And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. (Matthew 3:9 KJV)
and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. (Matthew 3:9 ASV)
And do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for [our] father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. (Matthew 3:9 DBY)
Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. (Matthew 3:9 WEB)
and do not think to say in yourselves, A father we have–Abraham, for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham, (Matthew 3:9 YLT)
Interlinear KJV
Mt 3:9 And /kai/ think /dokeo/ not /me/ to say /lego/ within /en/ yourselves, /heautou/ We have /echo/ Abraham /Abraam/ to our father: /pater/ for /gar/ I say /lego/ unto you, /humin/ that /hoti/ God /theos/ is able /dunamai/ of /ek/ these /touton/ stones /lithos/ to raise up /egeiro/ children /teknon/ unto Abraham. /Abraam/
Albert Barnes’ Commentary
Verse 9. And think not to say, etc. They regarded it, as sufficient righteousness that they were descended from so holy a man as Abraham. They deemed it as such an honour that it would go far to justify all his descendants, Joh 8:33-37, Joh 8:53. John assured them that this was a matter of small consequence in the sight of God. Of the very stones of the Jordan he could raise up children to Abraham. The meaning seems to be this: God, from these stones, could more easily raise up those who should be worthy children of Abraham, or be like him, than simply because you are descendants of Abraham make you, who are proud and hypocritical, subjects of the Messiah’s kingdom. Or, mere nativity, or the privileges of birth, avail nothing where there is not righteousness of life. Some have supposed, however, that by these stones he meant the Roman soldiers, or the heathen, who might also have attended on his ministry; and that God could of them raise up children to Abraham.
{1} “of these stones” or, “answerable to amendment of life”
Brethren NT Commentary
Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father. The inward thoughts of the Pharisees and Sadducees were, that they were secure against any wrath to come, because they were the natural descendants of the patriarch Abraham, with whom God had made an everlasting covenant in behalf of his descendants, especially through Isaac. (Compare on Ro 4:11-13.)
God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. John teaches them by this expression that to be the natural descendants of Abraham is of no advantage whatever in this new dispensation for which he was preparing the way. Hence the Pharisees and Sadducees have no more claim to be the children of Abraham, according to the Gospel faith, than natural, inanimate stones of the ground have.
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