For except ye believe

(εαν γαρ μη πιστευσητε). Negative condition of third class with εαν μη and ingressive aorist active subjunctive of πιστευω, "For unless ye come to believe."That I am he

(οτ εγω ειμ). Indirect discourse, but with no word in the predicate after the copula ειμ. Jesus can mean either "that I am from above" (verse John 8:23), "that I am the one sent from the Father or the Messiah" (John 7:18; John 7:28), "that I am the Light of the World" (John 8:12), "that I am the Deliverer from the bondage of sin" (John 8:28; John 8:31; John 8:36), "that I am" without supplying a predicate in the absolute sense as the Jews (Deuteronomy 32:39) used the language of Jehovah (cf. Isaiah 43:10 where the very words occur ινα πιστευσητε--οτ εγω ειμ). The phrase εγω ειμ occurs three times here (John 8:24; John 8:28; John 8:58) and also in John 13:19. Jesus seems to claim absolute divine being as in John 8:58.

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Old Testament