; "Thou child of the devil." The devil - See the notes at Matthew 4:1 . The lusts - The desires or the wishes. You do what pleases him.
Key words
- a murderer of man
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a murderer of man. (p) De Agricultura, p. 203. (q) Lex. Cabalist. p. 724.
- a murderer of man
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a murderer of man. (p) De Agricultura, p. 203. (q) Lex. Cabalist. p. 724.
Context in John 8
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John 8 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as conflict and witness. John presents Jesus in contemplative, symbolic, and theological richness as the Word, Lamb, Light, Bread, Shepherd, Resurrection, Way, Vine, and Son. Read this chapter with the wider themes of incarnation, life, and light in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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