John 8:58 - Past Tense Translations of Ego Eimi

We are presenting here some of the translations that put “ego eimi” of John 8:58 in some kind of past tense form; please note that our quotes from the translations does not mean that we are representing the translators as agreeing that Jesus is not Jehovah. Although the translations presented do recognize that Jesus was using the Greek present tense to represent a past tense situation, we understand that most of these translators probably assume from this that Jesus was still claiming to have been uncreated, although, such a thought is not actually inherent in the words that Jesus used.

A Bible, A New Translation – James Moffatt – “Truly, truly I tell you,” said Jesus, “I have existed before Abraham was born.”
https://studybible.info/Moffatt/John%208

Moffatt was a trinitarian, but he showed the past tense understanding of this verse.

Twentieth Century – “In truth I tell you,” replied Jesus, “before Abraham existed I was.”

http://www.archive.org/details/twentiethcentury00newyiala

Translated by a company of twenty scholars representing the various sections of the Christian Church

The Bible-An American Translation,  E.  Goodspeed – Jesus said to them, “I tell you, I existed before Abraham was born!”

The New Testament in the Language of the People – Then Jesus said to them, “I most solemnly say to you, I existed before Abraham was born.”

Translated from the Greek by CHARLES B. WILLIAMS

Peshitta, Lamsa Translation – Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was born, I was.

Murdock’s Syriac New Testament Translation – Jesus said to them: Verily, verily I say to you, That before Abraham existed, I was.

The following were given to us by others and we have not been able to verify them; nevertheless, we have no reason to doubt what is presented.

We are not sure which translations above were produced by trinitarian believers, but probably most of them were translated by trinitarians. 

Some other translations (these are gleaned from lists given by others -- we have not actually verified all renderings as presented below. Some may be listed more than once.):

The New Testament Or Rather The New Covenant - S. Sharpe: “I was before Abraham”.

The New Testament in the Language of the Day – W. G. Beck: “I was before Abraham”

The Simple English Bible: “I was alive before Abraham was born”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Bible

The New Testament in the Language of the People – C. B. Williams: “I existed before Abraham was born”

The Unvarnished New Testament – A. Gaus: “I have already been”

The Authentic New Testament – H. J. Schonfield: “I existed”

The Complete Gospels – R. J. Miller (Editor): “I existed”

New American Standard Bible 1963-1970 editions: “I have been” – alternative rendering. 

The United Bible Societies Hebrew New Testament has ani hayiti "I was" not ani hu "I he" (often rendered as "I am he"). 

George R. Noyes, Unitarian - The New Testament (Boston, 1871). "Before Abraham was born I was already what I am" and (in the 1904 edition) "I was"

The Twentieth Century New Testament (TCNT) supervised by J. Rendel Harris and Richard Francis Weymouth (Britain, 1900). "I have existed before Abraham was born"

J. A. Kleist S.J. and J. L. Lilly C.M., Roman Catholic - The New Testament (Milwaukee, 1956). "I am here – and I was before Abraham!"

J. M. P. Smith and E. J. Goodspeed An American Translation (1935) "I existed before Abraham was born!"

The New World Translation (1950, 1984) "before Abraham came to be, I have been."; (2013) "From before Abraham was, I have been"

 William F. Beck, Lutheran - The New Testament in the Language of Today (St. Louis, 1963). "I was in existence before Abraham was ever born"

Kenneth N. Taylor, The Living Bible (Wheaton, 1979). "I was in existence before Abraham was ever born!"

The poet Richard Lattimore, The Four Gospels and the Revelation (New York, 1979). "I existed before Abraham was born"

ed. Stanley L. Morris, The Simple English Bible (1981) "I was alive before Abraham was born"

C. B. Williams, The New Testament in the Language of the People (Nashville, 1986).

New Believers Bible, New Living Translation, (1996): “Jesus answered, “The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!”

The Concise Gospel and The Acts, C.J. Christianson, (1973): “I existed even before Abraham was born.”

New Simplified Bible: “Jesus said, I tell you the truth, I existed before Abraham was born.”

The New Testament in the Language of the People, Charles B. Williams, (1937): “Then Jesus said to them, “I most solemnly say to you, I existed before Abraham was born.”

Below have not yet been edited....

Cotton Patch Version, (1970): “To this Jesus replied, I existed before Abraham was born.”

New Testament, Noli, M.F.S., (1961): “Jesus answered them: Well, well, I tell you, I existed before Abraham was born.”

The Original New Testament, H.J. Schonfield, (1956): “I tell you for a positive fact, I existed before Abraham was born.”

The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, George Swann, (1947): “Jesus said to them, verily, verily I say unto you, I existed before Abraham was born.”

The Clarified New Testament, P.G. Parker: “Jesus answered, before Abraham existed, I existed.”

A Translators Handbook to the Gospel of John, Nida: “Before Abraham existed, I existed, or I have existed.”

The Documents of the New Testament, G.W. Wade, (1934): “Jesus said to them, in very truth I tell you, before Abraham came into being, I have existed.”

The Complete Gospels Annotated Scholars Version, Miller, (1992): “I existed before there was an Abraham.”

The Bible, A New Translation, Dr. James Moffatt, (1935): “Truly, truly I tell you,” said Jesus, “I have existed before Abraham was born.”

The New Testament Or Rather the New Covenant, Sharpe, (1881): “I was before Abraham was born.”

The Worldwide English New Testament Bible: “Jesus answered, I tell you the truth. I already was before Abraham was born.”

Good News for the World, (1969): “Jesus answered, I tell you the truth. I already was before Abraham was born.”

International English Version, (2001): “I was alive before Abraham was born.”

International Bible Translators, (1981): “Jesus said to them, I am telling the truth: I was alive before Abraham was born!”

The Simple English Bible, (1978): “Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth: I was alive before Abraham was born.”

The Four Gospels and Revelation, Richmond Lattimore, (1979): “Truly, truly I tell you, I am from before Abraham was born.”

New Covenant, J.W. Hanson, (1884): “Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, I am before Abraham was born.”

A Literal Translation from the Syriac Peshito Version, James Murdock, D.D., from 5th century manuscripts, (1896): “Jesus said to them: Verily, verily I say to you, That before Abraham existed, I was.”

Twentieth Century New Testament: “In truth I tell you,” replied Jesus, “before Abraham existed I was.”

The New Testament According To The Eastern Text, George Lamsa Translation, (1940): “Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was born, I was.”

The Curetonian Version of the Four Gospels, Burkitt, from 5th century manuscripts, (1904): “Before Abraham came to be, I was.”

The Old Georgian Version of the Gospel of John, P. Blake, M. Briere, in Patrologia Orientallis, Vol. XXVI, faxcicle 4, Paris, from 5th century manuscripts, (1950): “Before Abraham came to be, I was.”

Ethiopic-Edition: Nouvum Testamentum Æthiopice, T.P. Platt, revised by F. Praetorius, Lepzig, (1899: “Before Abraham was born, I was”

The New Testament, Curt Stage, (1907): “Before Abraham came to be, I was.”

The New Testament, Kleist & Lilly, (1956): “I tell you the plain truth. replied Jesus, I am here - and I was before Abraham.”

New American Standard Bible, 1963 and 1971 editions alternative rendering: “I have been”

The New Testament, George Rh. Noyes, D.D., “Professor Of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages and Dexter Lecturer on Biblical Literature in Harvard University”, (1869): “Jesus said, truly I tell you, from before Abraham was, I have been.”

“The Four Gospels” According to the Sinaitic Palimpsest, Agnes Smith Lewis, from a 4th-5th century manuscript, (1886): “He said unto them, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I have been.”

The New Testament in Hebrew, Franz Delitzsch, 1937 edition: “Before Abraham was, I have been.”

The Unvarnished New Testament, Andy Gaus: “Truly, truly I tell you, Before Abraham was born, I have already been.”

The New Testament (in German), Friedreich Pfaefflin, (1949): “Jesus: Before there was an Abraham, I was already there.”

The New Testament in Hebrew, Isaac Salkinson and David Ginsberg, 1941 edition: “I have been when there had as yet been no Abraham.”

Translation of New Testament, Wakefield, G., (1795): “Jesus said unto them: Verily verily I say unto you, before Abraham was born, I am He.”

Ledyard, G.H. New Life Testament, (1969): “Jesus said to them, for sure I tell you, before Abraham was born, I was and sum and always will be.”

The Coptic Version of the New Testament in the Southern Dialect, George William Horner, (1911): “Before Abraham became, I, I, am being.”

“Jesus said to them, Truly, truly do I say to you, From before Abraham was, I have been.”-THE NEW TESMAMENT TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK TEXT OF TESCHENDORF BY GEORGE R. NOYES, D.D., HANCOCK PROFESSOR OF HEBREW AND OTHER ORIENTAL LANGUAGES, AND DEXTER LECTURER ON BIBLICAL LITERATURE, IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Note  regarding what is stated concerning The United Bible Societies Hebrew New Testament: Biblical Hebrew is not the same as modern Hebrew. While "ani hayiti" in modern Hebrew is indeed "I was", "ani hu", evidently taken from the Biblical Hebrew, means "I - he." The verb "am" is not actually there in the Hebrew; it is supplied in English by translators, as in Isaiah 43:10. "Ani Hu" itself is not concerned with time; in English, it could be rendered, "I am he;" "I was he;" "I will be he;" etc. Its contextual usage in Isaiah 43:10 indicates, however, that it should be understood as "I am he."

If any know of more translations, or have more information related to this, please let us know in the comments form below.

Some of the above translations treat the present indicative verb (transliterated as "eimi") in John 8:58 as a historical present (using the present tense in a past context), while some others treat it as what some scholars call the progressive past (or, durative present, extending from the past to present). Some scholars contend that the historical present is only used in narrative form, and claim that Jesus' statement in John 8:58 is not a narrative form. This, however, does not do away with the fact that the present tense verb is still used in a past tense context. We do not know of any other scripture in the New Testament wherein a present tense verb is used in a past tense context wherein modern translators have refused to render the present tense verb into English with some kind of past tense expression. It should be apparent that the "triune God" dogma has influenced most (but not all) trinitarian translators to make an exception to John 8:58.

In general, when a present tense verb is used in a past context, it is expressing a condition existing in the past that continues to the present (or, it expresses what some scholars call the "historical present"). We will present some quotes from some online Biblical Greek lessons concerning this:

3. Extending-from-Past Present (Present of Past Action Still in Progress) 

The present tense may be used to describe an action that, begun in the past, continues in the present. The emphasis is on the present time.
Luke 15:29 I have served you for these many years.
http://www.bcbsr.com/greek/gtense.html

2) {DURATIVE PRESENT
Some grammarians call this the progressive present. An action or a state of being which began in the past is described as continuing until the present. The past and the present are gathered up in a single affirmation. An adverb of time is often used with this kind of present, but a verb alone is sometimes sufficient as in the final example given below. This use of the Greek present is usually translated by the English present perfect. Although impractical to bring out in English translation, the full meaning is that something has been and still is.}
a) [Compare Luke 13:7]: 

"Behold, I have been coming for three years seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none."

 "I have been coming" = "erchomai" = lit., "am coming", present, indicative

"I have found none" = "ouch heuriskO" = lit., "am finding", present, indicative 

Note that context establishes that the action portrayed is not absolutely continuous to the extent that when it has begun, it is unceasing; but it is an action which is nevertheless ongoing in a repetitive manner - He comes one time, ends, and then another and another comes, goes and then it comes again.
http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/new_testament_greek.htm

Then, just to show you why Greek tenses are only secondly concerned with time, we have a thing in Greek called an historical present. We actually have it in English, too. If I were going to tell you about why I had a shoulder operation, I’d say, “Well, it’s a beautiful day, and I am up in the mountains skiing, and the snow is falling, and it is bright and sunny, and I’m skiing through the trees like an idiot…” Could you hear what I did? It happened twenty years ago, but I am using the present. Why do I do that? It makes it vivid, it drives the story home.
Greek does this same thing, such as in this particular passage. You get down to “and he said,” λέγει is present tense. But the whole context is something about the past is being told. So translations almost always translate this kind of present as a past tense.
https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/greek-verbs/greek-tools-for-bible-study/william-mounce

For more studies related to the Biblical usage of I AM , see our resource page:
Ehjeh and "I am"