Chapter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

John 10:36
ESV do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
NIV what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?
NASB are you saying of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
CSB do you say, 'You are blaspheming' to the one the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God?
NLT why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world.
KJV Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

What does John 10:36 mean?

Jesus' response to the men trying to stone Him for blasphemy (John 10:30–31) is somewhat complex, and easy to misunderstand. In that era, scribes and scholars would spend countless hours deliberating the meaning of the Scriptures. This often involved the same kind of rhetorical tactics used in politics or other forms of debate. Jesus is responding to the charge of blasphemy, from these men, using the same kind of argument they might employ.

Specifically, Jesus has pointed to the Old Testament, which uses the same term for divinely-appointed human authorities as is also used for God Himself: elohim/Elohim. This is seen in Psalm 82, as well as portions of Exodus. Jesus is not suggesting that humans are gods in the sense of being divine. Rather, He is showing that when a person is commissioned by God, it's not unprecedented for God's own Word to use the term "gods" in a poetic sense (John 10:34).

Jesus then states that one cannot claim that God's Word is in error (John 10:35). If God uses the term "little-g-'gods'" in reference to humans, then Jesus' statement about being unified with God isn't necessarily blasphemous. In order to instantly condemn Jesus, that's exactly what these men would have to do: they'd have to assume that any and all such statements are automatically sinful. Jesus is challenging them, in effect, as to whether they're willing to call a particular Scripture wrong in order to condemn Him.

Jesus will continue, however, to explain that the real measure of His words is His actions. Rather than simply judging Jesus on the basis of words these men do not like, they ought to be considering His works, as well. In the case of Jesus, this includes miracles and other signs which clearly point to Him being divinely appointed (John 3:1–2; 10:19–21). If Jesus' actions did not support His words, then these men would be absolutely right to consider Him a blasphemer. But His works do, in fact, prove that what He claims is true (John 10:37–38).
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app:
BibleRef.com is part of Got Questions Ministries

For answers to your Bible questions, please visit