John 1:42

οὗτος. Comp. John 1:2; John 1:7; John 3:2; John 3:26.

πρῶτον. The meaning of ‘first’ becomes almost certain when we remember S. John’s characteristic reserve about himself. Both disciples hurry to tell their own brothers the good tidings, that the Messiah has been found: Andrew finds his own brother first, and afterwards John finds his: but we are left to infer the latter point.

Andrew thrice brings others to Christ; Peter, the lad with the loaves (John 6:8), and certain Greeks (John 12:22); and, excepting Mark 13:3, we know scarcely anything else about him. Thus it would seem as if in these three incidents S. John had given us the key to his character. And here we have another characteristic of this Gospel—the lifelike way in which the less prominent figures are sketched. Besides Andrew we have Philip, John 1:44; John 6:5; John 12:21; John 14:8; Thomas, John 11:16; John 14:5; John 20:24-29; Nathanael, John 1:45-51; Nicodemus, John 3:1-12; John 7:50-52; John 19:39; Martha and Mary, 11, John 12:1-3.

Εὑρήκαμεν. Does not prove that S. John is still with him, only that they were together when their common desire was fulfilled.

τὸν Μεσσίαν. The Hebrew form of this name is used by S. John only, here and John 4:25. Elsewhere the LXX. translation, ὁ χριστός, is used; but here χριστός has no article, because S. John is merely interpreting the word, not the title. Comp. John 3:28; John 4:25; John 4:29; John 7:26; John 7:31; John 7:41; John 10:24; John 11:27; John 12:34; John 20:31.