John 8:39 (GNV)

Passage

They answered, and saide vnto him, Abraham is our father. Iesus said vnto them, If ye were Abrahams children, ye woulde doe the workes of Abraham.

Nearby Context

John 8:37 I know that ye are Abrahams seede, but yee seeke to kill mee, because my worde hath no place in you.

John 8:38 I speake that which I haue seene with my Father: and ye doe that which ye haue seene with your father.

John 8:39 They answered, and saide vnto him, Abraham is our father. Iesus said vnto them, If ye were Abrahams children, ye woulde doe the workes of Abraham.

John 8:40 But nowe ye goe about to kill mee, a man that haue told you the trueth, which I haue heard of God: this did not Abraham.

John 8:41 Ye do the workes of your father. Then said they to him, We are not borne of fornication: we haue one Father, which is God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answered", "saide", "vnto", "abraham", "father", and "iesus". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "answered" and "saide", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "I speake that which I haue seene..." into verse 40's "But nowe ye goe about to kill...", so "answered" and "saide" 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 "answered" and "saide" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.