John 5:37

ἐκεῖνος (אBL) for αὐτός, which was first inserted along with ἐκεῖνος (D), and then drove it out (A).

37. ὁ πέμψας. See on John 1:33 : ἐκεῖνος, see on John 1:18; John 3:32. Note the change from aorist to perfect; The Father which sent Me (once for all at the Incarnation) He hath borne witness (for a long time past, and is still doing so) of Me. For the conjunctions see Winer, p. 613.

οὔτε φωνὴν κ.τ.λ. These words are a reproach; therefore there can be no allusion (as suggested in the margin) to the Baptism or the Transfiguration. The Transfiguration had not yet taken place, and very few if any of Christ’s hearers could have heard the voice from heaven at the Baptism. Moreover, if that particular utterance were meant, φωνήν would have had the article. Nor can there be any reference to the theophanies, or symbolical visions of God, in O.T. It could be no matter of reproach to these Jews that they had never beheld a theophany. A paraphrase will shew the meaning; ‘neither with the ear of the heart have ye ever heard Him, nor with the eye of the heart have ye ever seen Him, in the revelation of Himself given in the Scriptures; and so ye have not the testimony of His word present as an abiding power within you.’ There should be no full stop at ‘shape,’ only a comma or semi-colon. Had they studied Scripture rightly they would have had a less narrow view of the Sabbath (John 5:16), and would have recognised the Messiah.