John 8 · Verse 48

John 8:48

Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

John 8:48, King James Version

John 8:48 in other translations

BSB	The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?”
WEB	Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”
ASV	The Jews answered and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon?
YLT	The Jews, therefore, answered and said to him, ‘Do we not say well, that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon?'
DARBY	The Jews answered and said to him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a demon?
BBE	The Jews said to him in answer, Are we not right in saying that you are of Samaria and have an evil spirit?
Webster	Then answered the Jews, and said to him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon?

What does John 8:48 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 8:48-51

48-51. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?--What intense and virulent scorn! (See He 12:3). The "say we not well" refers to Joh 7:20. "A Samaritan" means more than "no Israelite at all"; it means one who pretended, but had no manner of claim to the title--retorting perhaps, this denial of their true descent from Abraham.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 48. Say we not well. Say we not truly.

Thou art a Samaritan. This was a term of contempt and reproach. Jn 4:9. It had the force of charging him with being a heretic or a schismatic, because the Samaritans were regarded as such.

And hast a devil. See Jn 7:20. This charge they brought against him because he had said that they were not of God, or were not the friends of God. This they regarded as the same as taking sides with the Samaritans, for the question between the Jews and Samaritans was, which of them worshipped God aright, Jn 4:20. As Jesus affirmed that the Jews were not of God, and as he, contrary to all their views, had gone and preached to the Samaritans (John 4), they regarded it as a proof that he was disposed to take part with them. They also regarded it as evidence that he had a devil. The devil was an accuser or calumniator; and as Jesus charged them with being opposed to God, they considered it as proof that he was influenced by such an evil spirit.

Devil. In the original, demon. Not the prince or chief of the devils, but an evil spirit.

(v) "hast not a devil" @Joh 7:20

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 48 Thou art a Samaritan - This was the same, among them, as heretic, or schismatic, among us. This is the only time in which the Jews gave our Lord this title of reproach; and they probably grounded it on his having preached among them, and lodged in their villages. See the account in Joh 4:39, Joh 4:40; but Samaritan, among them, meant a person unworthy of any credit. Hast a devil? - Art possessed by an evil spirit; and art, in consequence, deranged.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 8:48-53

Observe Christ's disregard of the applause of men. those who are dead to the praises of men can bear their contempt. God will seek the honour of all who do not seek their own. In these verses we have the doctrine of the everlasting happiness of believers. We have the character of a believer; he is one that keeps the sayings of the Lord Jesus. And the privilege of a believer; he shall by no means see death for ever. Though now they cannot avoid seeing death, and tasting it also, yet they shall shortly be where it will be no more forever, Ex 14:13.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 8:48 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.

ἈπεκρίθησανApekrithēsanAnsweredG611

οὖνounthereforeG3767

οἱhoitheG3588

ἸουδαῖοιIoudaioiJewsG2453

καὶkaiandG2532

εἶπανeipansaidG2036

αὐτῷ·autōto Him;G846

οὐouSurelyG3756

καλῶςkalōsrightlyG2573

λέγομενlegomensayG3004

ἡμεῖςhēmeiswe ourselvesG3165

ὅτιhotithatG3754

ΣαμαρίτηςSamaritēsa SamaritanG4541

εἶeiareG1510

σὺsuYou yourselfG4771

καὶkaiandG2532

δαιμόνιονdaimoniona demonG1140

ἔχεις;¶echeishave?G2192

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

Cross references for John 8:48

John 7:20
The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
John 8:52
Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
James 2:19
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Matthew 10:25
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
John 10:20
And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
Matthew 15:7
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Matthew 10:5
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Matthew 12:24
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
John 4:9
Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Romans 15:3
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
John 13:13
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Say.
52; 13:13; Mt 15:7; Jas 2:19
thou.
4:9; 7:20; 10:20; Isa 49:7; 53:3; Mt 10:25; 12:24,31; Ro 15:3
Heb 13:13

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

Context

John 8:47
He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
John 8:48
Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
John 8:49
Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

Read all of John 8

John 8:48 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Respondieron entonces los Judíos, y dijéronle: ¿No decimos bien nosotros, que tú eres Samaritano, y tienes demonio?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Les Juifs répondirent et lui dirent: Ne disons-nous pas bien que tu es un Samaritain, et que tu as un démon?
German Elberfelder 1871	Die Juden antworteten und sprachen zu ihm: Sagen wir nicht recht, daß du ein Samariter bist und einen Dämon hast?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Responderunt ergo Judæi, et dixerunt ei: Nonne bene dicimus nos quia Samaritanus es tu, et dæmonium habes?