John 8:34

Ver. 34. The genitive τῆς ἁμαρτίας of sin, is omitted by the Cambridge MS., and an important document of the Itala; without this complement, the sense is: “ He is a slave, truly a slave, while believing himself a free man;” a sense which is perfectly suitable. If, however, with all the other documents, the complement: of sin is sustained, it must be understood: “He is a slave, I mean a slave of sin.” The sin to which the man at first freely surrenders himself becomes a master, then a tyrant. It ends by entirely confiscating his will. The passage Romans 6:16-18 presents an idea analogous to that of these words. The present participle ὁ ποιῶν, who commits (sin) unites the two notions of act and condition; the act proceeds from the condition, then it establishes it. It is a slavery for which the individual is responsible, because he has himself cooperated in creating it. The genitive of sin brings out the degrading character of this dependence; the following clause shows the terrible consequence of it: