The Meaning of John 8:49 Explained

John 8:49

KJV: Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

YLT: Jesus answered, 'I have not a demon, but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me;

Darby: Jesus answered, I have not a demon; but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me.

ASV: Jesus answered, I have not a demon; but I honor my Father, and ye dishonor me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Jesus  answered,  I  have  not  a devil;  but  I honour  my  Father,  and  ye  do dishonour  me. 

What does John 8:49 Mean?

Study Notes

devil
demon.
Devils
Devils, lit demons. To the reality and personality of demons the N.T. scriptures bear abundant testimony. As to their origin nothing is clearly revealed, but they are not to be confounded with the angels mentioned in 2 Peter 2:4 ; Judges 1:6 .
Summary: Demons are spirits Matthew 12:43 ; Matthew 12:45 are Satan's emissaries; Matthew 12:26 ; Matthew 12:27 ; Matthew 25:41 and so numerous as to make Satan's power practically ubiquitous. Mark 5:9 . They are capable of entering and controlling both men and beasts Mark 5:8 ; Mark 5:11-13 and earnestly seek embodiment, without which, apparently, they are powerless for evil.; Matthew 12:43 ; Matthew 12:44 ; Mark 5:10-12 . Demon influence and demon possession are discriminated in the N. T. Instances of the latter are; Matthew 4:24 ; Matthew 8:16 ; Matthew 8:28 ; Matthew 8:33 ; Matthew 9:32 ; Matthew 12:22 ; Mark 1:32 ; Mark 5:15 ; Mark 5:16 ; Mark 5:18 ; Luke 8:35 ; Acts 8:7 ; Acts 16:16 . They are unclean, sullen, violent, and malicious; Matthew 8:28 ; Matthew 9:23 ; Matthew 10:1 ; Matthew 12:43 ; Mark 1:23 ; Mark 5:3-5 ; Mark 9:17 ; Mark 9:20 ; Luke 6:18 ; Luke 9:39 . They know Jesus Christ as Most High God, and recognize His supreme authority; Matthew 8:31 ; Matthew 8:32 ; Mark 1:24 ; Acts 19:15 ; James 2:19 . They know their eternal fate to be one of torment; Matthew 8:29 ; Luke 8:31 . They inflict physical maladies; Matthew 12:22 ; Matthew 17:15-18 ; Luke 13:16 but mental disease is to be distinguished from the disorder of mind due to demonical control. Demon influence may manifest itself in religion asceticism and formalism 1 Timothy 4:1-3 degenerating into uncleanness 2 Peter 2:10-12 . The sign of demon influence in religion is departing from the faith, i.e. the body of revealed truth in the Scriptures. 1 Timothy 4:1 . The demons maintain especially a conflict with believers who would be spiritual.; Ephesians 6:12 ; 1 Timothy 4:1-3 . All unbelievers are open to demon possession Ephesians 2:2 . The believer's resources, prayer and bodily control Matthew 17:21 "the whole armour of God" Ephesians 6:13-18 . Exorcism in the name of Jesus Christ Acts 16:18 was practised for demon possession. One of the awful features of the apocalyptic judgments in which this age will end is an irruption of demons out the abyss. Revelation 9:1-11 .

Verse Meaning

Jesus soberly denied their charge. His claims resulted from His faithfulness to His Father, not from demonic influence. Jesus" aim was to honor His Father by faithfully carrying out His will. The Jews" goal was to disgrace Jesus. They tried to do this by rejecting the testimony that the Father sent through Him.

Context Summary

John 8:48-59 - The Eternal Christ
It is absolutely true that the Christian disciple does see death as the king of terrors or as a grim monster. Jesus has robbed death of its sting; He has destroyed Him that had the power of death. The moment of death is the moment of birth into a wider and happier existence. We are set free from this body of mortality and become possessed of the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The grave is the vestibule of Paradise. We know that the iron gate opens into the city of God. Absent from the body, we are present with the Lord. The moment of transition is so desirable that it is only comparable to the falling asleep of the tired laborer.
The Father glorified His Son by the attestation given at the Baptism and the Transfiguration, by the Resurrection from the grave, by the Exaltation to His right hand. Yet these are but stages in the glorification of our High Priest. The full outburst of His glory is yet future. We shall behold the glory with which the Father has rewarded His obedience unto death; nay, we are to share it with Him. See John 17:22; John 17:24. Notice the I AM of John 8:58. Compare Exodus 3:14. [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 8:49

I have not a demon [εγω δαιμονιον ουκ εχω]
This Jesus says calmly, passing by the reference to the Samaritans as beneath notice. My Father As in John 2:16. He is not mad in claiming to honour God (cf. John 7:18). They were insulting the Father in insulting him (cf. John 5:23). On ατιμαζω — atimazō (α — a privative and τιμαω — timaō to dishonour) see Luke 20:11. [source]
I have not a devil []
He ignores the charge of being a Samaritan, refusing to recognize the national distinction. For devil read demon. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 8:49

John 5:23 That all may honour the Son [ινα παντες τιμωσιν τον υιον]
Purpose clause with ινα — hina and present active subjunctive of τιμαω — timaō (may keep on honouring the Son). He that honoureth not the Son Articular present active participle of τιμαω — timaō with negative μη — mē Jesus claims here the same right to worship from men that the Father has. Dishonouring Jesus is dishonouring the Father who sent him (John 8:49; John 12:26; John 15:23; 1 John 2:23). See also Luke 10:16. There is small comfort here for those who praise Jesus as teacher and yet deny his claims to worship. The Gospel of John carries this high place for Christ throughout, but so do the other Gospels (even Q, the Logia of Jesus) and the rest of the New Testament. [source]

What do the individual words in John 8:49 mean?

Answered Jesus I a demon not have but I honor the Father of Me and you dishonor Me
Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς Ἐγὼ δαιμόνιον οὐκ ἔχω ἀλλὰ τιμῶ τὸν Πατέρα μου καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀτιμάζετέ με

Ἀπεκρίθη  Answered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
δαιμόνιον  a  demon 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: δαιμόνιον  
Sense: the divine power, deity, divinity.
τιμῶ  I  honor 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: τιμάω  
Sense: to estimate, fix the value.
Πατέρα  Father 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
μου  of  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἀτιμάζετέ  dishonor 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀτιμάζω 
Sense: to dishonour, insult, treat with contempt.
με  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.