“I AM or I existed?” Why do so Many Get This Wrong?

The phrase “I am” in John 8:58 comes from two Greek words “egō” and “eimi.”

The Strong's Definitions are:“egō : “I” (only expressed when emphatic): - I, me.”“eimi: I exist (used only when emphatic): - am, have been, X it is I, was.”

How would you expect Jesus to respond to this comment?

“Then said the Jews unto him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” John 8:57

Not knowing Jesus existed before Abraham, the Pharisees are saying how could you have seen Abraham because you are not yet 50 years old. Since the Greek words for “I am” also mean I exist or existed, what is the obvious translation and response from Christ who existed before Abraham?

“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58Or“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I existed.” John 8:58

Both are valid translations and the majority of Bible translations agree with the last one in fact with good reason!

*** Here Are Many Translations That Had No Trouble Getting This Right! ***

The Living Bible:“The absolute truth is that I was in existence before Abraham was ever born!”

The New Testament in the Language of Today, 1964 ed., William F. Beck:“I was in existence before Abraham was ever born”

New Believers Bible, New Living Translation, (1996):“Jesus answered, “The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!”

The Concise Gospel and The Acts, C.J. Christianson, (1973):“I existed even before Abraham was born.”

New Simplified Bible:“Jesus said, I tell you the truth, I existed before Abraham was born.”

An American Translation, Smith and Goodspeed, (1939):“Jesus said to them, “I tell you, I existed before Abraham was born!”

The New Testament in the Language of the People, Charles B. Williams, (1937):“Then Jesus said to them, “I most solemnly say to you, I existed before Abraham was born.”

Cotton Patch Version, (1970):“To this Jesus replied, I existed before Abraham was born.”

New Testament, Noli, M.F.S., (1961):“Jesus answered them: Well, well, I tell you, I existed before Abraham was born.”

The Original New Testament, H.J. Schonfield, (1956):“I tell you for a positive fact, I existed before Abraham was born.”

The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, George Swann, (1947):“Jesus said to them, verily, verily I say unto you, I existed before Abraham was born.”

The Clarified New Testament, P.G. Parker:“Jesus answered, before Abraham existed, I existed.”

A Translators Handbook to the Gospel of John, Nida:“Before Abraham existed, I existed, or I have existed.”

The Documents of the New Testament, G.W. Wade, (1934):“Jesus said to them, in very truth I tell you, before Abraham came into being, I have existed.”

The Complete Gospels Annotated Scholars Version, Miller, (1992):“I existed before there was an Abraham.”

The Bible, A New Translation, Dr. James Moffatt, (1935):“Truly, truly I tell you,” said Jesus, “I have existed before Abraham was born.”

The New Testament Or Rather the New Covenant, Sharpe, (1881):“I was before Abraham was born.”

The Worldwide English New Testament Bible:“Jesus answered, I tell you the truth. I already was before Abraham was born.”

Good News for the World, (1969):“Jesus answered, I tell you the truth. I already was before Abraham was born.”

International English Version, (2001):“I was alive before Abraham was born.”

International Bible Translators, (1981):“Jesus said to them, I am telling the truth: I was alive before Abraham was born!”

The Simple English Bible, (1978):“Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth: I was alive before Abraham was born.”

The Four Gospels and Revelation, Richmond Lattimore, (1979):“Truly, truly I tell you, I am from before Abraham was born.”

New Covenant, J.W. Hanson, (1884):“Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, I am before Abraham was born.”

A Literal Translation from the Syriac Peshito Version, James Murdock, D.D., from 5th century manuscripts, (1896):“Jesus said to them: Verily, verily I say to you, That before Abraham existed, I was.”

Twentieth Century New Testament:“In truth I tell you,” replied Jesus, “before Abraham existed I was.”

The New Testament According To The Eastern Text, George Lamsa Translation, (1940):“Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was born, I was.”

The Curetonian Version of the Four Gospels, Burkitt, from 5th century manuscripts, (1904):“Before Abraham came to be, I was.”

The Old Georgian Version of the Gospel of John, P. Blake, M. Briere, in Patrologia Orientallis, Vol. XXVI, faxcicle 4, Paris, from 5th century manuscripts, (1950):“Before Abraham came to be, I was.”

Ethiopic-Edition: Nouvum Testamentum Æthiopice, T.P. Platt, revised by F. Praetorius, Lepzig, (1899:“Before Abraham was born, I was”

The New Testament, Curt Stage, (1907):“Before Abraham came to be, I was.”

The New Testament, Kleist & Lilly, (1956):“I tell you the plain truth. replied Jesus, I am here - and I was before Abraham.”

New American Standard Bible, 1963 and 1971 editions alternative rendering:“I have been”

The New Testament, George Rh. Noyes, D.D., “Professor Of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages and Dexter Lecturer on Biblical Literature in Harvard University”, (1869):“Jesus said, truly I tell you, from before Abraham was, I have been.”

“The Four Gospels” According to the Sinaitic Palimpsest, Agnes Smith Lewis, from a 4th-5th century manuscript, (1886):“He said unto them, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I have been.”

The New Testament in Hebrew, Franz Delitzsch, 1937 edition:“Before Abraham was, I have been.”

The Unvarnished New Testament, Andy Gaus:“Truly, truly I tell you, Before Abraham was born, I have already been.”

The New Testament: a New Translation and Explanation Based on the Oldest Manuscripts, Johannes Greber, (1937):“I am speaking the truth, Jesus answered, I am older than Abraham.”

The New Testament (in German), Friedreich Pfaefflin, (1949):“Jesus: Before there was an Abraham, I was already there.”

The New Testament in Hebrew, Isaac Salkinson and David Ginsberg, 1941 edition:“I have been when there had as yet been no Abraham.”

Translation of New Testament, Wakefield, G., (1795):“Jesus said unto them: Verily verily I say unto you, before Abraham was born, I am He.”

Ledyard, G.H. New Life Testament, (1969):“Jesus said to them, for sure I tell you, before Abraham was born, I was and sum and always will be.”

The Coptic Version of the New Testament in the Southern Dialect, George William Horner, (1911):“Before Abraham became, I, I, am being.”

The New Testament, James A. Klist, S.J., and Joseph L. Lilly, C.M., (1954):“I am here - and I was before Abraham.”