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Joh 8:58. Πρὶν Ἀβραάμ γενέσθαι, ἐγὼ εἰμί, before that Abraham was brought into being, I am) The Jews are hereby refuted, who were denying, that Abraham even then could have seen that day. I was, saith Jesus, even then; therefore I saw Abraham, and Abraham saw My day: not merely did I not begin to be only afterwards [afterwards and not till then], but I was, before that he teas brought into being. The difference is to be observed between I am brought into being, and I am; Mar 4:22 [οὐ γάρ ἐστί (is) τι κρυπρὸν, ὁ ἐὰν μὴ φανερωθῇ· οὐδὲ ἐγένετο (has been made, or, become, viz. by design), ἀπόκρυφον, ἀλλʼ ἵνα εἰς φανερὸν ἔλθῃ]. Act 26:29, “I would to God that-all-γενέσθαι, might become such as I am, εἰμι:” 1Co 3:18, “If any man seemeth to be wise-εἶναι-let him become a fool-γενέσθω.” Moreover, it is an abbreviated form of expression, in this sense; Before that Abraham was made, I was: and at this day, at so long an interval after the death of Abraham, I am. For John often expresses himself in such a way, that the Protasis and Apodosis mutually complete one another; Joh 8:28, “When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself:” Joh 8:38, “I speak that which, etc., and ye do that which,” etc. [do is to be supplied to the first clause, speak to the second]; ch. Joh 5:21, “As the Father raiseth up-and quickeneth, even so the Son quickeneth” (underst., and raiseth up) etc.; Joh 8:30, “I can of Mine own self do (supply, and judge) nothing; as I hear I judge” (supply, and do); ch. Joh 11:8, Joh 14:10, “The words I speak,-I speak not of Myself (supply, and the works I do, I do not of Myself) but the Father-doeth the works (supply, and speaketh the words); ch. Joh 15:27; Rev 14:10, notes. Thus the particle before and the present I am, elegantly cohere; comp. also Col 1:17, He Himself is before all things. And yet Artemonius in Diss. iv., p. 618, calls this expression, after the daring example of Enjedinus, a barbarism; but the present is often so put, as that the past time is included; Luk 15:29, So many years (I have served and still) serve thee (τοσαῦτα ἔτη δουλεύω). In the same ch. Joh 8:31 (thou hast been) and art always with Me, as the Goth. Vers. renders it [πάντοτε-εἶ]. Septuag. Psa 90:2, πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη γενηθῆναι, σὺ εἶ [before the mountains were brought forth, thou art], where Artemonius can by no effort of his change the punctuation. Pro 8:25, πρὸ πὰντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με, where, if only Artemonius be right in saying that there is some error, nothing [no correction] is nearer (for חוללתי) than γεννῶμαι, which is also present. I would like to see what device he would contrive to meet Jer 1:5, πρὸ τοῦ με καταπλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ, ἐπίσταμαί σε. Artemonius, with Socinus, thus explains the words; Before that Abraham is made the father of many nations, I am, to wit, the Christ: and also he takes I am in the same sense as at Joh 8:24, “If ye believe not that I am He;” Joh 8:28, “Then shall ye know that I am He;” ch. Joh 13:19, “That, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He;” Mar 13:6, “Many shall come saying, I am (Christ).” I reply, 1) The Jews had objected that Abraham was deceased for more than fifty years before; Abraham was not regarded by them as about to belong to the New Testament. 2) This sentiment would not have borne that most solemn asseveration, Verily, verily, I say unto you. For in this sense even the Jews, who were then living, would have been before Abraham. 3) The word I am, in this colloquy, is employed concerning age and time, in antithesis to the inchoative to be brought into being [γενέσθαι]. Moreover, the reference of the words opposed is the same, and both verbs ought to be understood absolutely, as was is used; ch. Joh 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word,” etc. However this absolute signification includes that other by consequence; before that Abraham was brought into being; He who speaks, was; and He was the same as He asserted to the Jews that He was.-πρἰν Ἀβραάμ γενέσθαι) Γενέσθαι is wanting in some of the old fathers, especially the Latin fathers; but the use of the adverb πρίν does not bear the omission. That indeed is certain, that those fathers had no thought of the Socinian perversion of the sense of the verb γενέσθαι, and so the perversion of this whole passage. [Dabc and Epiphanius omit γενέσθαι. But [237][238], Vulg. and Orige[239] I., 750 f, etc., have it.]
[237] the Alexandrine MS.: in Brit. Museum: fifth century: publ. by Woide, 1786-1819: O. and N. Test. defective.
[238] Cod. Basilianus (not the B. Vaticanus): Revelation: in the Vatican: edited by Tisch., who assigns it to the beginning of the eighth century.
[239] rigen (born about 186 A.D., died 253 A.D., a Greek father: two-thirds of the N. Test. are quoted in his writings). Ed. Vinc. Delarue, Paris. 1733, 1740, 1759.