The Meaning of John 8:16 Explained

John 8:16

KJV: And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

YLT: and even if I do judge my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me;

Darby: And if also I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who has sent me.

ASV: Yea and if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  yet  if  I  judge,  my  judgment  is  true:  for  I am  not  alone,  but  I  and  the Father  that sent  me. 

What does John 8:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus was not judging anyone then. That aspect of His ministry lies in the future. However even if He did judge then His judgment would prove right (Gr. alethine, valid) because in that activity also He would be acting under and with the Father (cf. John 5:30). As Jesus represented the Father faithfully by revealing Him, so He will represent the Father"s will faithfully by judging. He did everything and will do everything with divine authority.

Context Summary

John 8:12-20 - The Twofold Witness
On either side of the Temple court stood a huge golden candelabrum. On the first and each succeeding night of the week of the Feast of Tabernacles these were lit, and they poured a brilliant flood of light over the Temple and the city. It was to these that our Lord alluded in John 8:12. They were symbolic and intended to recall the pillar of cloud which led the pilgrim march through the desert, and at night disclosed a heart of illuminating lire. Our Lord compared Himself to the manna in John 6:1-71, to the smitten rock in John 7:1-53, and to the cloud here in John 8:12.
What the pillar of cloud and fire was to Israel, Jesus will be to His Church and the individual soul. See Exodus 13:21; Numbers 9:15-23. The fire in the cloud was prophetic of His deity enshrined in His humanity. It was this consciousness of the union of the divine and human that enabled our Lord to speak as He did of Himself. There was no egotism or self-assumption in His claim. It was the literal truth. He bare record of Himself, because He could say nothing less, and knew whence He came and whither He went; and the miracles which He wrought in union with the Spirit of God ratified His witness. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 8

1  Jesus delivers the woman taken in adultery
12  He declares himself the light of the world, and justifies his doctrine;
31  promises freedom to those who believe;
33  answers the Jews who boasted of Abraham;
48  answers their reviling, by showing his authority and dignity;
59  and slips away from those who would stone him

Greek Commentary for John 8:16

Yea and if I judge [και εαν κρινω δε εγω]
“And even if I pass judgment.” Condition of third class again. True (ale4thine4). See John 1:9 for αλητινος — alēthinos genuine, soundly based (cf. δικαια — dikaia in John 5:30), “satisfying our perfect conception” (Westcott), not merely true For I am not alone Jesus now takes up the technical criticism in John 8:13 after justifying his right to speak concerning himself. But I and the Father that sent me See John 16:32 for a like statement about the Father being with Christ. It is not certain that πατηρ — patēr is genuine here (omitted by Aleph D, but in B L W), but the Father is clearly meant as in John 7:18, John 7:33. Jesus gives the Father as the second witness. [source]
TRUE [ἀληθής]
The best texts, however, read ἀληθινή , true to the perfect ideal of judgment. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 8:16

John 8:29 Alone []
See John 8:16. [source]
John 15:9 In my love [ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐμῇ]
Literally, in the love, that which is mine. Not only the love of the disciple for Christ, nor the love of Christ for the disciple, but the Christ-principle of love which includes both. See the same form of expression in the joy that is mine, John 15:11; John 3:29; John 17:13; the judgment (John 5:30; John 8:16); the commandments (John 14:15); peace (John 14:27). [source]
John 8:17 Yea and in your law [και εν τωι νομωι δε τωι υμετερωι]
Same use of καιδε — kai -de as in John 8:16. They claimed possession of the law (John 7:49) and so Jesus takes this turn in answer to the charge of single witness in John 8:13. He will use similar language (your law) in John 10:34 in an argumentum ad hominem as here in controversy with the Jews. In John 15:24 to the apostles Jesus even says “in their law” in speaking of the hostile Jews plotting his death. He does not mean in either case to separate himself wholly from the Jews and the law, though in Matthew 5 he does show the superiority of his teaching to that of the law. For the Mosaic regulation about two witnesses see Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15. This combined witness of two is not true just because they agree, unless true in fact separately. But if they disagree, the testimony falls to the ground. In this case the Father confirms the witness of the Son as Jesus had already shown (John 5:37). [source]
John 8:26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you [πολλα εχω περι υμων λαλειν και κρινειν]
Instead of further talk about his own claims (already plain enough) Jesus turns to speak and to judge concerning them and their attitude towards him (cf. John 8:16). Whatever they think of Jesus the Father who sent him is true They cannot evade responsibility for the message heard. So Jesus goes on speaking it from the Father. [source]
John 8:29 Is with me [μετ εμου εστιν]
The Incarnation brought separation from the Father in one sense, but in essence there is complete harmony and fellowship as he had already said (John 8:16) and will expand in John 17:21-26. He hath not left me alone First aorist active indicative of απιημι — aphiēmi “He did not leave me alone.” However much the crowds and the disciples misunderstood or left Jesus, the Father always comforted and understood him (Mark 6:46; Matthew 14:23; John 6:15). That are pleasing to him This old verbal adjective, from αρεσκω — areskō to please, in N.T. only here, Acts 6:4; Acts 12:3; 1 John 3:22. The joy of Jesus was in doing the will of the Father who sent him (John 4:34). [source]

What do the individual words in John 8:16 mean?

And if judge however I - judgment My TRUE is because alone not I am but I the having sent Me Father
καὶ ἐὰν κρίνω δὲ ἐγώ κρίσις ἐμὴ ἀληθινή ἐστιν ὅτι μόνος οὐκ εἰμί ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ πέμψας με ‹πατήρ›

κρίνω  judge 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: κρίνω  
Sense: to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κρίσις  judgment 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: κρίσις  
Sense: a separating, sundering, separation.
ἐμὴ  My 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Feminine 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐμός  
Sense: my, mine, etc.
ἀληθινή  TRUE 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀληθινός  
Sense: that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name, real, true genuine.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
μόνος  alone 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μόνος  
Sense: alone (without a companion), forsaken, destitute of help, alone, only, merely.
εἰμί  I  am 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
πέμψας  having  sent 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πέμπω  
Sense: to send.
με  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
‹πατήρ›  Father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.