I am looking at the pronoun references in John 8:
2 Early in the morning he [Jesus] came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst.
The setting was the temple court. The Jews, including the scribes and the Pharisees, came to Jesus.
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Same setting, same audience.
13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”
Among the audience, some Pharisees were antagonistic.
19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?”
"They" referred to the vocal antagonistic Pharisees.
Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
"them" referred to the vocal antagonistic Pharisees.
22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
i.e., the antagonistic Jews.
23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
"them" referred to the vocal antagonistic Jews.
27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.
the antagonistic Jews
28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Many Jews who were listening believed in him.
So far, the referent "they" always referred to the hostile Jews. Now comes the part that is a bit confusing:
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus addressed the believing Jews.
33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Who were they?
- In the immediate context, "they" referred to the believing Jews.
- In the broader context, "they" referred to the unbelieving antagonistic Jews.
Ellicott thought it was 1:
(33) They answered him—i.e., the Jews who had believed in Him (John 8:31). There is no indication that this answer was made by others standing near, nor would this supposition have been made but for the difficulty of applying some of the words which follow (John 8:40; John 8:44) to those who had ever professedly been believers; but the explanation is to be found in our Lord’s own warning words in John 8:31. He has tested their faith, and they fail in the first steps of discipleship.
Meyer thought it was 1:
Accordingly, there is no warrant for saying with Luthardt that the reply came primarily from opponents.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges went with 1:
‘They’ must mean ‘the Jews who had believed Him’ (John 8:31): it is quite arbitrary to suppose any one else. The severe words which follow (John 8:44) are addressed to them, for turning back, after their momentary belief, as well as to those who had never believed at all.
Gill thought it was 2:
Not the believing Jews, whom he peculiarly addressed, but the unbelieving Jews, who were present, and heard these things:
Benson thought it was 2:
They answered him — Namely, the other Jews that were present, not those that believed, as appears by the whole tenor of the conversation;
Barnes went with 2:
They answered him - Not those who believed on him, but some who stood by and heard him.
Scholarly opinions were divided. I think the evidence for case 2 is stronger. So far, the referent "they" always referred to the hostile Jews. Let's continue:
39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.
Over and over again, "they" in this chapter always referred to the antagonistic Jews. Finally, they got hostile:
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Who said “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone"?
The antagonistic unbelieving Jews. Some Jews believed but they were not vocal about it.
