Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 10:35

"If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken)," — John 10:35 (ASV)

On the contrary, Jesus introduced an a fortiori argument from the Psalms to strengthen his statement. Psalms 82:6 represents God as addressing a group of beings whom he calls “gods” and “sons of the Most High.” If, then, these terms can be applied to ordinary mortals or even angels, how could Jesus be accused of blasphemy when he applied them to himself, the One whom the Father set apart and sent into the world on a special mission? Jesus was not offering a false claim; he was merely asserting what he was by right. The parenthetic statement “and the Scripture cannot be broken” illustrates the high regard Jesus had for the OT. Throughout this gospel the constant assumption is that Scripture is the revelation of God, setting the timing, content, and character of Jesus’ ministry (2:22; 3:14–15; 5:39; et al.). Such passages presuppose a confidence in the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture that is in keeping with Jesus’ attitude.