John 8:58 meaning and explanation
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
John 8:58, Berean Standard Bible
Explanation preview
Jesus is in the temple courts, answering opponents who have just asked whether he is greater than Abraham, who died. His reply joins two things: Abraham existed before him in time, yet Jesus says "I am" rather than "I was." The Greek phrase egō eimi echoes the Greek of Exodus 3:14, where God names himself to Moses, and it matches Jesus' earlier sayings in this chapter about being "from above." The crowd understands a claim to deity, which is why they pick up stones in the next verse.
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