24. ἀπεσταλμένοι ἦσαν. The οἱ before the participle is of doubtful authority. Omitting it, we translate And they had been sent from the Pharisees, or better (as we have ἐκ and not παρά), and there had been sent (some) of the Pharisees. For this use of ἐκ τῶν comp. John 7:40; John 16:17; 2 John 1:4; Revelation 2:10. We are not to understand a fresh deputation, as the οὖν in the next verse shews. It was precisely the Pharisees who would be jealous about innovations in religious rites. S. John mentions neither Sadducees nor Herodians. Only the sect most opposed to Christ is remembered by the Evangelist who had gone furthest from Judaism.

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Old Testament