John 8:33

Abraham’s seed. For the boast of the Jews concerning descent from Abraham see on Matt. 3:9; John 3:3, 4.

Never in bondage. This was a falsehood, if literal bondage was referred to. Egypt had been to them a “house of bondage” (Ex. 20:2). The period of the judges had been punctuated by repeated foreign oppressions. Later there had been national humiliation at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians. However, it is possible that the Jews were referring to spiritual freedom of soul, which here they doubtless boast they had never lost. This may be reflected in a statement of Eleazar, leader of a band of Jews who held out against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem: “Long since, my brave men, we determined neither to serve the Romans nor any other save God, for He alone is man’s true and righteous Lord” (Josephus War vii. 8. 6 [323]; Loeb ed., vol. 3, p. 595).