The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.
The Pharisees {G5330} therefore {G3767} said {G2036} unto him {G846}, Thou {G4771} bearest record {G3140} of {G4012} thyself {G4572}; thy {G4675} record {G3141} is {G2076} not {G3756} true {G227}.
So the P’rushim said to him, “Now you’re testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.”
So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”
The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true.
Context
This verse immediately follows Jesus' profound declaration in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world." This bold statement, made during the Feast of Tabernacles, was a direct claim to divine authority and identity. The Pharisees, ever watchful and often antagonistic to Jesus, seize upon His self-testimony as a point of contention. Their objection is rooted in a common legal principle of the time, derived from the Mosaic Law, which generally held that a person's testimony about themselves was insufficient or invalid unless corroborated by another witness.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The KJV word "record" comes from the Greek word martyria (μαρτυρία), which means "witness" or "testimony." The phrase "Thou bearest record of thyself" translates to "You are testifying about yourself." The Pharisees' argument, "thy record is not true," implies that because Jesus is the sole witness to His own claims, His testimony lacks credibility and is therefore invalid or false according to their understanding of the law. This legalistic challenge sets the stage for Jesus' subsequent defense, where He explains that His witness is indeed true because He knows His divine origin and destination, and also because the Father also bears witness of Him.
Related Scriptures
Practical Application
John 8:13 reminds us that human logic and legalism can often hinder spiritual understanding. The Pharisees, focused on external rules, missed the profound truth standing before them. For us, this verse encourages us to look beyond conventional wisdom when considering divine claims. It challenges us to: