John 5:45

KJV

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is [one] that accuseth you, [even] Moses, in whom ye trust.

KJV (with Strong's)

Do {G1380} not {G3361} think {G1380} that {G3754} I {G1473} will accuse {G2723} you {G5216} to {G4314} the Father {G3962}: there is {G2076} one that accuseth {G2723} you {G5216}, even Moses {G3475}, in {G1519} whom {G3739} ye {G5210} trust {G1679}.

Complete Jewish Bible

“But don’t think that it is I who will be your accuser before the Father. Do you know who will accuse you? Moshe, the very one you have counted on!

Berean Standard Bible

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope.

American Standard Version

Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jesus confronts the Jewish leaders who accuse Him, asserting that He does not need to accuse them to the Father because Moses, in whom they place their trust, will be their accuser. This statement profoundly challenges their understanding of the Law and their relationship with God, revealing the irony of their misplaced confidence in a figure whose writings ultimately testified against their rejection of the Messiah.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse concludes a lengthy discourse by Jesus in [John 5](/john/5 "John 5 - Jesus' Authority and Witnesses") following His healing of a paralytic on the Sabbath at the Pool of Bethesda. This act ignited fierce opposition from the Jewish authorities, who sought to kill Him for breaking the Sabbath and, more significantly, for claiming equality with God by calling God His own Father ([John 5:18](/john/5-18 "John 5:18 - Jesus Claims Equality with God")). Jesus' subsequent discourse ([John 5:19-47](/john/5-19-47 "John 5:19-47 - Jesus' Authority and Witnesses")) systematically defends His divine authority, His role in judgment and resurrection, and the various witnesses to His identity (the Father, John the Baptist, His works, and the Scriptures). [John 5:45](/john/5-45 "John 5:45 - Moses Accuses") serves as a climactic turning point in this argument, shifting the focus from Jesus as the accused to the Jewish leaders as those who will face accusation from an unexpected source.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Jewish leaders of Jesus' day, particularly the Pharisees and Sadducees, held the Law of Moses in the highest esteem. Their identity, religious practice, and hope for righteousness were inextricably linked to their adherence to the Torah. They believed that meticulous observance of the Law, as interpreted by their traditions, was the path to divine favor and eternal life. Moses, as the giver of the Law, was revered as the preeminent prophet and mediator of God's covenant with Israel. This deep reverence for Moses and the Law formed the bedrock of their spiritual security. Jesus' statement directly challenges this foundation, exposing a fundamental misunderstanding of the Law's purpose and its true witness. Their reliance on external adherence to the Law, without internal faith in the One to whom the Law pointed, created a spiritual blindness that prevented them from recognizing their Messiah.

* **Key Themes:** [John 5:45](/john/5-45 "John 5:45 - Moses Accuses") powerfully contributes to several key themes within the Gospel of John and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **Misplaced Trust and False Security**. The Jewish leaders' confidence in Moses and the Law, apart from faith in Christ, is exposed as a source of condemnation rather than salvation. Secondly, it underscores the **Witness of the Scriptures**. Jesus consistently argues that the Old Testament, including Moses' writings, testifies about Him ([John 5:39](/john/5-39 "John 5:39 - Scriptures Testify of Jesus")). Their failure to believe Jesus is, therefore, a failure to truly believe Moses and the very Scriptures they claimed to uphold. Thirdly, the verse subtly emphasizes **Jesus' True Mission**. Unlike the accuser, Jesus' purpose is not to condemn but to save ([John 3:17](/john/3-17 "John 3:17 - Jesus Came to Save")). The accusation comes from their own rejection of truth, not from Jesus' intent.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **accuse (Greek, _katēgoréō'_):** From G2723, meaning "to be a plaintiff, i.e. to charge with some offence." This term is a legal one, suggesting a formal indictment in a court of law. Jesus uses it to describe the role Moses will play, implying a divine courtroom where the Jewish leaders' rejection of the Messiah will be brought to light. It signifies a serious charge, not merely a complaint, but a formal accusation that carries weight and consequence.
* **Moses (Greek, _Mōseús'_):** From G3475, referring to the Hebrew lawgiver. The mention of Moses here is highly significant. He is the revered figure through whom God gave the Law, the very foundation of Jewish identity and religious practice. For Moses to be the accuser is the ultimate irony, as the Jewish leaders believed their adherence to Moses' Law guaranteed their righteousness. Jesus reveals that Moses' true witness was to Him, and by rejecting Jesus, they rejected Moses' ultimate purpose.
* **trust (Greek, _elpízō'_):** From G1679, meaning "to expect or confide; to hope (for), trust." This word highlights the deep reliance and confidence the Jewish leaders placed in Moses and the Law. Their trust was not merely intellectual assent but a profound expectation that their relationship with the Law would secure their standing before God. Jesus exposes this trust as misplaced, demonstrating that true hope and confidence must be placed in Him, the fulfillment of Moses' writings.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father:"** Jesus begins by disarming His listeners, clarifying His role. He is not coming as an accuser, despite their hostility towards Him. His mission is not to condemn them before God, but rather to reveal the Father and offer life. This statement underscores His divine nature and His purpose as Savior, not prosecutor.
* **"there is one that accuseth you, even Moses,"** This is the shocking revelation. Jesus directly identifies their accuser, and it is not Himself, but Moses. The very figure they revere and whose Law they claim to uphold will stand as a witness against them. This introduces a profound irony, turning their spiritual security on its head. Moses' testimony, rather than vindicating them, will condemn them for their unbelief.
* **"in whom ye trust."** This final clause pinpoints the tragic irony and the root of their spiritual blindness. Their trust in Moses was superficial, focused on external adherence to the Law rather than understanding its prophetic purpose. They trusted in the messenger and the message, but failed to recognize the one to whom the message pointed. Their misplaced trust in Moses, divorced from faith in Christ, becomes the very basis of their condemnation.

#### Literary Devices
The verse powerfully employs **Irony**, which is the central literary device. The Jewish leaders, who accuse Jesus of blasphemy and Sabbath-breaking, are themselves accused, not by Jesus, but by the very prophet they revere and in whom they place their trust. This creates a profound and devastating reversal of expectations. Furthermore, there is an element of **Personification**, as Moses, a historical figure, is depicted as actively "accusing" them. This imbues Moses' writings and prophetic witness with an active, prosecutorial role in the divine court. The verse also implicitly uses **Contrast** between Jesus' mission (not to accuse) and the outcome of the Jewish leaders' unbelief (accusation by Moses), highlighting the different purposes of the Son and the Law when viewed apart from Him.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse is a profound theological statement on the relationship between the Old Covenant and the New, the Law and the Messiah, and the nature of true faith. It asserts that the Law of Moses, far from being an independent means of salvation, was always intended to lead to Christ. The Jewish leaders' failure to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law meant that their devotion to Moses became a source of condemnation rather than justification. Their trust was in the letter of the Law, not its spirit, and certainly not in the living Word whom the Law foreshadowed. This highlights the universal truth that external religious observance or reliance on human figures, no matter how revered, is insufficient without genuine faith in God's appointed Savior.

* [John 5:39](/john/5-39 "John 5:39 - Scriptures Testify of Jesus")
* [John 5:46-47](/john/5-46-47 "John 5:46-47 - Believing Moses Means Believing Jesus")
* [Deuteronomy 18:15](/deuteronomy/18-15 "Deuteronomy 18:15 - Prophecy of a Prophet like Moses")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
John 5:45 serves as a powerful and sobering mirror for all who claim to follow God. It challenges us to deeply examine the object and nature of our trust. Are we placing our confidence in religious traditions, theological systems, our own good works, or even our intellectual understanding of Scripture, rather than in a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ? The Scriptures, including the Old Testament, are invaluable, but their ultimate purpose is to point us to Jesus. If our engagement with the Bible does not lead us to a deeper faith in Him, then we risk turning the very source of truth into a potential accuser, much like the Jewish leaders. This verse warns against spiritual pride, intellectual arrogance, and the danger of allowing our preconceived notions or cherished traditions to blind us to new revelation or a deeper understanding of God's truth. True faith is not merely adherence to a system but a personal surrender to the Christ revealed in that system.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What are the "Moseses" in my life—the things or traditions I trust in for spiritual security, perhaps more than I trust in Christ alone?**
* **How does my study of Scripture lead me to a deeper relationship with Jesus, or does it sometimes become an end in itself?**
* **In what ways might my own understanding or interpretation of truth inadvertently lead me to reject aspects of God's ongoing revelation or the work of His Spirit?**

### FAQ
**Why would Moses accuse the Jewish leaders, given his revered status?**

Answer: Moses would accuse them not out of personal animosity, but because their rejection of Jesus was a rejection of Moses' own prophetic witness. Moses himself wrote about the coming Messiah, particularly in passages like [Deuteronomy 18:15](/deuteronomy/18-15 "Deuteronomy 18:15 - Prophecy of a Prophet like Moses"), where he foretold of a prophet like himself whom the people must obey. The Jewish leaders claimed to believe Moses and meticulously followed his Law, yet they failed to recognize and believe in Jesus, the very One Moses wrote about and to whom the Law pointed. Their unbelief in Jesus was, therefore, a fundamental disbelief in Moses' true message and prophetic authority. Thus, Moses, through his writings, would stand as a witness against their spiritual blindness and misplaced trust.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
John 5:45 profoundly highlights Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. The Jewish leaders' misplaced trust in Moses, apart from the Messiah, underscores the New Testament truth that the Law's ultimate purpose was to lead humanity to Christ. As [Romans 10:4](/romans/10-4 "Romans 10:4 - Christ is the End of the Law") declares, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Moses, the great lawgiver, served as a "schoolmaster" or "guardian" to bring us to Christ ([Galatians 3:24](/galatians/3-24 "Galatians 3:24 - The Law as a Guardian")). Jesus, therefore, does not come to accuse, but to fulfill the very Law that the Jewish leaders claimed to uphold. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")), the one who perfectly embodies and completes all that Moses foreshadowed. Our trust is no longer to be placed in a system of laws or a human mediator, but directly in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith ([Hebrews 12:2](/hebrews/12-2 "Hebrews 12:2 - Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith")), who offers true righteousness and eternal life.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Romans 3:19

¶ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 3:20

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.

Galatians 3:10

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

2 Corinthians 3:7

But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away:

2 Corinthians 3:11

For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious.

Romans 10:5

For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Romans 10:10

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.