ἔστιν γεγρ. See on John 2:17. Here, as in John 13:18 and John 19:37, the quotation agrees with the Hebrew against the LXX. This is evidence that the writer knew Hebrew, and was probably a Jew of Palestine.

ἐν τοῖς προφήταις. In the division of the Scriptures, so called as distinct from the Law (John 1:45), and the Psalms or Hagiographa (Luke 24:44): comp. Acts 13:40, and (ἐν βίβλῳ τῶν πρ.) John 7:42. The direct reference is to Isaiah 54:13, which may have been part of the synagogue-lesson for the day (Luke 4:17); but comp. Jeremiah 31:33-34; Joel 3:16-17. The quotation explains how the Father draws men, viz. by enlightening them. Note that Jesus does not derive His teaching from the O. T, but confirms it by an appeal to the O.T. Comp. John 8:17; John 8:56; John 10:34.

διδακτοὶ θεοῦ. In classical Greek διδακτός is applied to doctrine rather than pupils, the things that can be taught rather than the persons taught. The Hebrew limmûd in Isaiah 54:13 is perhaps a substantive, and hence the genitive here without ὑπό; ‘God’s instructed ones,’ i.e. prophets in the wider sense. Comp. διδακτοῖς πνεύματος (1 Corinthians 2:13) for the genitive, and θεοδίδακτοι (1 Thessalonians 4:9) for the meaning.

πᾶς ὁ�.… κ. μαθ. Every one that hath heard and hath learned from (John 8:26; John 8:40; John 15:15) the Father, and no others; only those who have been ‘taught of God’ can come to the Son. The οὖν after πᾶς in T. R. is not genuine; very common in S. John’s narrative, it is very rare in discourses. Omit with אBCDLST against A.

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Old Testament