John 1:12

As many as received him

(οσο ελαβον αυτον). Effective aorist active indicative of λαμβανω "as many as did receive him," in contrast with ο ιδιο just before, exceptional action on the part of the disciples and other believers.To them

(αυτοις). Dative case explanatory of the relative clause preceding, an anacoluthon common in John 27 times as against 21 in the Synoptists. This is a common Aramaic idiom and is urged by Burney (Aramaic Origin, etc., p. 64) for his theory of an Aramaic original of the Fourth Gospel.The right

(εξουσιαν). In John 5:27 εδωκεν (first aorist active indicative of διδωμ) εξουσιαν means authority but includes power (δυναμις). Here it is more the notion of privilege or right.To become

(γενεσθα). Second aorist middle of γινομα, to become what they were not before.Children of God

(τεκνα θεου). In the full spiritual sense, not as mere offspring of God true of all men (Acts 17:28). Paul's phrase υιο θεου (Galatians 3:26) for believers, used also by Jesus of the pure in heart (Matthew 5:9), does not occur in John's Gospel (but in Revelation 21:7). It is possible that John prefers τα τεκνα του θεου for the spiritual children of God whether Jew or Gentile (John 11:52) because of the community of nature (τεκνον from root τεκ-, to beget). But one cannot follow Westcott in insisting on "adoption" as Paul's reason for the use of υιο since Jesus uses υιο θεου in Matthew 5:9. Clearly the idea of regeneration is involved here as in John 3:3.Even to them that believe

(τοις πιστευουσιν). No "even" in the Greek, merely explanatory apposition with αυτοις, dative case of the articular present active participle of πιστευω.On his name

(εις το ονομα). Bernard notes πιστευω εις 35 times in John, to put trust in or on. See also John 2:23; John 3:38 for πιστευω εις το ονομα αυτου. This common use of ονομα for the person is an Aramaism, but it occurs also in the vernacular papyri and εις το ονομα is particularly common in the payment of debts (Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary). See Acts 1:15 for ονοματα for persons.