John 8:22
ESV
So the Jews said, "Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?"
NIV
This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?"
NASB
So the Jews were saying, 'Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?'
CSB
So the Jews said again, "He won’t kill himself, will he, since he says, ‘Where I’m going, you cannot come’ ?"
NLT
The people asked, 'Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?'
KJV
Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
NKJV
So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”
What does John 8:22 mean?
The various interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees prove their hypocrisy. On the surface, their intent is to uphold the laws given by God, to protect the truth, and to guide the people of Israel. In reality, though, they are only concerned with their own power and prestige.Jesus is debating these men during the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem (John 7:37–38; 8:12). Earlier, they had sent guards to arrest Jesus (John 7:32), but those men came back baffled by His profound words (John 7:45–46). One likely reason for this was Jesus' reference to going somewhere that His critics could not follow. At the time, this was taken as a hint that Jesus planned to leave Jerusalem in order to preach to the Jews scattered around the region (John 7:35). That, in the minds of these religious leaders, would have solved their real problem: Jesus would no longer be a threat to their circle of influence.
Here, however, Jesus' critics begin to suspect that Jesus means something more drastic than long-distance travel. Philosophers and spiritualists of that era sometimes committed suicide. If Jesus were to do so, it would—again—solve the only problem these opponents were really interested in.
