John 8 · Verse 26

John 8:26

I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
John 8:26, King James Version

John 8:26 in other translations

BSB“I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”
WEBI have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However, he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”
ASVI have many things to speak and to judge concerning you: howbeit he that sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these speak I unto the world.
YLTmany things I have to speak concerning you and to judge, but He who sent me is true, and I--what things I heard from Him--these I say to the world.'
DARBYI have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but he that has sent me is true, and I, what I have heard from him, these things I say to the world.
BBEI have much to say about you and against you: but he who sent me is true and what he has said to me I say to the world.
WebsterI have many things to say, and to judge of you: but he that sent me, is true: and I speak to the world those things which I have heard from him.

What does John 8:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 8:26-27
26-27. I have many things to say and to judge of you; but he that sent me is true, &c.--that is, I could, and at the fitting time, will say and judge many things of you (referring perhaps to the work of the Spirit which is for judgment as well as salvation, Joh 16:8), but what I do say is just the message My Father hath given Me to deliver.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 26. I have many things to say. There are many things which I might say to reprove and expose your pride and hypocrisy. By this he implied that he understood well their character, and that he was able to expose it. This, indeed, he had shown them in his conversations with them.

And to judge of you. To reprove in you. There are many things in you which I might condemn.

But he that sent me is true. Is worthy to be believed, and his declarations about men are to be credited. The meaning of this verse may be thus expressed:
"I have indeed many things to say blaming or
condemning you. I have already said many such things,
and there are many more that I might say; but I
speak only those things which God has commanded. I
speak not of myself I come to execute his commission,
and he is worthy to be heard and feared. Let it not be
thought, therefore, that my judgment is rash or harsh.
It is such as is commanded by God."
(x) "he that sent me" Jn 7:28

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 I have many things to say and to judge of you - Or, to speak and to condemn, etc. I could speedily expose all your iniquities - your pride and ambition, your hypocrisy and irreligion, your hatred to the light, and your malice against the truth, together with the present obstinate unbelief of your hearts, and show that these are the reasons why I say you will die in your sins; but these will appear in their true light: when, after you have crucified me, the judgments of God shall descend upon and consume you. He that sent me is true - Whatever he hath spoken of you by the prophets shall surely come to pass; his word cannot fail.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 8:21-29

Those that live in unbelief, are for ever undone, if they die in unbelief. The Jews belonged to this present evil world, but Jesus was of a heavenly and Divine nature, so that his doctrine, kingdom, and blessings, would not suit their taste. But the curse of the law is done away to all that submit to the grace of the gospel. Nothing but the doctrine of Christ's grace will be an argument powerful enough, and none but…

Read the full comment on John 8:21-29 →

John 8:26 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

πολλὰpollaMany thingsG4183
ἔχωechōI haveG2192
περὶpericoncerningG4012
ὑμῶνhumōnyouG4771
λαλεῖνlaleinto sayG2980
καὶkaiandG2532
κρίνειν·krineinto judge;G2919
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
ὁhothe [One]G3588
πέμψαςpempsashaving sentG3992
μεmeMeG3165
ἀληθήςalēthēstrueG227
ἐστιν,estinis,G1510
κἀγὼkagōand I myselfG1473
ἃhawhatG3739
ἤκουσαēkousaI have heardG191
παρ᾽par᾽fromG3844
αὐτοῦ,autouHim,G846
ταῦταtautathese thingsG3778
λαλῶlalōI sayG2980
εἰςeistoG1519
τὸνtontheG3588
κόσμον.kosmonworld.G2889

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 8:26

  • John 15:15

    Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

  • John 12:47-50

    And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

  • John 8:40

    But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

  • John 7:28

    Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

  • John 17:8

    For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

  • Hebrews 5:11-12

    Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

  • 2 Corinthians 1:18

    But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.

  • John 3:32-33

    And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

  • John 5:42-43

    But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

  • John 7:16

    Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

  • John 16:12

    I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

  • John 9:39-41

    And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
have many.
16:12; Heb 5:11,12
to judge.
16; 5:42,43; 9:39-41; 12:47-50
but.
17; 7:28; 2Co 1:18
and I.
40; 3:32; 7:16; 15:15; 17:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 8:25

    Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

  • John 8:26

    I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

  • John 8:27

    They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

Read all of John 8

John 8:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Muchas cosas tengo que decir y juzgar de vosotros: mas el que me envió, es verdadero: y yo, lo que he oído de él, esto hablo en el mundo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		J’ai beaucoup de choses à dire de vous et à juger; mais celui qui m’a envoyé est vrai, et les choses que j’ai entendues de lui, moi, je les dis au monde.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Vieles habe ich über euch zu reden und zu richten, aber der mich gesandt hat, ist wahrhaftig; und ich, was ich von ihm gehört habe, das rede ich zu der Welt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Multa habeo de vobis loqui, et judicare; sed qui me misit, verax est; et ego quæ audivi ab eo, hæc loquor in mundo.