Even in your own LawThis phrase refers to the Mosaic Law, which was given to the Israelites and is foundational to Jewish religious and cultural identity. The Law, or Torah, includes the first five books of the Old Testament. Jesus is addressing the Pharisees, who were experts in the Law, highlighting their own standards. This reference underscores the authority and continuity of the Old Testament in the New Testament narrative. It also points to the importance of the Law in establishing truth and justice within the community.
it is written
This phrase indicates that Jesus is quoting directly from the Scriptures, emphasizing the authority and permanence of God's Word. The use of "it is written" is a common rabbinic formula for citing Scripture, which Jesus uses to affirm the validity and reliability of the Law. This also demonstrates Jesus' respect for the Scriptures and His deep understanding of them, as He often used Scripture to teach and correct.
that the testimony of two men
The requirement for two witnesses is rooted inDeuteronomy 19:15, which states that a matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. This principle was crucial in legal proceedings to ensure fairness and prevent false accusations. In the context ofJohn 8, Jesus uses this principle to validate His own testimony and that of the Father, highlighting the divine witness to His mission and identity.
is valid
The validity of testimony is a legal concept that ensures justice and truth. In the Jewish legal system, the corroboration of two witnesses was necessary to confirm a claim or accusation. Jesus uses this legal standard to argue for the legitimacy of His claims about Himself, as He and the Father both testify to His identity and mission. This also points to the broader theme of Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets, as He embodies the truth and justice that the Law seeks to uphold.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe central figure in this passage, Jesus is addressing the Pharisees and teaching about His divine authority and testimony.
2.
PhariseesA religious group in Judaism known for their strict adherence to the Law of Moses. They are questioning Jesus' authority and testimony.
3.
The LawRefers to the Mosaic Law, which includes the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. Jesus references this to validate His testimony.
4.
JerusalemThe setting of this discourse, where Jesus often taught and engaged with religious leaders.
5.
Witness/TestimonyA legal and religious concept in Jewish law, requiring two or more witnesses to establish a matter as true.
Teaching Points
The Importance of WitnessesIn both legal and spiritual matters, the testimony of multiple witnesses is crucial for establishing truth. This principle underscores the reliability and integrity of the process.
Jesus' Divine AuthorityJesus uses the Law to affirm His divine authority, showing that He fulfills and upholds the Law. Believers can trust in His words and works as divinely validated.
Scriptural ConsistencyThe principle of two or three witnesses is consistent throughout Scripture, demonstrating God's unchanging nature and the reliability of His Word.
Engaging with SkepticismLike Jesus, believers can use Scripture to address skepticism and questions about faith, pointing to the consistency and truth of God's Word.
Living with IntegrityJust as the Law required truthful testimony, Christians are called to live with integrity, ensuring their words and actions align with God's truth.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 8:17?
2.How does John 8:17 affirm the importance of multiple witnesses in decision-making?
3.What does John 8:17 reveal about the reliability of Jesus' testimony?
4.How can John 8:17 guide us in discerning truth in today's world?
5.How does John 8:17 connect to Deuteronomy 19:15 on legal testimony?
6.In what ways can we apply the principle of two witnesses in our lives?
7.How does John 8:17 affirm the validity of Jesus' testimony?
8.Why does John 8:17 reference the law of two witnesses?
9.What is the significance of witness testimony in John 8:17?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 8?
11.What should you focus on that is true and noble?
12.John 8:14-18: How do Jesus's statements about His testimony reconcile with other biblical passages that require two or more witnesses?
13.In the Gospel of John, what did Jesus say about bearing his own witness in John 5:31 and John 8:14?
14.Who is the author of Leviticus?What Does John 8:17 Mean
Even• The opening word signals contrast and emphasis. Jesus has just claimed divine authority, and now He highlights a standard His listeners already accept.
• Cross reference: InJohn 8:15-16, He says, “I judge no one… My judgment is true, for I am not alone,” setting up the importance of collaborative testimony.
• The simple word “Even” invites the crowd to acknowledge a truth they cannot deny before challenging them to a higher revelation.
In your own Law• Jesus appeals to the Torah, the very Scriptures the religious leaders prize (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15).
• By saying “your own Law,” He underscores their responsibility to heed what they claim to revere (Romans 2:17-24 shows how possessing the Law demands consistency).
• This phrase also underlines continuity: Jesus is not abolishing the Law but fulfilling it (Matthew 5:17).
It is written• A reminder that God’s Word carries permanent authority. The phrase echoes how Jesus counters temptation inMatthew 4:4, 7, 10.
• Written testimony stands above oral traditions or shifting interpretations.
•Psalm 119:89 affirms, “Your word, O LORD, is everlasting,” reinforcing why Jesus leans on written Scripture to validate His claims.
That the testimony of two men• The Law requires corroboration to establish truth (Numbers 35:30;Deuteronomy 19:15).
• Jesus soon pairs His own witness with the Father’s (John 8:18), perfectly meeting the standard.
•Matthew 18:16 and2 Corinthians 13:1 later echo this principle within church discipline and apostolic ministry.
Is valid• The Mosaic requirement safeguarded justice, preventing conviction on a single, possibly false, claim.
• By invoking this rule, Jesus shows that His testimony meets the strictest legal criteria and therefore cannot be dismissed lightly.
•Hebrews 6:18 reminds us “it is impossible for God to lie,” giving ultimate weight to the Father’s confirming witness about the Son.
summaryJohn 8:17 reveals Jesus engaging His opponents on their own terms. He cites the Law’s demand for two witnesses, not to lower His authority, but to show He already fulfills it: His words stand alongside the Father’s confirming voice. The verse underscores the reliability of Scripture, the fairness of God’s judicial standards, and the unity between Father and Son. Those who honor the Law must therefore honor the One it ultimately points to—Jesus Himself.
(17)
It is also written in your law.--He now proceeds to show again that the technical requirement of the Law was satisfied by His witness. The term
"your law" is material, as addressed to those who were professed expounders of it and accused Him of being a transgressor of it. (Comp. the parallel reference to the Law in
John 10:34;
John 15:25.) To assert that Jesus placed Himself in a position of antagonism to the Mosaic law, is to forget the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount (
Matthew 5:17); and to assert that the Jesus of the Fourth Gospel differs in this respect from the character as portrayed by the earlier Evangelists, is to forget the teaching of the last verse of John 5, and, indeed, to miss the whole force of these very passages. He does not, indeed, say "our law," as it was for them what it could not be for Him; but He mentions it to show in each case that He fulfilled it.
That the testimony of two men is true.--SeeDeuteronomy 17:6;Deuteronomy 19:15, and comp. Notes onMatthew 18:16 andMark 14:55-56. The words are here quoted freely, and "two men" is substituted for "two or three witnesses," which we find in both the passages in Deuteronomy. This prepares the way for the full thought of the "witness," in the next verse. The requirement of the Law would be satisfied with the evidence of two men: He has the witness of two Persons, but each is divine. . . .
Verse 17. - Having laid down the principle on which he was justified in maintaining the truthfulness of the assumption which the Pharisees impugned, he proceeded to vindicate, for these Jewish legalists, its agreement with the very letter of the Law. He adopted here the identical ground which was taken by him when first of all he claimed this fellowship with the Father.
Yea, and in your Law it has been written,that the witness of two men is true. Many have said that here Jesus puts himself on one side as in hostility to the Law; Baur and some others plead, from the very phrase "your Law," that Jesus could not have used such an expression, and that John could not have recorded it; and Reuss urges that this expression agrees with the "standpoint of the gospel,which aims at lowering and degrading the old dispensation." Nothing could be less in harmony with the facts (see Introduction, § VII. 2). Even Meyer says, "The words are anti-Judaic... though not antinomian." Surely our Lord was simply appealing to his bitter enemies to recognize the application of the principle found in their own Law, of which they were continually making a proud boast. He simply goes to common ground of argument, and is ready to show that even the letter of the Law sustains his claim for the sufficient reason that he is not alone, but the Father is manifestly with him. Just as he never said "our Father" when addressing his disciples, but either "my Father" or "your Father" (
John 20:17), because God is not the Father of men in the full sense in which he was Father to the only begotten Son; so he could not say "our Law" or "Moses gave us the Law" without derogating from the unique relation he sustained to the Law (compare Paul's language,
Romans 2:17, 21, 23). The quotation from Deuteronomy is not verbally exact; it even carries the statement of Scripture to a broader generalization, and is so worded that it applies to the case in point, by carrying the position to a legitimate consequence - "the witness of two
men is
true." By using the word "men," Christ suggests the contrast between two men on one side and the God-Man and the Father on the other. Lightfoot ('Horae Hebraicae') quotes 'Rosh-Shanah,' 1:2, 3, "that two persons well known must testify to the supreme court that they had seen the new moon! If these were unknown persons, they must bring proof that they were credible witnesses." Upon these common principles of jurisprudence the Lord was willing, in purely Jewish fashion, to rest his claim.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
EvenΚαὶ(Kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.yourὑμετέρῳ(hymeterō)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5212:Your, yours. From humeis; yours, i.e. Pertaining to you.[own]τῷ(tō)Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.Lawνόμῳ(nomō)Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551:From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.it is writtenγέγραπται(gegraptai)Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1125:A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.thatὅτι(hoti)Conjunction
Strong's 3754:Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.theἡ(hē)Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.testimonyμαρτυρία(martyria)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3141:Witness, evidence, testimony, reputation. From martus; evidence given.of twoδύο(dyo)Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 1417:Two. A primary numeral; 'two'.menἀνθρώπων(anthrōpōn)Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 444:A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.isἐστιν(estin)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.valid.ἀληθής(alēthēs)Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 227:Unconcealed, true, true in fact, worthy of credit, truthful. TRUE.
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NT Gospels: John 8:17 It's also written in your law that (Jhn Jo Jn) 
