FIRST CYCLE: CHAPT. 5-8. This cycle contains three sections: 1. Chap. 5. The beginning of the conflict in Judea; 2. Chap. 6. The crisis of faith in Galilee; 3. Chaps. 7, 8. The renewal and continuation of the conflict in Judea. From chap. 5 to chap. 8 we must reckon a period of seven or eight mon... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 1. “ _And after this_, _Jesus continued to sojourn in Galilee: for he would not sojourn in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to put Him to death._ ” The situation described in this first verse is the continuation of that of which the picture has been drawn in John 6:1-2. Hence the καί, _and_... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRD SECTION: 7:1-8:59. THE STRIFE AT ITS HIGHEST STAGE OF INTENSITY AT JERUSALEM. Seven months had elapsed without any appearance of Jesus at Jerusalem. The exasperation of the rulers, whose murderous character John had recognized from the beginning (John 7:16; John 7:18), had for a moment become... [ Continue Reading ]
ADDITIONAL NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. Vv. 1-13. 1. The history now moves forward over a period of six months to the Feast of Tabernacles in October. Nothing can be more manifest than the combination in this Gospel of the two elements, as we may call them, of biographical order and the selection... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 2. “ _But the feast of the Jews, called that of Tabernacles, was at hand._ ” This feast was celebrated in October: six full months, therefore, according to John himself, separate this story from the one preceding, without his mentioning a single one of the facts which we have just enumerated, a... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _His brethren therefore said to him: Depart hence and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may behold the works which thou doest_; 4 _for no man does any work in secret, while seeking after fame; if thou really doest such works, manifest thyself to the world._ 5. _For even his brethren did not b... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus therefore says to them: My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready._ 7. _The world cannot hate you; but it hates me, because I bear testimony concerning it that its works are evil._ 8. _Go ye up to the feast, I go not up to this feast, because my time is not yet fulfilled._ ” Th... [ Continue Reading ]
VV. 8 draws the practical consequence of this contrast. The meaning of the reply of Jesus is naturally in accord with that of the question, and especially of the words: “Manifest thyself to the world.” Jesus well knew that He must one day make the great Messianic demonstration which His brethren dem... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Having said this to them he remained in Galilee._ 10. _But when his brethren had gone up to the feast_, _then he also went up himself, not openly, but as it were in secret._ ” The ninth verse signifies that He allowed His brethren to depart, and John 7:10 gives us to understand that, when He went... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _The Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said, where is He? 12_. _And there was much murmuring concerning him among the multitudes.Some said, He is a good man. Others said, No, but he leads the multitude astray. However, no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews._ ” This narrative ju... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Nevertheless, when the feast was already half finished, Jesus went up to the temple; and he taught there._ 15. _And the Jews were astonished, saying, How does this man know the Scriptures, not being a man who has studied?_ ” The question of the Jews bears only upon the competency of Jesus (as _Th... [ Continue Reading ]
ADDITIONAL NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. Vv. 14-24. 1. There is, apparently, an abrupt turn in the narrative at John 7:14, if we look only at the outward form of the story. But, when the following verses are closely studied, it seems almost certain that there is a connection with ch. 5 and the oppo... [ Continue Reading ]
II. DURING THE FEAST: 7:14-36. The first agitation had subsided; every one was quietly attending to the celebration of the feast, when all at once Jesus appears in the temple and sets Himself to the work of teaching. The authorities had not taken any measures against Him; and there was still time e... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus answered them and said, My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me;_ 17 _if any one wills to do his will, he shall know of the teaching whether it comes from God or whether I speak of myself._ ” Jesus enters for form's sake into the thought of His hearers: in order to teach, it is surel... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 18. “ _He that speaks from himself, seeks his own glory; but he that seeks the glory of him that sent him, this one is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him._ ” The messenger who seeks only the glory of the master who sends him, and does not betray any personal interest in his communicat... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Has not Moses given you the law? And yet no one of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?_ 20. _The multitude answered and said: Thou art possessed by a demon; who is seeking to kill thee?_ 21. _Jesus answered and said to them: I have done one work, and you are all in astonishment._ 22. _... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus was going to explain Himself, when the portion of this multitude which was not acquainted with the designs of the rulers, interrupts Him and charges Him with giving Himself up to gloomy ideas and suspicions without foundation. Despondency, melancholy, sombre thoughts were attributed to a diabo... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 24. “ _Judge not according to the appearance; but pronounce the judgment which is in accordance with righteousness._ ” ῎Οψις, _sight_, hence _appearance_, designates here the external and purely formal side of things. It was only from this defective point of view that the healing of the impoten... [ Continue Reading ]
ADDITIONAL NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. Vv. 25-36. 1. The ῾Ιεροσολυμεῖται are evidently a different class from the ὄχλος, and are more fully acquainted with the desires of the rulers; but even they are left in some doubt and perplexity. That the supposed designs are not carried out is a matter of... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said therefore, Is not this man here the one whom they seek to kill?_ 26. _And behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can the rulers indeed have recognized the fact that he is the Christ?_ 27. _But as for this man, we know whence he is, while a... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus cried therefore, teaching in the temple and saying: You both know me and you know whence I am: and yet I am not come of myself; but he who sent me is competent_, _whom you know not._ 29. _As for me_, _I know him; for I come from him and he sent me._ ” Jesus taking this objection as a starti... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 29. To the ignorance of God with which He charges the Jews, Jesus opposes the intimate consciousness which He Himself has of God and of His true relation to Him. This relation is, first of all, a relation of essence (εἰμί, _I am_, I proceed _from Him_). In fact, this first clause cannot refer t... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 30. “ _They sought therefore to take him; and yet no one laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come._ ” The result of this strong protestation (_therefore_) was to confirm His declared enemies in the design of arresting Him. It is clear that the ζητεῖν (_to seek_) was an affair of the... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _But of the multitude many believed on him, and they said, When the Christ shall come, will he do more miracles than those which this man has done?_ 32. _The Pharisees heard this talk which was circulating among the multitude concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus said therefore: I am with you yet a little while, and then I go to him that sent me._ 34. _You shall seek me and shall not find me;and where I am you cannot come._ ” Jesus was not ignorant of this hostile measure; and this is what awakened in Him the presentiment of His approaching death w... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Then the Jews said among themselves, Whither will he go then, that we shall not find him? Does he mean to go to those who are scattered among the Greeks and to teach the Greeks?_ 36. _What means this word which he has said: You shall seek me and shall not find me;and where I am you cannot come._... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _On the last and great day of the feast, Jesus stood, and, speaking with a loud voice_, _said: If any thirsts, let him come to me and drink;_ 38. _he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water._ ” Almost all the interpreters at the present... [ Continue Reading ]
III. ON AND AFTER THE GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST: 7:37-8:59. The last and great day of the feast has arrived; Jesus lays aside the apologetic form which until now He has given to His teachings. His word assumes a solemnity proportioned to that of this holy day; He declares Himself to be the reality of... [ Continue Reading ]
1. THE TRUE SOURCE: 7:37-52. John reports the discourse of Jesus and gives the explanation of it (John 7:37-39); he describes the different impressions of the multitude (John 7:40-44); he gives an account of the meeting of the Sanhedrim, after the return of the officers (John 7:45-52). ADDITIONAL... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 39. “ _Now he said this of the Spirit whom they that believed on him were to receive; indeed, the Spirit was not yet_, _because Jesus was not yet glorified._ ” Lucke and others criticise this explanation which John gives of the saying of Jesus. The future ῥεύσουσιν, _shall flow_, they say, is... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Some among the multitude_, _who had heard these words said, This man is of a truth the prophet. Others said, This is the Christ._ 41. _But others said, Does the Christ then come out of Galilee?_ 42. _Has not the Scripture declared that the Christ comes of the seed of David and from the village of... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _The officers therefore returned to the chief-priests and Pharisees. And they said to them, Why have you not brought him?_ 46. _The officers answered, Never man spake like this man._ 47. _The Pharisees answered them, Are you also led astray?_ 48. _Has any one of the rulers or of the Pharisees beli... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Nicodemus, who came to him before by night and who was one of them, says to them_, 51. _Does our law then condemn a man before hearing from him and taking knowledge of what he does?_ 52. _They answered and said to him, Art thou, then, thyself also, a Galilean? Search and see that out of Galilee a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE STORY OF THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY: 7:53-8:11. Three questions arise with regard to this section: Does it really belong to the text of our Gospel? If not, how was it introduced into it? What is to be thought of the truth of the fact itself? The most ancient testimony for the presence of this... [ Continue Reading ]
JOH 7:53 TO JOHN 8:11. John 8:53. “ _And every one went away to his own house. John 8:1_. _But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives._ 2. _And at the break of day, he came again into the temple; and all the people came to him;and he sat down and taught them._ 3. _Now the scribes and the Pharisees bring... [ Continue Reading ]