John 8:58 in the “Kingdom Interlinear Translation.” On the right side, the NWT has rendered the verse – “Jesus said to them: ‘Most truly I say to You, Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.’”
In the “KIT” (Purple Cover) the footnote on this verse states, “I have been” is properly rendered in the perfect tense.” The newer KIT (Blue Cover) states that “I have been is properly translated by the perfect indicative.” One really wonders if the WT’s right-hand knows what the left-hand is doing because the 1950 NWT states that John 8:58 was in the “perfect indefinite tense.”
In the KIT, the words on the Greek side “ego eimi” are translated “I AM.” However, if you look at the right side, the NWT side, the phrase reads, “I have been.” Look at John 8:18, 24 and 28, in each case “ego eimi” on the Greek side is translated “I am,” and on the NWT side it is also translated “I am.” But, as we saw in John 8:58, “ego eimi” on the Greek side is translated “I am” but on the English side—the NWT side—it is, “I have been.” Why the switch?
Bible scholars link John 8:58 and Exodus 3:13-14 where Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM’ has sent me to you.'"
In John 8:58, Jesus took the divine name, I AM, and applied it to himself. The WT could not have their devotees believing the Bible over their false doctrines, so what were they to do. Simple, Presto Change-O! Ego eimi is translated, in the NWT (right side) ‘I have been’ instead of ‘I Am.’ Now there is no link between Jesus and Jehovah—WT problem solved.
The WT to make doubly sure no JW will see the connection between John 8:58 and Exodus 3:13-14 has a footnote in the KIT (Purple Cover.) It reads, “It (ego eimi at John 8:58) is not the same as “ho ohn” meaning “The Being” or “The I Am”) at Exodus 3:14. What the WT doesn’t tell you, is that in Exodus 3:14 the entire phrase is “ego eimi ho ohn,” “I am that I am.” Knowing the entire phrase makes the connection between John 8:58 and Exodus 3:14 quite clear and the WT intellectually dishonest.
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