Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

JOHN 8:44KJV
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John 8:44 (KJV)

What does John 8:44 mean?

John 8:44 says that some people are acting like the devil is their father because they follow his desires, not God’s. Jesus describes the devil as a murderer and liar from the very beginning, with no truth in him, and says those who lie and do evil are showing the same character.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to a group of Jewish leaders who are challenging him. He tells them that their actions—rejecting truth and plotting harm—show they are following the devil’s ways, not God’s. Jesus uses strong language to highlight the seriousness of opposing truth and to show the deep divide between God’s character and the devil’s.

The Greek behind John 8:44

  • διάβολος (diabolos, "devil"): This word means "slanderer" or "accuser." Jesus is not just calling the devil an enemy but someone who twists truth and accuses others, which fits the context of lies and murder.
  • ἐπιθυμία (epithymia, "lusts" or "desires"): This word refers to strong desires or cravings, often for things that are wrong. Jesus is saying that following these desires links a person to the devil’s nature.
  • ψεύστης (pseustēs, "liar"): The Greek word for "liar" is blunt and direct, emphasizing that lying is not just something the devil does, but is at the core of his character.
  • πατήρ (patēr, "father"): Jesus uses this word to stress a family resemblance—not by blood, but by shared actions and attitudes.

Why John 8:44 matters

  • John 8:44 clarifies that spiritual kinship is shown by actions and character, not just by heritage or religious background.
  • The verse highlights how Jesus draws a sharp line between truth and lies, showing that following God means loving truth, while following the devil means embracing deception.
  • This verse connects to the larger conversation in John 8, where Jesus challenges people to examine whether their lives reflect God’s truth or something else entirely.

Where else these words appear

“murderer” Greek G443 · used in 2 verses

  • 1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

“lie” Greek G5579 · used in 9 verses

  • Romans 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
  • 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

“liar” Greek G5583 · used in 10 verses

  • John 8:55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
  • Titus 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
  • 1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

“devil” Greek G1228 · used in 36 verses

  • Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
  • Luke 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
  • Titus 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;