John 10:34

Study note

Setting — Jesus replies to the Jews who have just accused him of blasphemy for claiming to be God (v. 33). He answers their charge by citing their own Scripture.

The words — γεγραμμένον (gegrammenon), "written," is a perfect passive participle stressing a completed, standing act — the text is not merely recorded but permanently in force. The rhetorical οὐκ (ouk) frames it as an undeniable assertion, not a genuine question.

The thread — The quotation is Psalm 82:6, where God addresses the members of the divine assembly (Ps 82:1) who have failed in judgment. The same logic appears in Exodus 7:1, where God makes Moses "like God" to Pharaoh as a mediator of his word.

Why it lands — Jesus builds a lesser-to-greater argument: if those who merely received God's word were called "gods," the one the Father consecrated and sent into the world has a far stronger claim to divine identity. The reader is asked to follow the logic and reckon with what it means to call such a claim blasphemy.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.