John 8 · Verse 32

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32, King James Version

John 8:32 in other translations

BSBThen you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
WEBYou will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
ASVand ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
YLTand the truth shall make you free.'
DARBYand ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
BBEAnd you will have knowledge of what is true, and that will make you free.
WebsterAnd ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

What does John 8:32 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 8:31-33

31-33. Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, &c.--The impression produced by the last words of our Lord may have become visible by some decisive movement, and here He takes advantage of it to press on them "continuance" in the faith, since then only were they His real disciples (compare Joh 15:3-8), and then should they experimentally "know the…

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 32. Shall know the truth. Jn 7:17.

The truth shall make you free. The truth here means the Christian religion. Comp. Gal 3:1, Col 1:6. The doctrines of the true religion shall make you free--that is, it will free you from the slavery of evil passions, corrupt propensities, and grovelling views. The condition of a sinner is that of a captive or a slave to sin. He is one who serves and obeys the dictates of an evil heart and the promptings of an evil nature, Rom 6:16,17: "Ye were the servants of sin;" Rom 6:19: "Ye have yielded your members servants unto iniquity; Rom 6:20, 7:6,8,11, 8:21, Acts 8:23. "Thou art in the --bond of iniquity;" Gal 4:3,9. The effect of the gospel is to break this hard bondage to sin and to set the sinner free. We learn from this that religion is not slavery or oppression. It is true freedom.
"He is the freeman whom the truth makes free,
And all are slaves beside." --Cowper.


The service of God is freedom from degrading vices and carnal propensities; from the slavery of passion and inordinate desires. It is a cheerful and delightful surrender of ourselves to Him whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.

(b) "know the truth" Hos 6:3 (c) "the truth" Ps 119:45, Jn 17:17, Rom 6:14,18,22, Jas 1:25, 2:12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 32 Ye shall know the truth - Shall have a constant experimental knowledge of its power and efficacy. And the truth shall make you free - It was a maxim of the Jews, "That no man was free, but he who exercised himself in the meditation of the law." No man is truly free, but he in whose heart the power of sin is destroyed, and who has received the Spirit of adoption, through which he cries, Abba! Father! See Rom 8:15. The bondage of sin is the most grievous bondage; and freedom from its guilt and influence is the greatest liberty.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 8:30-36

Such power attended our Lord's words, that many were convinced, and professed to believe in him. He encouraged them to attend his teaching, rely on his promises, and obey his commands, notwithstanding all temptations to evil. Thus doing, they would be his disciples truly; and by the teaching of his word and Spirit, they would learn where their hope and strength lay. Christ spoke of spiritual liberty; but carnal…

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John 8:32 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532
γνώσεσθεgnōsestheyou will knowG1097
τὴνtēntheG3588
ἀλήθειαν,alētheiantruth,G225
καὶkaiandG2532
ἡhētheG3588
ἀλήθειαalētheiatruthG225
ἐλευθερώσειeleutherōseiwill set freeG1659
ὑμᾶς.¶humasyou.G4771

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

Cross references for John 8:32

  • Romans 8:2

    For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

  • John 8:36

    If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

  • John 17:17

    Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

  • 1 Peter 2:16

    As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

  • John 14:6

    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

  • Romans 6:22

    But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

  • Romans 6:14-18

    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. …

  • Isaiah 61:1

    The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

  • Psalms 25:5

    Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

  • Proverbs 2:1-7

    My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; …

  • Galatians 5:1

    Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

  • James 1:25

    But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
ye shall.
6:45; 7:17; 14:6; 16:13; Ps 25:5,8,9; Pr 1:23,29; 2:1-7; 4:18
So 1:7,8; Isa 2:3; 30:21; 35:8; 54:13; Jer 6:16; 31:33,34; Ho 6:3
Mal 4:2; Mt 11:29; 13:11,12; 2Ti 3:7
and the.
36; 17:17; Ps 119:45; Isa 61:1; Ro 6:14-18,22; 8:2,15; 2Co 3:17,18
Ga 5:13; 2Ti 2:25,26; Jas 1:25; 2:12; 1Pe 2:16

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

Context

  • John 8:31

    Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

  • John 8:32

    And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

  • John 8:33

    They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

Read all of John 8

John 8:32 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y conoceréis la verdad, y la verdad os libertará.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et vous connaîtrez la vérité, et la vérité vous affranchira.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und ihr werdet die Wahrheit erkennen, und die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et cognoscetis veritatem, et veritas liberabit vos.