---
title: John 8:59
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/john-8-59/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/john-8-59.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: John 8:59
testament: NT
section: Gospels
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# John 8:59

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid and went out of the temple."

## JW Usage

The Watchtower acknowledges the stoning attempt but interprets it as a Jewish misunderstanding. In their reading, Jesus' "before Abraham came into existence, I have been" claim was a statement of pre-existence as Michael the Archangel, and the Jews' reaction was either an over-reaction or evidence that they wrongly took him to be claiming more than he actually was. Jesus' silent exit is read as escape from a misunderstanding rather than confirmation that the divine name claim landed.

## Protestant Usage

The hostile-witness argument is the strongest one here. Jesus has just said in verse 58, "before Abraham came into existence, I have been" — and the immediate Jewish response is to pick up stones to kill him for blasphemy. Pre-existence alone was not blasphemous; Jewish tradition held the Messiah and the Torah as pre-existent. Stoning was the prescribed punishment for claiming the divine name. The Jews recognised what Jesus had just done. Jesus does not correct their interpretation; he simply hides himself and leaves. Compare John 10:33 — "we are stoning you, not for a fine work, but for blasphemy; for you, although being a man, make yourself a god." Their consistent reaction to Jesus' egō eimi statements is that he is claiming divine identity, and Jesus consistently refuses to walk that claim back.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Ego Eimi — 'I AM'](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/ego-eimi.md) — John 8:58 [Deity of Christ]
- [Liar, Lunatic, or Lord — There Is No Fourth Option](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/liar-lunatic-lord.md) — John 8:58 / John 10:30 / Mark 14:62 [Deity of Christ]