John 8:37 (DBY)

Passage

I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word has no entrance in you.

Nearby Context

John 8:35 Now the bondman abides not in the house for ever: the son abides for ever.

John 8:36 If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free.

John 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word has no entrance in you.

John 8:38 I speak what I have seen with my Father, and ye then do what ye have seen with your father.

John 8:39 They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus says to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "abraham's", "seed", "seek", "kill", "word", and "entrance". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "abraham's" and "seed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "If therefore the Son shall set you..." into verse 38's "I speak what I have seen with...", so "abraham's" and "seed" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "abraham's" and "seed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.