Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, [ prin (G4250 ) Abraam (G11 ) genesthai (G1096 ) - 'Before Abraham came into existence'] I am, х egoo (G1473) eimi (G1510)]. The difference between the two verbs applied to Abraham and Himself, in this great saying, is to be carefully observed. 'Before Abraham was brought into being, I exist. The statement, therefore, is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did-as Arians affirm is the meaning: it is that he never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; which, of course, was as much as to say that He existed before all creation, or from eternity, as in John 1:1. In that sense, beyond all doubt, the Jews understood Him, as will appear from what follows.