JESUS WENT UNTO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. Which lay eastward of Jerusalem, about a mile from it; hither Christ went on the evening of the last day of the feast of tabernacles; partly to decline the danger, and avoid the snares the Jews might lay for him in the night season; having been disappointed and c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EARLY IN THE MORNING HE CAME AGAIN INTO THE TEMPLE,.... Which shows his diligence, constancy, and assiduity, in his ministerial work, as well as his courage and intrepidity; being fearless of his enemies, though careful to give them no advantage against him, before his time: AND ALL THE PEOPLE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES,.... The members of the sanhedrim, who had been so miserably disappointed the day before, were no less diligent and industrious in their wicked way, seeking all opportunities, and taking all advantages against Christ; and fancying they had got something whereby to ensna... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SAY UNTO HIM, MASTER,.... They applied to him in a handsome and respectful manner, the better to cover their ill design: THIS WOMAN WAS TAKEN IN ADULTERY; by two persons at least, who could be witnesses of it; otherwise the accusation was not legal; see Deuteronomy 19:15; though in the case o... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW MOSES IN THE LAW COMMANDED US, THAT SUCH SHOULD, BE STONED,.... Not in Leviticus 20:10; for though according to the law there, an adulteress, one that was a married woman, and so an adulterer, that was a married man, were to be put to death; yet the death was not stoning, but strangling; for it... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS THEY SAID, TEMPTING HIM,.... For they brought this woman, and exposed her in this manner, not because of their abhorrence and detestation of the sin; nor did they put the above question to Christ, out of their great respect to the law of Moses; which in many instances, and so in this, they in a... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WHEN THEY CONTINUED ASKING HIM,.... For observing that he put himself in such a posture, they concluded that they had puzzled and perplexed him, and that he knew not what to say; and therefore they were more urgent for a speedy answer, hoping they should get an advantage of him; and that they sho... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AGAIN HE STOOPED DOWN, AND WROTE ON THE GROUND. As before, having said enough to confound them; and yet unwilling to pursue the matter any further, or publicly expose them in any other way; and that they might have an opportunity of withdrawing themselves without any further notice of his, he to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WHICH HEARD IT,.... Not all, not the disciples of Christ, nor the multitude, but the Scribes and Pharisees: BEING CONVICTED BY THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE; that they were not without sin, nor free from this; they had a beam in their own eye, who were so forward to observe the mote in another's; a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JESUS HAD LIFT HIMSELF UP,.... From the earth, towards which he stooped, and on which he had been writing: AND SAW NONE BUT THE WOMAN; that is, none of those that had brought her there, and had accused her to him: HE SAID UNTO HER, WOMAN, WHERE ARE THOSE THINE ACCUSERS? the Syriac and Arabic... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE SAITH, NO MAN, LORD,.... No man said a word to me, or lift up his hand against me, or moved a stone at me: AND JESUS SAID UNTO HER, NEITHER DO I CONDEMN THEE; Christ came not into the world to act the part of a civil magistrate, and therefore refused to arbitrate a case, or be concerned in divi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SPAKE JESUS AGAIN UNTO THEM,.... Syriac fragment of Bishop Usher's, published by De Dieu, prefaces this verse thus, "when they were gathered together", Jesus said, c. that is, the Scribes and Pharisees, who went out and returned again or some others of them, who came after this, to whom Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHARISEES THEREFORE SAID UNTO HIM,.... On account of his declaring himself the light of the world: these were either the same who went out of the temple, filled with remorse of conscience, and were now returned, and bearing him a grudge, came to take some advantage against him, if they could; or... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM,.... In vindication of himself, and his testimony: THOUGH I BEAR RECORD OF MYSELF, YET MY RECORD IS TRUE; which seems contradictory to what he says, in John 5:31, and may be reconciled thus; there he speaks of himself as man, and in the opinion of the Jews, who too... [ Continue Reading ]
YE JUDGE AFTER THE FLESH,.... According to their carnal affections and prejudices; taking the Messiah to be a temporal prince, and his kingdom to be of this world, they judged that Jesus could not be he; they looked upon him as a mere man, and seeing him in much outward meanness, in his human nature... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YET IF I JUDGE, MY JUDGMENT IS TRUE,.... Because he saw not as man did, nor looked unto, and judged according to the outward appearance of things; but looked into the heart, and knew what was in it, being the searcher and trier of it; to whom all things are naked and open, and therefore cannot b... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS ALSO WRITTEN IN YOUR LAW,.... The law of Moses, which was given unto them, and they boasted of; the passage referred to is in Deuteronomy 19:15; see also Deuteronomy 17:6; where though what follows is not to be found in so many words, yet the sense is there expressed: THAT THE TESTIMONY OF TW... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM ONE THAT BEAR WITNESS OF MYSELF,.... As he does of his sonship, in 1 John 5:7. AND THE FATHER THAT SENT ME, BEARETH WITNESS OF ME; as he did, by the descent of the Spirit upon him at his baptism, and by a voice from heaven, both at that time, and at his transfiguration, and by the miracles whi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THEY UNTO HIM, WHERE IS THY FATHER?.... The Persic version adds, "show [him] unto us": produce this witness boasted of, let us see him; this they said in a sneering, taunting, and insulting manner; where is thy Father? what! he is in Galilee; fetch him from thence; it is Joseph the carpent... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE WORDS SPAKE JESUS IN THE TREASURY,.... The place where the thirteen chests stood, into which the people put their voluntary contributions for the sacrifices, and service of the temple: the Ethiopic version renders it, "at the alms chest"; Mark 12:41. The design of this observation of the evan... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID JESUS AGAIN UNTO THEM,.... It may be, immediately after he had said the above words; or rather some time after, it may be on the same day: I GO MY WAY; meaning, the way of all flesh, or that he should die: the way of speaking shows, that his death was certain, a determined thing; which mu... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE JEWS, WILL HE KILL HIMSELF?.... Which was not only a wicked, but a foolish consequence, drawn from his words: for it by no means followed, because he was going away, and whither they could not come, that therefore he must destroy himself; this seems to be what they would have been glad... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THEM,.... Upon this wicked remark of theirs, and query on his words: YE ARE FROM BENEATH: not only of the earth, earthy, and so spoke of the earth, and as carnal men; but even of hell, they were the children of the devil; they breathed his Spirit, spoke his language, and did his lu... [ Continue Reading ]
I SAID THEREFORE UNTO YOU,.... Because they were from beneath, and of the world, and discovered an earthly, worldly, carnal, yea, devilish disposition, in their conduct towards him: THAT YE SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS; this he had said in John 8:21, and now repeats it, and confirms it by the following r... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THEY UNTO HIM, WHO ART THOU?.... That talks at this rate, and threatens with death, in case of unbelief; this they said with an haughty air, and in a scornful manner: AND JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM, EVEN [THE SAME] THAT I SAID UNTO YOU FROM THE BEGINNING; meaning, either of this discourse, as... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY, AND TO JUDGE OF YOU,.... Being God omniscient, he knew their persons and actions, their lives and conversations, and all their sins and transgressions, which he could justly have complained of, and charged them with, and proved against them, and judged and condemned them f... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY UNDERSTOOD NOT THAT HE SPAKE TO THEM OF THE FATHER. That sent him, and who was true and faithful to all he had said, whether in a way of promise, or threatening; such was their stupidity, that they did not know that he meant God the Father by him that sent him, so deriving his mission and doctr... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID JESUS UNTO THEM,.... Upbraiding them with their ignorance, and giving them a sign, as well as pointing out the time when they either, by good or sad experience, should have knowledge of him: WHEN YE HAVE LIFT UP THE SON OF MAN; meaning himself, who was to be lifted up upon the cross, as t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT SENT ME IS WITH ME,.... By virtue of that near union there is between them, they being one in nature, essence, power, and glory, and by the gracious, powerful, comfortable, assisting, and strengthening presence of his Father, which he vouchsafed to him as man, and Mediator; THE FATHER H... [ Continue Reading ]
AS HE SPAKE THESE WORDS,.... Concerning his being lifted up, or his crucifixion, and the knowledge the Jews should then have of him; of the excellency and divinity of his doctrine, of his mission from the Father, and of the Father's presence with him, and of his always doing the things that are plea... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID JESUS TO THOSE JEWS THAT BELIEVED ON HIM,.... For he knew instantly who they were, and when they believed on him; and therefore he immediately turned himself to them, and thus addressed them; IF YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD; meaning the Gospel, called his, because he was both the author, and pr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH,.... Either the truth of the Gospel, the truth as it is in Jesus; meaning, that they should have a larger knowledge of it, while others are ever learning, and never come to the knowledge of the truth; but the spirit of truth should lead them into all truth, and cause them... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ANSWERED HIM,.... Not the believing Jews, whom he peculiarly addressed, but the unbelieving Jews, who were present, and heard these things: WE BE ABRAHAM'S SEED; this the Jews always valued themselves upon, and reckoned themselves, on this account, upon a level with the nobles and the princes... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED THEM, VERILY VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU,.... Taking no notice of their civil liberty, to which he could easily have replied to their confusion and silence, he observes to them their moral servitude and bondage, and in the strongest manner affirms, that WHOSOEVER COMMITTETH SIN, IS THE SER... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SERVANT ABIDETH NOT IN THE HOUSE FOR EVER,.... The servant of God, and of Christ, does, but not the servant of sin: there may be servants of sin in the house or church of God here below; and such were these Jews Christ is speaking to; but such shall not abide there for ever: some that get in... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE SON THEREFORE SHALL MAKE YOU FREE,.... Alluding to the custom of adoption by the sons or brethren in the family, which obtained in Greece, called αδελφοθεσια, "the adoption of brethren", as Grotius, and others have observed; or rather to a custom among the Romans, of a son's making free after... [ Continue Reading ]
I KNOW THAT YE ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED,.... In answer to the other part of the Jews' objection to Christ, and in favour of themselves, Christ owns that they were the natural seed of Abraham; for truth must be allowed to an adversary. But then this hindered not but they might be, as they were, in moral bo... [ Continue Reading ]
I SPEAK THAT WHICH I HAVE SEEN WITH MY FATHER,.... This is an aggravation of the sin of the Jews, in seeking to kill Christ, on account of his doctrine, since it was not his own, but his Father's; was not merely human, but divine; was what he the only begotten Son, that lay in the bosom of his Fathe... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... On account of his making mention of a father, whose works they did, and whom they imitated: ABRAHAM IS OUR FATHER; meaning their only one, nor had they any other: JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM, IF YE WERE ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN, YE WOULD DO THE WORKS OF ABRAHAM; for who sh... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW YE SEEK TO KILL ME,.... A temper and disposition very foreign from that of Abraham's: A MAN THAT HATH TOLD YOU THE TRUTH, WHICH I HAVE HEARD OF GOD; to seek to kill a man is a very great crime, and punishable with death; to kill an innocent one, that had done no sin, who was pure, holy, har... [ Continue Reading ]
YE DO THE DEEDS OF YOUR FATHER,.... Not Abraham, but the devil. THEN SAID THEY UNTO HIM, WE BE NOT BORN OF FORNICATION: meaning either literally, that they were not a brood of bastards, children of whoredom, illegitimately begotten in unlawful copulation, or wedlock; or figuratively, that they were... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, IF GOD WERE YOUR FATHER,.... By adoption; and this was discovered by the grace of regeneration; or in other words, if they had been born of God, YE WOULD LOVE ME; for in regeneration love to Christ is always implanted: it is a fruit of the Spirit, which always comes along with... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY DO YE NOT UNDERSTAND MY SPEECH?.... Language, idiom, dialect, and form of speaking, in a figurative way; for they did not know what he meant by liberty, and bondage, and by having another father than Abraham, or by his own procession and coming forth from God: [EVEN] BECAUSE YE CANNOT HEAR MY W... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL,.... Not of his substance, but by imitation and example; and as being under his authority and influence, his instructions and directions, and ready to follow after him, and obey his commands; the word "your" is rightly supplied, and is in some copies: AND THE LUSTS O... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BECAUSE I TELL YOU THE TRUTH,.... And no lie, the whole truth of the Gospel, and particularly the truth of his divine sonship: YE BELIEVE ME NOT; to such an infatuation and judicial blindness were they give up, to disbelieve him, because he told the truth, and to believe a lie, that they might... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH OF YOU CONVINCETH ME OF SIN?.... Of any immorality in life, or of any imposture, corruption, or deceit in doctrine. There were many of them that were forward enough to charge him with both scandalous sins, and false doctrines; but none of them all could prove anything against him, so as to con... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT IS OF GOD,.... Who is born, not of blood, by carnal descent from any person, or of the carnal will, or by the power of freewill, or of the will of the best man in the world; but of God, according to his abundant mercy, of his own will, by the power of his grace; and so has God to be his Fath... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ANSWERED THE JEWS, AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... Being incensed to the last degree, that he should say they were of their father the devil, and not of God; and that he spoke the truth, and no one could convince him of sin: SAY WE NOT WELL, THAT THOU ART A SAMARITAN? it seems they had said so before,... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED, I HAVE NOT A DEVIL,.... He takes no notice of the first charge and scandalous character, that he was a Samaritan; it being so notorious to all the Jews, that he was not; but was, as they supposed, a Galilean, and of Nazareth; and besides, this was a term of reproach, which they gave... [ Continue Reading ]
I SEEK NOT MINE OWN GLORY,.... In his doctrine, or in his miracles; which showed that he was no impostor, but a true, faithful, and upright person; and though he was so very much reproached and abused, he was not over solicitous of his own character, and of retrieving his honour, and of securing glo... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU,.... This is truth, and may be depended upon, as coming from the "Amen", and faithful witness: IF A MAN KEEP MY SAYING; or doctrine, receives the Gospel in the love of it, obeys it from his heart, and cordially embraces and firmly believes it; and retains and holds it... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE JEWS UNTO HIM,.... Upon these last words that he spake, giving assurance, that whoever kept his saying, should not die: NOW WE KNOW THAT THOU HAST A DEVIL; they thought and said so before, but now they were assured, that he must be under diabolical influence, must be possessed with th... [ Continue Reading ]
ART THOU GREATER THAN OUR FATHER ABRAHAM?.... So the woman of Samaria said, concerning Jacob, John 4:12. The Jews had a mighty opinion of their ancestors, especially of Abraham; and yet they allow the Messiah to be greater than he, as Jesus truly was: so one of their ancient commentators w on those... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED, IF I HONOUR MYSELF, MY HONOUR IS NOTHING,.... It is empty and vain, and will not continue; see 2 Corinthians 10:18; IT IS MY FATHER THAT HONOURETH ME: by a voice from heaven, both at his baptism, and transfiguration, declaring him to be his beloved Son, and by the works and miracles... [ Continue Reading ]
YET YE HAVE NOT KNOWN HIM,.... Not as the Father of Christ, nor as in Christ, whom to know is life eternal: they had no spiritual knowledge of him, nor communion with him; nor did they know truly his mind and will, nor how to worship and serve him as they ought: BUT I KNOW HIM; his nature and perfe... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR FATHER ABRAHAM REJOICED TO SEE MY DAY,.... Or "he was desirous to see my day", as the Syriac and Arabic versions rightly render the word; or "very desirous", as the Persic version: and indeed, this was what many kings and prophets, and righteous men, were desirous of, even of seeing the Messiah... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE JEWS UNTO HIM, THOU ART NOT YET FIFTY YEARS OLD,.... One copy reads forty, but he was not that; no, not much more than thirty; not above two or three and thirty years old: the reason of their fixing on this age of fifty might be, because Christ might look like such an one, being a man... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU,.... Whether it will be believed or not, it is certainly fact: BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM; which is to be understood, not of his being in the purpose and decree of God, foreordained to sufferings, and to glory; for so all the elect of God may be sa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY TOOK UP STONES TO CAST AT HIM,.... Supposing that he had spoken blasphemy; for they well understood that he, by so saying, made himself to be the eternal God, the unchangeable Jehovah. Should it be asked how they came by their stones in the temple? it may be replied, the temple was still b... [ Continue Reading ]