THERE WAS A MAN OF THE PHARISEES,.... The Syriac version adds, "there"; that is, at Jerusalem; and who was among those that believed in the name of Christ, upon seeing the miracles he did at the feast of the passover, in that place. This man was not a common and ordinary man, but a man of note and e... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME CAME TO JESUS BY NIGHT,.... Through fear of the Jews, of being reproached or turned out of his place by them; or through shame, that such a doctor as he was, should be known to go to Jesus of Nazareth, to be instructed by him; or lest he should offend any of his brethren of the sanhedrim: t... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... Not to any express question put by Nicodemus; unless it can be thought, that a question of this kind might be asked, what is the kingdom of God, so much spoken of in thy ministry? and what is requisite to the seeing and enjoying of it? though not recorded by the... [ Continue Reading ]
NICODEMUS SAITH UNTO HIM,.... Understanding him of a natural birth, to be repeated: HOW CAN A MAN BE BORN WHEN HE IS OLD? as it seems by this, he himself now was: CAN HE ENTER THE SECOND TIME INTO HIS MOTHERS WOMB, AND BE BORN? the Ethiopic version adds, "again"; and the Arabic version, "and then... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED, VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO THEE,.... Explaining somewhat more clearly, what he before said: EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT: these are, שנות מלות, "two words", which express the same thing, as Kimchi observes in many places in his commentaries, and signify the grace... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH, IS FLESH,.... Man by his natural birth, and as he is born according to the flesh of his natural parents, is a mere natural man; that is, he is carnal and corrupt, and cannot discern spiritual things; nor can he, as such, enter into, and inherit the kingdom of God; se... [ Continue Reading ]
MARVEL NOT THAT I SAID UNTO THEE,...., For Nicodemus was quite astonished, at this doctrine of the new birth; it was altogether new to him, and unheard of by him; nor could he understand, nor conceive in what manner it could be: YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN; in "four" of Beza's copies, it is read "we"; bu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WIND BLOWETH WHERE IT LISTETH,.... For ought any mortal can say, or do to the contrary: and so the Spirit of God is a free agent in regeneration; he works how, and where, and when he pleases; he acts freely in the first operation of his grace on the heart, and in all after influences of it; as w... [ Continue Reading ]
NICODEMUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... Remaining still as ignorant as ever, though Christ had explained the phrase "born again", at which he stumbled, by a being "born of water and of the Spirit", or of the grace of the Spirit of God; and had illustrated this by the free, powerful, and invisible... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... Upbraiding him with his continued and invincible ignorance, which was aggravated by his dignified character: ART THOU A MASTER IN ISRAEL? or "of Israel", as all the Oriental versions render it, as it literally may be rendered he was one of the חכמי ישראל, "wise... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO THEE, WE SPEAK THAT WE DO KNOW,.... Meaning either himself, and John the Baptist his forerunner, who preached the same doctrine of regeneration, internal sanctification, and evangelical repentance, as well as outward reformation, as necessary to entrance into the kingdom o... [ Continue Reading ]
IF I HAVE TOLD YOU EARTHLY THINGS,.... Not that the doctrines he delivered were earthly ones; for he was not of the earth, but from heaven, and above all, and so spake not of the earth, but of heaven, John 3:31; and this doctrine of regeneration was an heavenly doctrine; and the thing itself require... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NO MAN HATH ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,.... Though Enoch and Elias had, yet not by their own power, nor in the sense our Lord designs; whose meaning is, that no man had, or could go up to heaven, to bring from thence the knowledge of divine and heavenly things; in which sense the phrase is used in Deu... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS,.... The history referred to is in Numbers 21:8. There is, in many things, an agreement between this serpent, and Jesus Christ: as in the matter of it, it was a brazen serpent; it was made not of gold, nor of silver, but of brass, the meaner metal... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM,.... Whether Jew or Gentile, a greater, or a lesser sinner, and of whatsoever state and condition, age or sex; and though ever so weak a believer, provided his faith, is of the right kind: not an historical or temporary one, a mere assent to the truth of things respec... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD,.... The Persic version reads "men": but not every man in the world is here meant, or all the individuals of human nature; for all are not the objects of God's special love, which is here designed, as appears from the instance and evidence of it, the gift of his Son: nor i... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR GOD SENT NOT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD,.... God did send his Son into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh, being made of a woman, and made under the law; and which is an instance of his great love, and not of any disrespect to his Son, or of any inequality between them: but then this was not... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED,.... Whether Jew or Gentile, because a believer is openly in Christ; and there is no condemnation to those that are in him: and though the sentence of death passed upon all in Adam, and judgment came upon all men to condemnation in him; yet this sentence bei... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS IS THE CONDEMNATION,.... Of him that believes not in Christ; that is, this is the matter and cause of his condemnation, and by which it is aggravated, and appears to be just: THAT LIGHT IS COME INTO THE WORLD: by which is meant, not natural or corporeal light; though natural darkness is, b... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR EVERY ONE THAT DOTH EVIL, HATETH THE LIGHT,.... Every man, the series of whose life and conversation is evil, hates Christ and his Gospel, cause they make manifest his evil deeds, convict him of them, and rebuke him for them: NEITHER COMETH TO THE LIGHT; to hear Christ preach, or preached; to a... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT DOTH TRUTH,.... That which is true, right and good: "he whose work is just", as the Ethiopic version renders it; or, "he that does that which is right", so the Persic; that which is according to the will of God, and from a principle of love to him, and with a view to his glory: COMETH T... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THESE THINGS,.... After Christ's coming to Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover, with his disciples, and driving the buyers and sellers from the temple, and doing the miracles he did there, upon which many believed on him; and after the long discourse he had with Nicodemus, concerning regen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOHN ALSO WAS BAPTIZING IN AENON,.... The Syriac and Persic versions call it "Ain", or "In you", the fountain of the dove; and the Arabic version reads it, the fountain of "Nun": and whether it was a town, or river, it seems to have its name from a fountain near it, or that itself was one, where... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR JOHN WAS NOT YET CAST INTO PRISON. As he afterwards was by Herod, for the sake of Herodias, because he reproved Herod for taking her to be his wife, when she was wife to his brother Philip; see Matthew 14:3; and this circumstance shows, that these things were done before that journey of Christ i... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THERE AROSE A QUESTION,.... A dispute, or controversy, occasioned by the baptism, of John and Christ: BETWEEN [SOME] OF JOHN'S DISCIPLES, AND THE JEWS. The Syriac and Persic versions read, "between one of John's disciples, and a certain Jew"; and Nonnus renders it, "with an Hebrew man"; and so... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CAME UNTO JOHN,.... The Persic version reads, "he came unto John"; that disciple that had the controversy with the Jew about purifying, who not knowing well how to answer him, and which might be the case of more, applied to John: AND SAID UNTO HIM, RABBI; or "master"; or, "our master"; as... [ Continue Reading ]
JOHN ANSWERED AND SAID,.... The Syriac and Arabic versions add, "to them"; the answer being made to the disciples of John, who came to him with their complaint: A MAN CAN RECEIVE NOTHING; the Syriac and Persic versions add, "of his own will": some understand this of Christ, as man, who did not take... [ Continue Reading ]
YE YOURSELVES BEAR ME WITNESS,.... In what they now said, and referred to, in describing Christ, as he to whom John bore witness; and he appeals to them for what he said in their presence, and before all the people in that testimony: THAT I SAID I AM NOT THE CHRIST; see John 1:19; wherefore, if he,... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH THE BRIDE,.... By whom particular persons seem here to be meant, who were called, converted, and brought to Christ, and were made his disciples, and baptized, and so were openly espoused unto him; though sometimes it designs a particular church of Christ, and even the whole general asse... [ Continue Reading ]
HE MUST INCREASE,.... Not in stature of body, or in wisdom and understanding of mind, as man, he being come to maturity in these things already; but in fame, credit, and reputation among men; as he afterwards did in the land of Judea, by reason of his miracles and doctrines; and after that among the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT COMETH FROM ABOVE,.... Meaning Christ; not that he brought his human nature with him from heaven, or that that is of a celestial nature; but he came from heaven in his divine person, not by change of place, he being God immense and infinite, but by assumption of human nature; which he took u... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHAT HE HATH SEEN AND HEARD,.... Of the Father, of his mind and will, of his purposes and promises, of his love, grace, and mercy, in the council and covenant of peace, lying in his bosom, and being privy to all his secrets. The phrases express the clear and perfect knowledge Christ has of all t... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH RECEIVED HIS TESTIMONY,.... For there was here and there one that did, who believed in him as the Messiah, and embraced his Gospel, and submitted to his ordinances, and truly and sincerely followed him: and for the encouragement of such, it is said, HATH SET TO HIS SEAL THAT GOD IS TRU... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE WHOM GOD HATH SENT,.... Still meaning Christ, who was sent in human nature, in the likeness of sinful flesh, in the fulness of time; to be the Saviour of the world, of that which was lost, of the chief of sinners; and to preach the glad tidings of the Gospel, which is more especially here des... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FATHER LOVETH THE SON,.... There is such a relation as that of Father and Son subsisting between the first and second persons in the Trinity; which is not by constitution and appointment: or arbitrary, arising from, and depending on the will of the first, but is natural and necessary; the second... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT BELIEVETH ON THE SON,.... Who is a proper object of faith and trust; which, if he was not truly and properly God, he would not be: and this is to be understood not of any sort of faith, a temporary, or an historical one; but of that which is the faith of God's elect, the gift of God, and the... [ Continue Reading ]