You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
When Jesus says, "You are doing the works your father did," he's not just accusing them of bad deeds; he's pointing to the source of those deeds. The Jews' response reveals they hear a literal insult about their birth, completely missing that Jesus is exposing a deeper, spiritual paternity tied to their actions, not just their bloodline.
You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus tells the crowd that their actions reveal the true father they are serving, not Abraham. The crowd, offended, insist they are legitimate offspring and not born of spiritual impurity, proudly proclaiming God as their one Father. This exchange highlights Jesus' ongoing conflict with religious leaders who claim a spiritual heritage but reject His divine identity and mission.
Jesus directly confronts the religious leaders, accusing them of acting like their father. But who is this father they're so resistant to acknowledging? Their angry response reveals a deep misunderstanding of identity.
Jesus doesn't just accuse them of bad behavior; he connects their actions to a spiritual lineage. Their violent rejection of Jesus, the truth, shows they are acting out the
The leaders react with outrage to Jesus' accusation, insisting they were never born of 'sexual immorality.' What do they mean by this, and why is their defense so passionate?
The leaders interpret Jesus' words literally, thinking he's calling them bastards or illegitimate. They are deeply offended because they believe they are Abraham's pure, chosen descendants.
However, Jesus is speaking spiritually. 'Fornication' (or 'sexual immorality') in the Old Testament is often a metaphor for idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. By insisting on their 'purity,' they are claiming they have never been unfaithful to God through idolatry.
Their claim, 'We have one Father—even God,' is a boast of their special covenant relationship. But their hatred for Jesus proves their claim is false; true children of God would recognize and love God's Son.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
erga · Greek Noun
In biblical usage, 'works' refers to the deeds, actions, or conduct of a person that manifest their internal moral character, faith, or spiritual allegiance. It signifies the practical expression of one's heart and commitments.
porneia · Greek Noun
Refers to illicit sexual intercourse, including adultery or fornication. Metaphorically, it is often used in the Old Testament to describe idolatry, which is spiritual unfaithfulness to God.
patēr · Greek Noun
In this context, it represents the foundational relationship with the Creator. Claiming God as 'Father' denotes spiritual descent, belonging to His covenant people, and alignment with His character and authority.
The Jewish leaders' indignant response highlights their fierce pride in their lineage and their misunderstanding of spiritual fatherhood. They cling to Abraham and God as their fathers based on heritage and religious practice, unable to grasp Jesus' claim that their actions reveal a far darker spiritual paternity.
c. 2000-1700 BC
Abraham's Covenant with God
God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising to make him a father of many nations and to be their God. This foundational event establishes a lineage and divine relationship that later generations would claim.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, scattering its people. This event leads to a mixed population in the region and raises questions about true lineage and faithfulness to God.
586 BC
Babylonian Exile of Judah
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling many Judeans. This trauma profoundly shapes Jewish identity, emphasizing lineage and covenant faithfulness as central to their hope for restoration.
c. 450-400 BC
Post-Exilic Religious Reforms
Following the return from exile, leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah emphasize strict adherence to the Law and purity of lineage to maintain covenant identity. This heightened focus on religious and ethnic purity can lead to exclusivism.
c. AD 25-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins teaching and healing throughout Galilee and Judea, challenging religious and political authorities. His claims and actions increasingly provoke opposition from Jewish leaders.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Confrontation in Jerusalem
During His ministry in Jerusalem, Jesus engages in sharp theological debates with Jewish leaders. His teachings on His divine identity and their spiritual lineage directly challenge their claims of Abrahamic and divine sonship.
This verse sets up the ongoing conflict between the 'seed of the woman' (God's people) and the 'seed of the serpent' (Satan's influence), highlighting a spiritual lineage distinct from physical descent.
Isaiah 57:3This passage uses the metaphor of 'children of the sorceress' and 'offspring of the adulterer' to describe those who turn away from God to idols, paralleling the spiritual 'fornication' the Jews are accused of.
Romans 9:7-8Paul explains that not all physical descendants of Abraham are true children of God, emphasizing that 'children of the promise' are counted as offspring, directly addressing the Jews' claim of lineage.
1 John 3:10This verse clearly distinguishes between the children of God and the children of the devil based on their actions, echoing Jesus' point that their deeds reveal their true spiritual father.
calvinJohn 8:39-42: "They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."
- They answered, and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them, If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40. But now you seek to kill me, a man who have spoken to you the truth which I have heard from God: Abraham did not this. 41. You do the works of your father. They said therefore to him, We w…
gillJohn 8:41: "Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God."
Ye do the deeds of your father,.... Not Abraham, but the devil. Then said they unto him, we be not born of fornication: meaning either literally, that they were not a brood of bastards, children of whoredom, illegitimately begotten in unlawful copulation, or wedlock; or figuratively, that they were not the children of idolaters, idolatry being called fornication in Sc…
When Jesus says, "You are doing the works your father did," he's not just accusing them of bad deeds; he's pointing to the source of those deeds. The Jews' response reveals they hear a literal insult about their birth, completely missing that Jesus is exposing a deeper, spiritual paternity tied to their actions, not just their bloodline.
Jesus tells the crowd that their actions reveal the true father they are serving, not Abraham. The crowd, offended, insist they are legitimate offspring and not born of spiritual impurity, proudly proclaiming God as their one Father. This exchange highlights Jesus' ongoing conflict with religious leaders who claim a spiritual heritage but reject His divine identity and mission.
Jesus tells the crowd that their actions reveal the true father they are serving, not Abraham. The crowd, offended, insist they are legitimate offspring and not born of spiritual impurity, proudly proclaiming God as their one Father. This exchange highlights Jesus' ongoing conflict with religious leaders who claim a spiritual heritage but reject His divine identity and mission.
"You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”" — When Jesus says, "You are doing the works your father did," he's not just accusing them of bad deeds; he's pointing to the source of those deeds. The Jews' response reveals they hear a literal insu…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026