Some ancient manuscripts omit Our father, probably because these words contradict what was said in verse 44 (you are the children of your father, the Devil). The UBS Committee includes these words, but they rate their decision a “C” choice. In the present context our father seems to be the more difficult reading, and there is no apparent reason why an ancient scribe would have included the phrase had it not been in the original text. On the other hand, if the words were not originally a part of the text, they may have been added on the basis of your father Abraham in verse 56.

Our father Abraham died; you do not claim to be greater than Abraham, do you? is literally “Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?” In Greek this sentence is so constructed as to expect the answer “No.” This emphatic rhetorical question can be shifted into an exclamation in some languages, for example, “How can you say that you are greater than Abraham!”

To be greater than Abraham may be expressed in some languages as “surpass Abraham in importance.” In others the comparison may be expressed “that you are great and that Abraham is not great.” This positive-negative distinction does not imply that Abraham was not great, but simply that the person identified in the positive statement is greater than the one mentioned in the negative statement.

And the prophets also died seems to have little relation to the context; it comes almost as an afterthought.

Who do you think you are? is translated “Who do you claim to be?” by Moffatt and Revised Standard Version (see Jerusalem Bible “Who are you claiming to be?”) and “What do you claim to be?” by New English Bible.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .