John 8:44

Verse

Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ, καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν. Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐχ ἕστηκεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ. Ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ· ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ.

RBT Greek Interlinear:

4771; hymeis; ὑμεῖς; yourselves; PPro-N2P

1537; ek; ἐκ; from out; Prep

3588; tou; τοῦ; the; Art-GMS

3962; patros; πατρὸς; father; N-GMS

3588; tou; τοῦ; the; Art-GMS

1228; diabolou; διαβόλου; devil; Adj-GMS

1510; este; ἐστὲ; are; V-PIA-2P

2532; kai; καὶ; and; Conj

3588; tas; τὰς; the; Art-AFP

1939; epithymias; ἐπιθυμίας; desire; N-AFP

3588; tou; τοῦ; the; Art-GMS

3962; patros; πατρὸς; father; N-GMS

4771; hymōn; ὑμῶν; yourselves; PPro-G2P

2309; thelete; θέλετε; you desire; V-PIA-2P

4160; poiein; ποιεῖν; to do; V-PNA

1565; ekeinos; ἐκεῖνος; that one; DPro-NMS

443; anthrōpoktonos; ἀνθρωποκτόνος; murderer; N-NMS

1510; ēn; ἦν; was; V-IIA-3S

575; ap’; ἀπ’; away from; Prep

746; archēs; ἀρχῆς; [the] beginning; N-GFS

2532; kai; καὶ; and; Conj

1722; en; ἐν; within; Prep

3588; tē; τῇ; the; Art-DFS

225; alētheia; ἀληθείᾳ; truth; N-DFS

3756; ouk; οὐκ; not; Adv

4739; estēken; ἔστηκεν; has stood; V-IIA-3S

3754; hoti; ὅτι; that; Conj

3756; ouk; οὐκ; not; Adv

1510; estin; ἔστιν; is; V-PIA-3S

225; alētheia; ἀλήθεια; truth; N-NFS

1722; en; ἐν; within; Prep

846; autō; αὐτῷ; to himself; PPro-DM3S

3752; hotan; ὅταν; whenever; Conj

2980; lalē; λαλῇ; he might speak; V-PSA-3S

3588; to; τὸ; the; Art-ANS

5579; pseudos; ψεῦδος; falsehood; N-ANS

1537; ek; ἐκ; from out; Prep

3588; tōn; τῶν; the; Art-GNP

2398; idiōn; ἰδίων; own; Adj-GNP

2980; lalei; λαλεῖ; speaks; V-PIA-3S

3754; hoti; ὅτι; that; Conj

5583; pseustēs; ψεύστης; a liar; N-NMS

1510; estin; ἐστὶν; is; V-PIA-3S

2532; kai; καὶ; and; Conj

3588; ho; ὁ; the; Art-NMS

3962; patēr; πατὴρ; father; N-NMS

846; autou; αὐτοῦ; himself; PPro-GN3S

RBT Translation:

He is the Father of Himself

Yourselves are from out of the father, the False Accuser, and the desires of the father of yourselves, you desire to make. That one there was a manslayer away from the origin, and within the True/Real one has not stood firm, because there is not a true/real one within himself. Whenever he might utter, from out of the own self he utters the False One, because he is a liar, and the father of himself.⁸⁷

LITV Translation:
You are of the Devil as father, and the lusts of your father you desire to do. That one was a murderer from the beginning, and he has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own, because he is a liar, and the father of it.

ESV Translation:
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Footnotes

87

The Irony

ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ. The word "αὐτοῦ" (autoû) is a masculine form in ancient Greek. It is the genitive singular form of the pronoun "αὐτός" (autós), which means "he," "himself," or "it." This form indicates possession or association with a masculine noun or pronoun. It is modified in this case by ψεύστης "liar" which is a masculine noun, and not neuter.

"A liar" is not an "it". Himself being the liar, he is not the father of "it" but of "himself", the liar. The great irony here is that this text has apparently always been represented falsely to the world as "father of lies". 

A few translations tried to be honest:

• "because he is a liar—also his father." (LSV)
• "for he is a liar, and its father." (New Heart English)
• "he is a liar, and the father of it." (Websters)
• "he speaketh, because he is a liar -- also his father." (Young's Literal Translation)
• "or he is a liar and its father" (Darby)
• "for he is a liar, and the father thereof" (RSV)
• "For he is a lyer, and the father of the same thyng" (Bishops Bible of 1568)

The only woman to have translated the Bible into English, Julia E. Smith, as it happens, gave the most accurate, honest translation there is:

"for he is a liar, and the father of him." (Smith's Literal Translation, 1876)

Smith's translation was perhaps the most honest of all translations ever done. But the multitude never read or studied her translation or other literal translations. Julia's translation was not read or studied by many due to it being written by a woman in the 1850s, and not published until 21 years after she finished it. Although her "strictly literal rendering" still misses "the Whole", to her credit, she attempted to give the most honest renderings, notably with the distinguishing of the Hebrew incomplete and complete:

"And the heavens and the earth shall be completed, and all their army. And God will complete in the seventh day his work which he made, and he will rest in the seventh day from all his works which God formed to make." (Genesis 11:1-2 RBT)

So not having much opportunity to see the literal, accurate words, what did the multitude study, memorize, and believe?

In the last few centuries it was the King James "Authorized" Version:

• "for he is a liar, and the father of it" (KJV)

In the last couple of generations:

• "he is a liar, and the father of lies."  (NASB)
• "for he is a liar and the father of lies." (NIV)
• "for he is a liar and the father of lies." (New Living Translation)
• "for he is a liar and the father of lies." (ESV)