John 10:35

35 If he called `elohim' the people to whom the word of Elohim was addressed (and the Tanakh cannot be broken),

John 10:35 Meaning and Commentary

John 10:35

If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came,
&c.] The Syriac version reads, "because the word of God came to them"; either the divine "Logos", the essential word, the Son of God, who appeared to Moses, and made him a God to Pharaoh, and who appointed rulers and magistrates among the Jews; and who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, from whom all receive their power and dominion: this sense is favoured by the Ethiopic version, which renders it, "if he called them gods to whom God appeared, the word of God was with them": or else the commission from God, authorizing them to act in the capacity of rulers and governors, is here meant; or rather the word of God, which, in the passage of Scripture cited, calls them so, as it certainly does:

and the Scripture cannot be broken;
or be made null and void; whatever that says is true, there is no contradicting it, or objecting to it: it is a Jewish way of speaking, much used in the Talmud F25; when one doctor has produced an argument, or instance, in any point of debate, another says, (Krpyml akya) , "it may be broken"; or objected to, in such and such a manner, and be refuted: but the Scripture cannot be broken, that is not to be objected to, there can be no confutation of that.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 4. 1. & Becorot, fol. 32. 1. & passim.

John 10:35 In-Context

33 The Judeans replied, "We are not stoning you for any good deed, but for blasphemy -- because you, who are only a man, are making yourself out to be God [Hebrew: Elohim]."
34 Yeshua answered them, "Isn't it written in your Torah, `I have said, "You people are Elohim' "?h
35 If he called `elohim' the people to whom the word of Elohim was addressed (and the Tanakh cannot be broken),
36 then are you telling the one whom the Father set apart as holy and sent into the world, `You are committing blasphemy,' just because I said, `I am a son of Elohim'?
37 "If I am not doing deeds that reflect my Father's power, don't trust me.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.