That which from the beginning of the world was in the decree and purpose of God, (and was afterward foretold by him,) but by us, the apostles of Christ, heard from God speaking from heaven, and really beheld and looked on by us, known and testified by all our senses, concerning Christ and the gospel of Christ, shewing us the way to life eternal; The prophecy, or vision, or revelation of Jesus Christ, which (as to our great prophet and intercessor, or mediator between God and us) was put into his hands by his Father, that he might, as he pleased, make known to his apostles some things that should suddenly come to pass, (many of them in the age wherein they lived, as his dealing with his crucifiers and their persecutors, the Jews,) and (as some of them he made known to them all together, whilst he was alive, as then near at hand, Matt. xxiv. 34, Luke xxi, Mark xiii, so) now he hath thought fit to send a symbolical representation of the same, and all the rest, the whole matter of this prophecy, by an angel to John his most beloved disciple; (Which Christ and which gospel were revealed unto us visibly and discernibly, of which I can testify as an eyewitness, and do therefore now declare to you Christ, the fountain of eternal life, who from all eternity continued with the Father, and at last became man, and was clearly revealed to us;) That John that had preached or given in his testimony concerning the word of God, the doctrine and deeds and sufferings and resurrection of Christ, What, I say, we know thus assuredly, that we make known to you, that you may partake with us in it, and that participation be of all others the most blessed, desirable participation, (see note [e] Acts ii,) a participation of knowledge and grace and immortality, and that with God himself through Christ Jesus. * the apostle John : for the copies generally read τοῦ ἀποστόλου Ἰωάν. ¹ concerning, περὶ. κοινωνίαν ἔχητε. ² and, καὶ. ³ seen, and, ἀφράκαμεν, καὶ. ⁴ partake with us, [a] that cometh into the world] That ἑρχόμενον here may be the nominative case in the neuter gender, and so agree with δ, which, as well as the accusative masculine, and so agree with πάντα ἄνθρωπον, every man, is evident. And that it is so, may appear by the title by which Christ (that is meant by the light, which is the antecedent to δ, which) is so frequently expressed in scripture, that of he that cometh, or cometh into the world. Of the title δ ἑρχόμενος, see note [a] Matt. xi. And for this increase of it, ἑρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον, coming into the world, see John xii. 46, I came a light into the world, directly parallel with this here. Only here it is to be observed, that this coming into the world doth not refer to Christ's birth in the world, but to the manifestation of him to the world, his entering on his office of preaching the will of God to them. So as his coming may be all one with his being sent, that is, his commission from God to declare his will unto the world; as John viii. 42, I came not of myself, but he sent me. So ch. xviii. 37, For this was I born, and for this I came into the world; where as coming into the world differs from birth, so is it in the next words specified what it peculiarly belongs to, I came into the world that I may bear witness to the truth. Thus it is used in the other word sent of the apostles, where it cannot possibly be understood of their birth, John xvii. 18, As thou hast sent me into the world, so also have I sent them into the world. So 1 Tim. i. 15, Jesus Christ came into the world, and here John xi. 27, I believe that thou art Christ the Son of God, δ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἑρχόμενος, that cometh into the world; which was certainly designed by Martha as an expression of her belief that he was the Messias. This Word was from the beginning in the world, in so eminent a manner, that indeed the world was made by him, but the generality of men did not take notice of him. And therefore there being one peculiar nation, the Jews, which were more fully than all the world besides instructed in this truth, he at last came to this people, was pleased to be born, and live, and do miracles among them, and these that were his own people did not entertain him as sent from God, but rejected and put him to death. But all that received, that is, believed on him, were by him advanced to be the adopted sons of God. To wit, those which live according to the will of God, and neither the natural nor carnal, nor bare moral principle. [b] born, not of blood] To be born of any thing signifies to receive his beginning or principle of life and motion from any thing: and so here to be born of God is to have received some special influence from him, and proportionably to be a son of God, is that state which is answerable to such a principle, a life proportionable to such a beginning, that higher pitch of Christian living now under the gospel. And in opposition to that, first, those that are born of blood (which is the liveliest expression of our corrupt birth, or natural estate) are those that live the ἐθνικὸν καὶ πρῶτον βίον, that natural, heathen, first life, saith Clemens Alexandrinus, the life of the natural man; secondly, those that are born of the will of the flesh are carnal men, those that follow their own vicious carnal will; and thirdly, those that are born of the will of man, (though literally that may note those that are adopted by man, yet) by way of accommodation, and so as may be agreeable to the former phrases, they seem to be those that, by the influences of that higher rational principle, live according to the rule of rational nature, that is, of unregenerate morality, to which the rules of Christ's law superadding much of light and perfection, the believers and receivers of Christ are here defined to be those that live according to And this eternal Word was born in human flesh, assumed our nature, and in that flesh of ours, as in a tabernacle, appeared among us most gloriously, in such a manner as was not compatible to any but the one true eternal Son of God. And whereas the former tabernacle, wherein God was pleased to dwell, had in it the law, that ministration only of death, 2 Cor. iii. 7, precepts of exact obedience, he now in the tabernacle of his flesh, by his incarnation and passion, &c., is all full of grace, that is, exceeding mercy: and whereas the whole business of that tabernacle was nothing but shadows, he hath brought the substance and truth with him, which was meant by all those shadows, the inward purity, shadowed by the legal precepts of circumcision, &c., and spiritual and eternal promises, instead of those carnal or temporal: see ver. 17. [c] dwelt] What is meant by God's being said to be present, or to appear in the Old Testament, hath been expressed note [k] Matt. iii.; to wit, that the angels, which are the courtiers of heaven, do appear (as they are wont to do) in some shining glorious manner. This is wont by the Hebrews to be called שכינה the habitation or presence of God, and in Greek, δόξα, glory, and επιφάνεια, appearing. So Num. xvi. 10, the glory of the Lord appeared, and ver. 42, the cloud covered, and the glory appeared, and God speaks from thence. So when the glory is said to be departed from Israel, 1 Sam. iv. 21, it is clear that by glory is meant the presence of God, which was signified by the ark, and so in many other places, see note [f] 1 Pet. iv. and 2 Pet. i. 3. 17. and note [c] Rom. ix. So Rev. xxi. when it had been said of the new Jerusalem that it was σκηνή, the tabernacle of God with us, ver. 3, that being repeated again ver. 11, is said in these words, Ἰχουσα δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, having the glory of God. See Rev. xxi. 23. also. And because this appearance of God in the flesh was the most visible, permanent, and so remarkable appearance, wherein he ever exhibited himself among us, therefore it is that here it is expressed (as it were by the Schechina) by ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, he had his tabernacle pitched among us, (the Greek σκηνόω coming immediately from the Hebrew זָכָר, and differing from it only by the Greek termination,) agreeable to that prophecy of Noah, Gen. ix. 27, in the Targum's understanding of it, that God should dwell in the tents of Sem, that is, saith that Chaldee paraphrast, that his Schechina should "inhabit in the tabernacle of Sem." The same is expressed here again by δόξα, in the other part of the verse, the glory (and so most probably, 1 Pet. iv. 14. and John xii. 4.) which is the other expression of the presence of the divine majesty, and accordingly Procopius on Isa. xl. interprets δόξαν Κυρίου, τὸν Υἱὸν, the glory of the Lord, to be "the Son, who," saith he, "is above all creatures, of the same divinity with the Father," but especially being man is capable of this title, θαυματουργῶν ἀεὶ καὶ τὴν κτίσιν μεταπλάττων τῷ ῥήματι, γενόμενος πᾶσι σωτήριος, &c. "always working miracles, and transforming the creature by his word, and bringing salvation to all" at this his appearance, Tit. ii. 11. For though this incarnation of Christ was the greatest humbling of him, yet was it nevertheless the greatest manifestation of his glory; never so much of the Divine power and glory was seen upon the earth, as in this. Thus John ii. 11. Christ's working miracles is said to be the means of manifesting his glory, that is, of evidencing the inhabitation of the Godhead in them. [d] as of the only begotten] For the signification of the particle ὡς, as, St. Chrysostom's note is worth reciting, Οὐχ ὁμοιώσεως, saith he, ἐστίν, οὐδὲ παραβολῆς, ἀλλὰ βεβαιώσεως, καὶ ἀναμφισβητήτου διορισμοῦ, "It is not a note of similitude or comparison, but of confirmation and unquestionable definition; as if," saith he, "the evangelist had said, We saw his glory, such as became, and was fit for the only begotten, and true natural Son of God, the King of all." To the same purpose saith Adrian, in his εἰσιγωνὴ to the Scripture, p. 9. Τὴν ὡς διχῶς λέγει, ἤτοι κατὰ παραβολὴν, ἢ κατὰ βεβαίωσιν, "The scripture useth ὡς, as, two ways; first, by way of comparison; and secondly, of confirmation:" and as an instance of the latter he gives Ὡς ἀγαθὸς ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἰσραήλ, John the Baptist testified and proclaimed concerning him, saying, He that follows me, whose forerunner I am, hath been and must always be preferred infinitely before me; for although he appears after me among you in respect of his birth and entering on his office, yet he had a being long before me: and this was most truly said of the Baptist, for he was before the creation of the world, vv. 2, 3, and Col. i. 17. [e] was before me] What is the notion of the word πρῶτος, first, in the New Testament, may here be fitly defined; 1. It signifies in many places (being spoken of a person or persons, especially when it hath a genitive case annexed to it) a ruler or principal person. So Mark vi. 21, πρῶτοι τῆς Γαλιλαίας, the principal men of Galilee. So Luke xix. 47, πρῶτοι τοῦ λαοῦ, the rulers or elders of the people. So Acts xiii. 50, πρῶτοι τῆς πόλεως, the governors of the city. So Acts xxviii. 7, πρῶτος τῆς νήσου, the ruler of the island; and ver. 17, πρῶτοι τῶν Ἰουδαίων, the rulers of the Jews, that is, of their consistory, which they then had at Rome. In this sense the phrase πρῶτός μου cannot be taken here, so as to be rendered my lord, my prince, or my captain; for that is certainly the meaning of the phrase precedent ἱμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, he was preferred before me, as will appear by ver. 27, compared with Matt. iii. 11. Mark i. 7. Luke iii. 16. There by the mention of the shoe, &c. it is plain that those four places are parallel, and that which is ἱμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, was preferred before me in this, is by all the other Evangelists rendered ἰσχυρότερός μου ἐστίν, is stronger than I. And therefore St. Chrysostom here interprets ἱμπροσθέν μου, before me, by λαμπρότερος, ἐντιμότερος, more excellent, more honourable. From this clear notion of ἱμπροσθεν, precedent, for priority of dignity, will depend the just notion of πρῶτός μου, annexed thereto by the causal ὅτι, for, as the proof of the former, and so somewhat different from it, or else it would be the proving of idem per idem, "the same by itself." Thence it follows, that ἱμπροσθεν noting Christ's dignity above John's, πρῶτός μου must not be rendered in that sense, and so it remains, that it be referred to priority of time, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν, for (although he was born after me, and not yet entered on his office, yet) he was before me, he had a being long, even infinitely before me. The only exception against this rendering of πρῶτος is, that the word is of the superlative degree, not of the comparative. But that is easily answered, by remembering that in the New Testament the degrees of comparison are promiscuously used, taken one for another, and that on occasion of the Hebrew idiom, which hath not those degrees of comparison which other languages have. Thus is μία, one, used for πρώτη, first, Luke xxiv. 1. and others the like. And thus is πρῶτος, first, in the superlative, used for the comparative πρότερος, former; so it is evidently in this Gospel, ch. xv. 18. ἐμὶ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν, the world hated me before you: ch. xx. 8. ὁ ἐλθὼν πρῶτος, he that came first, signifies him that came before, Peter v. 3, and so is taken for the comparative πρότερος. And so when Christ is called the πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως, Col. i. 15. literally the first-born of all the creation, it must be interpreted as it is in the Nicene Creed, according to this notion of πρῶτος, begotten of his Father before the whole creation, or, as it follows ver. 17, πρὸ πάντων, he is before all things. Thus is the word used sometimes in human Greek authors also, as πρῶτον Δαρείου in "Aristophanes," before Darius:" and that it must be so here, appears by the conjunction of μοῦ to it, which (as by being in the genitive case, it is fit to be joined with a word of the com- ■ "Ορν. And being full of all graces, excellencies, per- Or, had his tabernacle. from, ropd. This was he, Obret &c. For though the law were given by Moses from God long ago, yet the gospel, called grace, ver. 14, (see note [d] Heb. xiii.) as it is opposed to the severity and rigour of the law, and truth, as opposite to the shadows and ceremonies of the law, was to be brought in by Jesus Christ. God is invisible, and not approachable by us, and so his will and the knowledge of his attributes cannot be conveyed to us but by some intercessor, and of this sort none can be comparable to Christ Jesus, who is next unto the Father and most dearly beloved by him, and knows most of his mind, (see note [g] Matt. viii.,) and his end of coming into the world was to declare this unto us. 19, 20. Now when the Jews sent messengers to John Baptist, as he was preaching and baptizing, to know who he was, this was constantly his answer, That he was not the Messias prophesied of and so long expected by them. But daily increase in the true profession of the gospel, and in the knowledge and practice of the pure doctrine (in opposition to the Gnostics' knowledge falsely so called, 1 Tim. vi. 20.) delivered to us by Christ our eternal God and blessed Saviour, who must be for ever praised by us. Amen. # THE [a] FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF # CHAP. I. THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, ¹ of the Word of life; No, nor Elias; no, nor the prophet, (some special prophet, perhaps Jeremy, which had been among them,) the return of whom the Jews expected before Elias, as him before the Messias. he that was prophesied of by Esaias in those words, Isa. xl. 3, (see Matt. iii. 3,) The voice of one, &c. Why then dost thou receive disciples, and proselytes, or followers, and that after the solemn manner of receiving proselytes, by way of baptism or washing, if thou be not— The day after the return of the Pharisees, John seeing Jesus coming to him, said, Behold the person sent from God, as a lamb prepared for the slaughter, (in whom are summed up and completed all the typical Mosaical prescriptions of lambs to be sacrificed, either in their daily sacrifices or at the passover,) who shall thereby obtain pardon from God for that sin that all the world is engaged in, on condition they now reform at his coming. [f] The next day] Ἡ ἱπαύριον signifies here the day immediately following, not (according to the latitude of the Hebrew כִּדְרִי) the morrow, that is, any part of the following time: for thus I conceive the whole series and course of this story in St. John is to be made up. As in the other Evangelists, Matt. iii. 11. Mark i. 7. Luke iii. 16. the testimonies of John Baptist concerning Christ are set down before Christ was particularly made known unto him, so now, the Spirit having visibly descended on him at his baptism, (as the same Evangelists agree in relating,) this Evangelist further mentions John Baptist's subsequent testimonies of him, founded in that demonstration of the Spirit then descending on him. Such is that mentioned ver. 15, where the Baptist saith, This was he that I spake of; this person, on whom the Spirit so visibly descended after my baptizing of him, was he to whom my former obscurer testimonies belonged. And this seems to have been delivered by the Baptist at the time of Christ's absence in the wilderness forty days, (set down by the other Evangelists,) and so all that second testimony, (mentioned ver. 19, &c. to ver. 28,) where of him he saith, ver. 26, μίοσον δὲ ὑμῶν ἑστῆκεν, ἐν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἶδανε, there stood among you one whom ye knew not, referring again to that time of Christ's being baptized of John, at which time he saw (that is, I conceive, John Baptist saw) the Spirit descend upon him, Matt. iii. 16; and so again, Mark i. 10, εὐθίωσ ἀναβαίνων, John coming out of the water with him, from baptizing him, saw the heavens opened, &c. noting this descent of the Spirit upon him to have been particularly seen by this Baptist, by which he was enabled thus to testify of him. This second testimony of John's was caused by the Jews sending to him from Jerusalem, to know whether John were the Messias or no, and this still in the time of Christ's absence; and then it is added, τῇ ἱπαύριον, the day after the return of those messengers, the day after this testimony and answer of his to the Jews, Jesus came back from the desert to Jordan, where John was, and there John sees him, ver. 29, and testifies again of him at large, ver. 35. And the next day after this is the beginning of a new account, ver. 35; and again, τῇ ἱπαύριον, ver. 44, the next day is the second day of that new account, and then it is added distinctly, τῇ ἡμίρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ, ch. ii. 1, on the third day. And though I was not able to discriminate him from others, yet a little before his baptism it was revealed to me, (as appears Matt. iii. 14,) and at his baptism, by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon him, Matt. iii. 16, I was clearly told it, that he was the Messias which was to come into the world; and the grand design of my coming and gathering disciples was by that means to make this people take notice of and receive Christ. d See note [i] Matt. iii. Until then I knew not which was he, only this sign was given me, that on whomsoever I saw the Spirit descend, that was the Messias; who in the receiving of his proselytes doth not only use the known ceremony of water, but, moreover, sends down the Spirit on them, (see note [a] Acts i.) b in the midst of you stood one whom ye knew not, μίαιν ὑμῖν ἴσπασεν. b he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: so ancient copies add here. Ἐκεῖνος ὑμῖν, &c. 10 Bethany; for the ancient MS. in the King's library reads Βηθαγίς, and so some others. 11 as a dove out of heaven, and he, ὡς εἰ περιστρεμὰν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔμεινεν. By which premises it follows, that my testimony of Christ, that he is the Son of God, is no more than what I saw with mine eyes, and heard distinctly affirmed from heaven, these words being delivered by voice from heaven at that time of the Holy Ghost's descending on him, This is my beloved Son, &c., Matt. iii. 17. The next day again after this, (see note [c],) John having two of his disciples with him, As Jesus passed along, John, by his eye fastened on him, demonstrating whom he meant, said again the same words that before, ver. 29, in the hearing of those two disciples of his, Behold, &c. Hereupon those two disciples, hearing him give that testimony of Jesus, parted from him and followed Jesus. What would ye have? They said— four in the afternoon. One of the two that heard those words of John concerning Jesus, and which thereupon followed Jesus, ver. 37, was that Andrew which was brother to Simon, after surnamed Peter; (and the other, most probably, John, the writer of this Gospel, who useth not to name himself when the story would direct to it.) These having been and talked with Christ, ver. 39, Andrew was the first that revealed this to his brother Simon, saying, We have met and talked with the Messias, or, as in Greek he is called, the Christ, that is, God's Anointed sent by him with special commission from heaven, whom we have long expected as the Redeemer of Israel. And Andrew conducted Simon: see note [f] Matt. xvi. [g] brought him to Jesus] What is here said of Andrew's and Peter's coming to Christ, was sometime before their forsaking their trades and following him in the other Gospels. For here the next day after Christ's returning from the wilderness to Jordan, John Baptist is standing still, ver. 35, and two disciples with him. One of them was Andrew, ver. 40. John seeing Christ, points to him in their hearing, and by so doing doth in a manner put them off from continuing with him, and fastens them on Christ, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, &c. ver. 36. Andrew and the other (who very probably was John, the writer of this Gospel, who therefore names the circumstances of the time of day, ver. 40, and the very words that passed so punctually, but after this manner in other places conceals his name) go presently to Christ, and ask him where he abides, follow him thither, spend some time with him that evening; soon after that Andrew reveals this to Simon, and both of them together go to Christ, ver. 42. As soon as The next day after that mentioned ver. 35, (see note [e],) Jesus was passing into Galilee— the Messias to come, foretold by Moses and the prophets, a man like one of us, by name Jesus, the son of Joseph, that dwells at Nazareth in Galilee. Nathanael argued against this from a known observation among the Jews, that Nazareth being in Galilee, and Galilee, as they conceived, looked on by God as a mean despicable place, out of which, say they, ch. viii. 52, never any prophet arose, it was incredible that any one born in Nazareth should be the Messias. To this deceivable arguing Philip gives no other answer than this, That if he would go to him, and see and hear him, he would soon be of another mind. As Nathanael made his approach to Jesus, as soon as he was within distance of hearing him, Jesus said, Lo here is a man which is truly an Israelite, a man of that simplicity and integrity that is much valued with God, of that temper described in Jacob, Gen. xxv. 27. promised Messias described to us as a king. But Christ repressed her, saying, that this matter of his office to which he was sent by God was a thing wherein she, though his earthly parent, was not to interpose; farther telling her that it was not yet seasonable for him to shew forth his power unto all, intimating his purpose that he would do it more privately than by her words she appeared to design it. [a] what have I to do with thee?] It is not easy to resolve what is the importance of this speech of Christ to his mother, Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί; What have I to do with thee? yet by the next verse, which tells us what Mary did upon it, (viz. spake to the attendants, that they should do whatsoever Christ bade them,) it is clear that she did not conclude from his speech that he would not make use of his power to help them to wine, but directly the contrary, that she believed that he would. And it is clear by ver. 7, that Christ immediately goes about it, bids them fill the waterpots of water, and immediately turns it into wine. By this it is manifest that the meaning of Christ's speech must not be that his time of working miracles was not yet come, but either that it was not yet the fittest point of time to do this particular miracle, but it would be more fit, because more beneficial, when the wine was quite spent, or else that it was not yet his time to do his miracles so openly and publicly as Mary seemed to believe, (and his kindred after insist on, ch. vii. 4.) but Christ frequently provides against, (for what reasons, see note [b] Matt. viii.) To this latter the circumstances of the context, considered all together, do most incline. And accordingly the result is, that though he meant to work this miracle, yet he would do it more privately, so as it should appear to none of the guests, or to the bridegroom, or to the ruler of the feast, but only to the waiters and his own disciples and mother, that came along with him. This is manifest by the event; for, ver. 9, the ἀρχιερίκλυνός, the manager or orderer of the feast, knew it not, but only they that drew the water, that is, the waiters; nor is there any further public notice taken of the miracle, but only that the Evangelist mentions it as a beginning or præludium of his σημεία, signs or wonders, ver. 11, by which, by little and little, he made himself known to the world, and manifested his glory, that is, made it appear that the Godhead dwelt in him, but this not to all, but his disciples, of whom peculiarly it is added, that they believed on him. As for that form of speech, τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί; it is only a form of repressing, (as much as ἓα, let alone, with which it is joined, Mark i. 24,) and so is used 2 Sam. xix. 22. Matt. viii. 29. Mark v. 7. Luke viii. 28. to express dislike to the proposal in the first, in the rest to desire him to let them alone, not to meddle with them. And accordingly it here signifies Christ's dislike of Mary's proposal, which was (without any care of secrecy) publicly to supply them with wine now it was Whereupon, that none but the waiters might take notice of it, (who knowing the wine was all spent could not choose but know if any supply were made,) she bids them be obedient to him, and without any noise do what he should bid them. And there were there six vessels of stone, cisterns of a competent bigness, out of which they were wont to draw water for every man's use; these were set there to wash in, after the manner of the Jews, who constantly wash before meals: see note [a] Mark vii. And using no other weapon but only a whip of little cords, which he found there, he drove them all out of the temple, no man making any resistance, (in like manner as he after did again, Matt. xxi. 12,) and the sheep— the temple set apart for God's peculiar presence and service, a shop of trade to buy and sell in it. "Jesus made the beginning of his miracles, ἐποίησε τὴν ἀρχὴν exchangers, κεραματισταί. "money-merchants, κολλυβιστῶν: Hereupon the Jews came and questioned him, saying, What commission dost thou bring? what evidence of thy coming from God, or, what miracles dost thou do by which it may appear to us that thou art invested with such authority as these acts of thine pretend to? Jesus said unto them, The sign that is to be shewn to you is this, that when you have put me to death, I now tell you, that I shall within three days rise again: see Matt. xii. 39. This being said by him in a parabolical manner, calling his body this temple, and the putting him to death the destroying of this temple, and his resurrection the rearing it again; they mistook his meaning, and thought he had spoken of the temple of Jerusalem, (and laid it up as an accusation against him, Matt. xxvi. 61,) and argued against it as an impossible thing for him to rebuild that in so small a time. But the truth was, he spake of his body's being killed, and rising again the third day, which after the manner of prophets he thus expressed, and mentioned this as the miracle by which his doctrine was to be confirmed. This speech of his the disciples called to mind after his resurrection, and upon that, added to many other completions of his own predictions, and the predictions of scripture concerning him, they believed those prophecies as fulfilled in him, and believed his own words as agreeable thereto, and so resolved that he was the Messias. Many others did so also at Jerusalem when he came thither, and acknowledged the power by which he acted to be divine, being convinced thereof by the miracles which he did there at the time of the feast of the passover and unleavened bread. ² that, &c. Who durst not be seen or known to come to Jesus, and therefore did it by night, (ch. vii. 50, and xix. 9,) and said unto him, Master, we are convinced that thou art sent by God to teach and instruct us in his way, for this thy miracles testify, which could not be done without God's special hand, and would never be allowed by God to confirm falsities. Jesus, willing to undeceive him, and that he might not flatter himself that the acknowledging of him to be the Messias, or sent from God, would be sufficient, without the undertaking his service, owning and confessing of him (in despite of all fear of men) without being his proselyte, and forsaking his former course, tells him positively, that unless he would be born again, which is a phrase to denote a proselyte of Christ, and, when occasion required, forsake all for Christ's sake, even his former course of life and dignity in the Jewish state, (contrary to his coming to him by night, and acknowledging him secretly,) he should not see the kingdom of God, be a Christian here, (which is a privilege of a greater height than that of being a Jew or a member of their sanhedrim,) or a saint hereafter. Nicodemus, attending only to the literal sound not sense of Christ's words, asks how a man of full years can again be born. Jesus answers him, Except a man be received as a proselyte, and that not of an ordinary sort, such as are among you Jews, but a Christian proselyte, such as are received by baptism in the Christian church, so as to undertake the law of Christ, and renounce his former (whether heathen or) Jewish course, the first expressed by being washed in water, the ceremony of the Jews' proselytism, (now also made use of by Christ,) by which a man was said by the Jews to be ¹⁰ all things, or, every man: for some ancient copies read where. teacher, ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἀλλήλωσις ἀδάσκαλος. ¹ come from God a [a] born of water] The nature of proselytes among the Jews, and the difference of them, hath been spoken of, (note [d] Matt. xxiii.) and also the manner of initiating them by washing or baptism, (note [a] Matt. iii.) as also their putting off all their former relations of kindred and consanguinity, and so being as it were new-born, (note [d] Matt. xix. 28.) From hence it is that at the receiving of Christian religion, which is the nobler proselytism, and hath in the ceremony of initiation not only the washing in water, but also the baptism of the Spirit too, that is, the communication of that Spirit of Christ in some measure that descended on the apostles, Acts ii, a man is here said by Christ to be born anew of water and the Holy Ghost; and when Nicodemus, a learned Jew, and a master among them, seems to be ignorant, and wonders how this can be, and asks this gross question to that first part of it, how one that is of age can be born again, Christ wonders at him, ver. 10, intimating that this is the very doctrine of proselytism, which no knowing Jew can be ignorant of, to wit, that he is to be washed and circumcised, and being so, is by the Jews counted as one recens natus, "new born," brought forth by another mother, so that he who was kin to him before is now no longer kin to him. This λούτρον παλιγγενεσίας, washing of regeneration, Tit. iii. 5, is in effect a being new born; and he that so follows Christ in this regeneration, or new birth, Matt. xix. 28, (if that be the right punctuation,) he leaves brothers and sisters, father and mother, wife and children, ver. 29, and Mark x. 29, and Luke xviii. 29. And to the same purpose belongs that which follows, ver. 11, 12, intimating that speech of Christ, which Nicodemus so little understood, of being born anew of water, to have been a thing ordinarily seen and known among the Jews, ἐπίγειον, an ordinary, inferior, earthly thing, in comparison with the ἐπουράνια, those higher celestial doctrines (so much more contrary to the Jewish customs and laws) that should be revealed, and to the baptizing with the Holy Ghost, of which also he here speaks, referring still to this custom of proselytes among the Jews, which is here accommodated to the receiving of Christian religion, entering into his discipleship. The actions of a natural man which hath none of this new Christian birth, that hath not thus given himself up to a Christian life, will be but natural actions, at least but external purifications, restraints of sin in the outward part. But the actions of a spiritual person, thus born anew from that higher principle, a proselyte of Christ's, they will be spiritual, purifications of the very spirit. And therefore you are not to wonder that I tell you of the necessity of this new birth, undertaking this new course, and forsaking the former, nor to think there is nothing in it because it is not visible to your eyes: many things have great force in them whose beginnings are not visible to the eye, or at all known by men. As for example; the wind, which, though nobody knows from what part precisely it comes, what beginning it hath, and how produced, and when it riseth, or what becomes of it when it ceaseth, yet hath most discernible effects, comes with a great force and noise, (which is evidence enough that there is such a thing,) is heard by all men: and so is it in this matter; he that is born anew, that undertakes to be a proselyte of Christ, he by the Spirit of God, and those influences that are conveyed to him from Christ, is able to do wonderful things, is discernibly another kind of man than he was before; and so his new birth is and must be seen by the fruits and growth, &c., discernible to himself and others, though the beginnings or source, or means of conveying this unto him, be undiscernible. See Mark iv. 26. Nicodemus still continued ignorant of the meaning and possibility of the truth of what Christ said, and therefore still questioned how this could be? To which Jesus answered, This that I say of new birth in baptism being not only agreeable to but perfectly a piece of your doctrine about proselytes, it is strange that thou, being a learned Jew, a Pharisee, and master in Israel, shouldst not understand it. (See note [a] Matt. iii., and note [b] John xiii.) a b Your not believing or understanding (ver. 9.) those things that are ordinary in the Jewish law (see ver. 31.) is an argument that things of an higher nature will not be received by you. And if I shall tell you that I am to ascend up to heaven, and from thence demonstrate to you that I came down from heaven, and am the very Messias, the eternal Son of God, that am now a man. 14, 15. And again, that I am to be lifted up on the cross, and thereby to fulfil what was typified by Moses's lifting up the brazen serpent, and that this is the way by which I mean to bring all that believe in me to everlasting life, as all that looked on the brazen serpent were cured of whatsoever diseases. For herein hath God's unspeakable love been expressed to all mankind, that he hath sent his eternal Son to assume our nature, and to teach and give examples of holy life, and at last to die for them, and rise again, and ascend to heaven, all on this one design, that every person in the world that shall receive and obey him shall be rescued from eternal death, and then made partaker of eternal life. For this my mission from God my Father was designed all in mercy and charity, not to punish or condemn any man, but on purpose that all men might be rescued from punishment. He that receiveth and obeyeth me is by me secured that he shall escape all punishment, only he that rejecteth me is certainly condemned, (by the purport of that very covenant, of which mercy to believers is the principal part, all others being absolutely excluded,) for that great sin of refusing of Christ now sent to him, as having not embraced that only remedy, the only Son of God now offered to him. And this is it that will aggravate your sin and punishment, that when God made such provision for you, when Christ came to enlighten and take men off from all their former evil courses, they were so besotted to their own sinful ways, that they chose rather to continue in them than to be reformed and purified by Christ, or but so much as to be taught their duty by him. But as he that fears coming into the light, it is certain he hath somewhat to conceal, and that he hath not a mind to part with it; so the refusing to come and be instructed in the knowledge of his duty by me is an evidence that that man is a wicked man, and means to continue so, who cannot venture his actions in the light for fear they be found faulty, and he engaged to reform them. Whereas he that lives a justifiable life, or resolves to amend what is amiss, a sincere, upright person, will be glad of a director, will come cheerfully to be put in the way of strictest duty, and venture to have his actions judged of whether they be right or no, which is an argument that what he doth he doth in the fear of God and with a good conscience. and receiving those that believed on him baptized them. a place chosen by him as commodious to that purpose by reason of the pools of water; and thither the people came and were baptized of him there. this receiving of proselytes and using the ceremony of baptism, on which occasion mention was made of Christ's using the same ceremony. Hereupon they come and tell John that Christ (describing him to him) receiveth proselytes with this ceremony, and there is a great recourse to him. I can do no more than I have commission from God to do, and that commission doth not equal me to him. And therefore you cannot but remember that I always said of myself, that I am not the Messias, but only his harbinger. When the bridegroom hath the bride in secret conference, to consummate the marriage, and the friend of the bridegroom hearkens at the door, to hear whether all succeed well or no, if the bridegroom signify (by some form of speech that was usual to that purpose) that all succeeds prosperously, then that friend rejoices exceedingly; and thus is it with me in my attendance on Christ at this time. because. were many waters, ὕδατα πολλὰ ἦν. dispute, ζήτησις. a Jew: so the King's MS and others read, μετὰ Ἰουδαίου. So the Syriac, Chrysostome, Theophylact, Noonus, and all the copies of Paris but one, saith Lucas Reugensis. B b 2 [b] he that hath the bride] Among the Jews, in their rites of espousals, there is frequent mention of חומה, a place where, under a And they that will but go out and preach to them shall receive reward for their pains, and by converting others advantage themselves eternally, and come to reap the fruits of all that seed that the prophets &c. from all time have sowed. Considering the danger that this might bring upon him from the sanhedrim of the Jews, it being not yet the fit season for him to leave the world till he had farther disseminated his doctrine, he left Judæa for a time and departed— In this place was the well which Jacob once digged, on which occasion Jesus being weary of travail sat down close by it on the ground, and it was about twelve of the clock, mid-day. b commerce or communication of familiarity with the Samaritans. c what a mercy and bounty of God is now designed thee, and who it is that made that request to thee, on purpose that thou mightest be partaker of a far greater gift, thou wouldst not have startled at this request, but have made advantage of it to ask, and he would certainly have given thee that fountain water, of a divine special quality, which would have yielded thee eternal life. [a] thus] The word οὕτως, thus, is by Theophylact interpreted ἀπλῶς, ὡς ἔτυχε, οὐκ ἐπὶ θρόνου, ἀφελῶς ἐπὶ ἐδάφους, simply, after any manner, not on a seat, without any provision made for sitting, upon the ground. And if so, then ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ must not be on, but by or near the well, as על עין, Gen. xvi. 7, is at or by the spring of water. [b] living water] The Hebrews express a fountain of water springing or bubbling up continually, by the phrase מים חיים, Gen. xxix. 19, living waters, and the Greek render that either literally by τὸ ζῶν ὕδωρ, living water, or else by ἀλλόμενον ὕδωρ, springing or leaping water, that springing of waters out of the earth being a kind of imitation or resemblance of life. This fountain or spring-water, being of all other the purest, is here set to denote that great mercy and grace x But that which I mean by water, and which upon thy bare petition I am ready to give thee, (ver. 10,) will so refresh, that he shall never thirst again that drinketh of it: it shall be within himself a perpetually flowing fountain, that of its own accord shall yield him daily refreshment here, and never cease till it end in everlasting life and bliss. As yet the woman understood not his meaning, but applying it grossly to corporal thirst, she saith unto him— And therefore to work more sense in her, Jesus, meaning to give her knowledge in some degree that he was the Messias, by discovering some acts and evidences of his omniscience, saith unto her— ⁶ thou canst reveal the secrets of one's life, hast prophetic knowledge; if so, then I pray tell me or satisfy me in this difficulty: Jacob and the patriarchs, before the law, (whose successors the Samaritans pretended to be, and so pleaded a greater antiquity for their schism than the Jews had for their true worship; but this falsely, being indeed Assyrians, transplanted by Salmaneser into the cities of Samaria, when the tribe of Ephraim and the rest of the kingdom of Israel, which inhabited there, were by him carried into Assyria, 2 Kings xvii. 24,) worshipped in mount Ephraim at Shiloh, in the country of Samaria, where anciently the tabernacle and the ark of God were, long before the building of the temple at Jerusalem; and yet ye Jews say that it is not lawful to perform the solemn worship of God in any place but Jerusalem. ⁷ the worship of God shall be so far from being confined to this place, that it shall not be confined to Jerusalem itself, nay, a desolation shall shortly overwhelm both. Ye worship the God of the land, 2 Kings xvii. 26, without any knowledge who that is, and your own gods with him; we Jews worship the eternal God of heaven, who hath revealed himself to us; for the special revelations of God, beyond that which other nations enjoy, belong to the Jews, and so all manner of advantages toward our eternal good. But now the time of reformation approacheth, and God will be worshipped and obeyed neither in the Judaical rites (which are oft called carnal, and consisted in external performances) nor according to the Samaritan false worship, who worshipped their own idols together with God, 2 Kings xvii., but in a pure spiritual manner, extending to the very heart, and such as was typified by those shadows; and the Son of God now comes to draw all men to this way of worship, to the Christian from the Judaical or Samaritan way. See note [d] Luke ix. b is especially delighted with the Christian worship which is taught to join the soul with the external performances, and to worship the true God now revealed by Christ after that manner wherein Christ reveals him. As he said this, the disciples came back from the city, ver. 8, and thought it strange that he should thus discourse with this woman; yet no man was so curious as to ask him the reason, or require of him an account of this action. And of him I shall farther foretell you, that he shall increase daily in splendour and fame, and I pro-portionably decrease. And it is all reason that it should be so. For he cometh from heaven, and so must needs be supe-rior to all such as I, who am an earthly man, having my original from the earth, made up or compounded of earth; and therefore what I say or do is but of an earthy, but what he, of a much higher original; my baptizing is but like the rest of your Jewish baptisms, (see ver. 12,) only with water, but his with the Holy Ghost also. And the thing which he teacheth he knows to be true, having received it from his Father, but the multitude of men in the world receive not his testi-mony, believe not that he is sent from God. He that doth receive it doth in effect no more but bear witness unto and acknowledge the veracity of God himself, it being as impossible that one so sent from God as Christ should lie, as that God should lie himself. The former prophets had the Spirit in a limited measure bestowed on them by God, to go on such or such an errand, on which God sent them, and it is therefore, Thus saith the Lord, to all their prophecies; but on Christ the Spirit descended once for all, and commanded belief of all that he should say. Christ is the well beloved of his Father, and by him God hath revealed to us all things fit to re-veal: (see Matt. iii. 17.) And therefore It is not with my harvest as it is with that in the fields, four months yet to that time; consider, and ye shall see the great inclinations and forwardness of men to receive the gospel, if it may be preached unto them. Whosoever gives up his faith and obedience to him is in a course which will bring him to all felicity eternally; and on the contrary, he that stands out con-tumaciously against his doctrine continues immutably and inevitably under the wrath of God, due to him both for his former sins and this addition of his stand-ing out against this powerful method of God's for the recalling him. So that to this may the proverb be applied, One soweth &c.: that is, the prophets sowed this seed of the gospel, in foretelling Christ's coming, and the apostles they reap the harvest of converts to him. The prophets have so prepared men's hearts to receive the gospel, that there needs very little pains of yours; you may at first preaching of the gospel reap a whole harvest of proselytes. "He told me the secrets of my life, which he, being a stranger, could not know, if he were a mere man. "and though, Matt. x. 5, he forbad his disciples at that time to go into any city of the Samaritans, (that they might make the Jews see they were his peculiar care at that time,) yet to shew that the gospel was not their enclosure, he now himself stays with the Samaritans two days, and preacheth the gospel to them. And upon this second coming of his among the Galilæans, they having, since he was there last, seen what miracles he had done at Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover, ch. ii. 14, they thereupon gave him a very kind reception (and after the cure of the courtier's son, which follows here, teaching publicly in the synagogues of Galilee he was glorified of all, Luke iv. 15.) I perceive there is need of doing miracles among you to work faith in you: this weakness therefore of yours I will indulge to. believed on him: so the Syriac and many copies, abrog. courtier. [a] by the sheep market a pool] The words being read, as they are now in our best copies, ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρᾳ, both in the dative case, the only nominative case in the period must be ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Βεθεσδὰ, and then there can be no way of translating it but by understanding the word בית house, which is after contained in the word Bethesda, and which must be the subject to which the following adjunct belongs, πέντε στοὰς ἔχουσα, having five porches, which cannot be said so properly of any thing as of an house. If this be the reading, then this house, called in Syriac בית הכרה, the house of mercy, as the Syriac now reads it, that is, the almshouse literally, (not as Beza would have it, domus effusionis,) must be resolved to have been a nosocomium or hospital for those that are sick, and that it was built ἐπὶ τῇ κολυμβήθρᾳ, upon or adjoining to that pool, (or, as the King's MS. reads, ἐν τῇ, on it,) and had five porches in it. Others anciently did read it (see Rob. Steph. var. lect.) without ἐπὶ τῇ in the nominative case, ἦν δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις προβατικὴ κολυμβήθρα, there was at Jerusalem a sheep pool. So St. Chrysostom, and St. Cyrill of Alexandria, Theophylact, Theophilus Antioch. and St. Jerome. Bethesda (saith he, in Locis Hebr.) piscina in Jerusalem quæ vocatur peculialis: "Bethesda is a pool in Jerusalem, called the cattle pool;" which if it be the right reading, then may that pool be there set for this house and pool together, and both (ἐπιλεγομένη) with the agnomen of Bethesda, the almshouse, or else בית may be taken in a larger notion to signify any place, and so signify the pool only, without supposing any house there, but only some buildings, as porches or entrances into the pool, ver. 7. As for that For an angel, or, as it may be probably sup- ¹ at the sheep-pool ² sick of the palsy: for so the ³ Or, a descended in, κατέβαινεν ἴν. The cure that was lately wrought upon thee, thou knewest not by whom, must oblige thee to an upright reformation of life, or else thou art to expect more fearful judgments than that disease was. 'both wrought a cure, (which they thought unlawful on the sabbath, Mark iii. 2,) and also bad him to carry his bed, ver. 10, on the sabbath day. To this exception of theirs against him, because of his curing on the sabbath, Jesus made this reply: God my Father, from whose rest you take the celebration of the sabbath, did not so rest from all work on the sabbath day, but that ever since he hath done works of providence (see Chrysostom, hom. 10. in Gen. p. 63.) and of preservation and mercy every day; and why may not I his Son do so without exception, my Father's actions and mine being the same? which the Jews, that knew that the Son of God must be of the very divine nature, (as a son is of the same nature with his father,) and therefore equal with God, interpreted to be a blasphemy in him whom they believed not to be the Messias, and therefore fit to be punished with death. To this exception of theirs against Christ he answers, Although I affirm myself the Son of God, and so am rightly concluded by you to be equal with my Father, yet this is far from being matter of impiety in me, far from opposing myself against God: for I do nothing but what is the express will of my Father that I should do, and therefore it was reasonable for me to say what I did, ver. 17, that my Father's actions will justify me in doing the same. For out of the infinite love my Father bears to me, he communicates all things to me, and by that means you are likely to have greater matter of won- was gone out privately, illiterate. until now, that April. also called God his own Father, and wroughta Thou Chry the God. For even to the raising of the dead, far greater than the curing of the sick, my Father hath communicated his power to me, and as my Father raiseth, so will I whomsoever I please. And for the office of judging (angels or men), my Father doth it not himself, but hath put all into the Son's hand, both the present governing of the church and final sentencing of all. And so by this means it appears that as it was no fault in me to say what I did, ver. 17, though it were the equalling myself with the Father, so it must needs be great hypocrisy in you to think and pretend that you zealously honour my Father, when you do despise and dishonour me, which am sent with this power at this time, on purpose to be honoured by all men, in the same manner as my Father is honoured, that so I may work a reformation among you. This is so perfectly the will of my Father, that I must tell you, that on your heeding and hearkening to me at this time, and believing and entertaining my doctrine as the message of God, depends your eternal well being, your escaping eternal death, and attaining eternal life. And I assure you, this power which God my Father hath given me at this time extendeth to the greatest things, even to raising the dead out of their graves, (as also sinners out of their graves of sin,) which power you shall shortly see (nay, in the spiritual sense is already) exercised by me. For as God hath of and from himself power to give life to any thing, so hath he given this power to me, and I have it. And as I am God-man, that is, in that I have thus humbled myself to this mean estate, (which ought not to lessen, but rather increase the account which is due to me in the world,) my Father, by way of reward, (Phil. ii. 8, 9,) hath given me all power and authority, both now and hereafter, in and over his church. And so again in other respects: as, 1. that men having a merciful high priest, (not such an one as cannot suffer, or consequently be touched with our infirmities, but one, that is a man upon the earth, in all things, tempted like unto us, yet without sin,) might have confidence of access to him, in his present government of all things; and, 2. that men which have Let not what I say be matter of wonderment to you, for certainly there shall be (as certainly as if it were come already) a time of general resurrection for all the dead; (and an essay thereof shall shortly be seen among you.) And the righteous shall have their bodies and souls united in bliss; and the wicked shall also have a restitution of their bodies, to receive their sentence and punishment. My judgment is a righteous judgment, and agreeable to my Father's method and decree, that they which believe on me shall be saved, and they that reject me, damned. This my Father hath declared; and therefore it is not the seeking either honour or revenge to myself that I say or do this, but the going according to my Father's prescript, and nothing else. 31, 32. If I did any thing that tended to mine own honour, and were a single witness therein, you might reasonably except against it; but as that which I do is not to honour myself, but only to execute my Father's will, so for the truth of what I say my Father bears witness of me, and hath done it already, by sending the Spirit, and a voice from heaven, and giving me power to do miracles; and that sure is a competent testimony, which can deceive none. [c] prayed him] The Hebrew נָאוּ signifies two things, to question, and to request or pray. And the Greek translators use one of these for the other, Psalm cxxii. 6, instead of pray for the peace, &c. ἐρωτήσατε τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην, inquire or ask after, &c. So here, ἡρώτων μαθηταί, the disciples asked, for they intreated, desired; and ver. 40, the Samaritans ἡρώτων οὐτὸν μένειν, &c. asked, that is, besought him to stay. So Matt. xv. 23, ἡρώτων λέγοντες, Ἀπόλυσον, they (not asked, but) besought him, saying, Dismiss her, or do what she desires of thee, (as appears by Christ's answer, rendering a reason why he did it not presently, vv. 24. 26.) So Acts xiii. 36, ἡρώτων ἐξελθεῖν, desired them to go out; and ch. xxiii. 20, ἐρωτήσαί σε, to desire thee; and 2 Thess. ii. 1, ἐρωτῶμεν ὑμᾶς ἀδελφοί, we beseech you, brethren. So John xvii. 9, οὐ περὶ κόσμου ἐρωτῶ, I pray not for the world; and ver. 15, οὐκ ἐρωτῶ, I pray not, and ver. 20. So ch. xvi. 26, ὅτι ἐρωτήσω, that I will pray, though, ver. 30, it be used in the other sense for asking questions. And for the trial hereof, you have sent to John, who baptized me, when the Spirit so descended on me, and he that saw it testified to you the truth of it. But as for me, I need not the testimony of John, or any man; but yet, that you that believe him may believe him of me, and so escape and fly from the danger which approacheth you, I thus mention to you his testimony, which was of such authority with you. He was that Elias, described Ecclus. xlviii. by being like fire, and his word burning like a lamp, and for a while you liked well to hear him, but as soon as he testified of me then you presently rejected him. But I have no need of that testimony of his, for the working of those miracles, which God hath enabled me to work, is a greater demonstration of my And God the Father, by voice from heaven, hath testified of me; but ye, as according to your fathers' desire, expressed Exod. xx. 19, Deut. v. 25, and xviii. 16, ye have not heard the voice of God, nor seen his appearance, so it appears by your actions, ye behave yourselves as those that know nothing of God, ungodly impious men: see 1 John iii. 6. And for that only means left you, the word of God revealed to you, ye do not make use of that, or live according to it, as is apparent by your not believing on me, who have seen, and heard, and know his will, and am sent by God, as the only means of declaring that will to you, and am foretold in the scripture as the Messias to come. Look into and examine the writings of the Old Testament, whereon you depend, and believe that through performance of the Mosaical precepts you shall have eternal life. And on examination you shall find that all those prophecies are types, and fulfilled in me, and that all the promises of life there made have an aspect on me, the giver of life. But ye, though ye look upon these as the repository of your present and eternal bliss, and though they direct you to me as the only means to attain it, yet wilfully reject me, and by that means your eternal bliss also. 41, 42. Alas, it is not your approbation or estimation (to be acknowledged or well spoken of by you) that I contend for, while I thus speak. But to this purpose I say it. By your dealing with me, who come with this testimony of my Father, it is apparent and discernible, how far you are (whatever you pretend) from all piety and love of God, that this testimony of God cannot work on you to receive me, but the being well spoken of by men (see ch. xii. 43.) is all you care for, and because that may be lost by receiving me, therefore am I rejected by you. But to see the sottishness of your dealings: I bring my commission from God, and ye heed it not; and yet if another, without any commission from God, a mere counterfeit, shall, in his own name, come, and undertake to seduce you, such as Simon Magus, (see note [e] 2 Thess. ii.) what multitudes of you Jews will follow him! [d] nobleman] The τίς βασιλικός here signifies an officer of the king's, one that had some place at the court of Herodes Antipas, who was then the tetrarch of Galilee. St. Jerome renders it palatinus. The Latin interpreter reads regulus, by a mistake reading βασιλίσκος. See Casaub. ad Baron. p. 210. [a] make him a king] The Jews expected a Messiah (whom they called ὁ προφήτης, the prophet, ver. 14.) about this time. Tacitus and Suetonius say it was a received opinion that about this time a great king should arise in Judah; but this a glorious one, and a powerful king, one that should work their deliverance, free them from, and revenge them on the nations who had gotten the dominion over them. By this miracle of Christ's in feeding such a multitude with so small provision, they conjectured rightly that he was able to sustain and feed the greatest and most numerous army with very little charge, and thereupon were ready to come and take him by force to be their king, that is, their judge or leader, to fight their battles for them like Gideon, &c.; and this afterwards they again refer to, when they put him in mind of Moses giving them manna in the wilderness, ver. 31, which if he will do, or any thing equal to it, they will believe on him. This faith of theirs being unduly founded, and breaking out into a very inordinate expression, our Saviour wholly disliked, as to the present expression of it, meaning not to undertake any such employment; and for the faith itself, that he justly suspected would turn into malice, when they should see this their hope of temporal deliverance and revenge frustrated; and therefore he retired, departed out of their hands to a mountain alone. When therefore by the contrariety of the winds they had been forced to fall to their oars, and had done so for some space, they discern one walking on the sea, and coming toward the ship; this was Jesus; but they not knowing it was so (ver. 20.), were affrighted with the sight. m gladly took him into the ship, (see Mark vi. 51,) and as soon as ever they received him in, the ship arrived at their intended shore. When, I say, the multitude saw Jesus was gone from that place, as well as his disciples, ver. 17, and from thence concluded it most probable, that Jesus, though he went not with the disciples, was gone after them to Capernaum, his usual habitation, they having the advantage of vessels for passage, ver. 23, took ship, and went to Capernaum to look for him. they considering that he went not into the ship with the disciples, ver. 22, and not knowing of any passage by boat which he could have to Capernaum, could not imagine which way he came thither; yet because Tiberias was not far off from the place where the miracle of the bread was wrought, and there came other boats from thence, ver. 23, they being uncertain what to think, asked him of the time and way of his conveyance, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? That which makes you thus follow me is not the acknowledgment of my divine power, evidenced by my miracles, or consequent to that, a purpose to embrace my doctrine, or desire to learn of me, but a gross carnal desire of the like advantages which you had of my multiplying loaves to feed you. Set not your hearts on these poor external advantages; seek not, desire not to acquire this corporal food, in order to your worldly ends, secular victories and greatness, (see note [a]), and that which will afford you but a short fading benefit, ver. 49; but look out, and get your part of that food which is itself unperishable, and will make all that feed on it immortal also. This food shall the Messias (that is, Christ) bestow upon you; for him and his doctrine hath God the Father acknowledged to be his own, (see note [i] Ephes. iv.,) and by the coming of the Spirit on him, demonstrated him to be sent by him, no king of your choosing or making, ver. 15; but as his kingdom is to be a spiritual kingdom, so is he to be installed to it by God, and not by you. [b] Labour] The word ἐργάζεσθαι, to labour, here seems to answer the Hebrew עשה, having here an accusative case after it, and that signifies to acquire, parare, comparare, quærere, acquirere, colligere, possidere, lucrari, and is rendered by the Septuagint ἐκτήσαντο, Gen. xii. 5. and Gen. xxxi. 1. For עשה in Hebrew, and πεποίηκε in Greek, the Targum read קנא, acquisivit, and Deut. viii. 17, instead of my hand hath wrought me all this strength, עשה החול, ἐποίησε δύναμιν, the Targum hath כנש נכסא, hath gathered or acquired me these riches. So Ezek. xxviii. 4, ἐποίησας, thou hast made the gold and silver in thy treasury, the Targum have וכנשתא, and thou hast gathered, &c. and thus Luke xix. 16, ἡ μνὰ σου προσεφράσατο δέκα μνάς, and ver. 18, ἐποίησε πέντε μνάς, thy pound hath made, or wrought, that is, hath gained, acquired, ten, or five pounds. Thus in Palæphatus Pariusᵖ, περὶ ἀπίστων, εἰργάσατο βρώμα, "he got himself food," sibi victum comparavit. Another notion there is of the word, 1 Cor. ix. 13, οἱ τὰ ἱερὰ ἐργοζόμενοι, they that work, or labour, or prepare holy things, according to another notion of עשה, when it is applied to a sacrifice, or feast, or office, and then it notes observare, celebrare, præparare, aptare, ordinare, disponere, "to prepare," or "fit," or "dispose," but that belongs not to this place. Hereupon they said unto him, What is required of us, what course wilt thou prescribe, that we may do that which thou biddest us, ver. 27, that we may be always employed in God's tasks, so as will be acceptable to him? [c] work the works of God] That ἔργα Θεοῦ signifies here the tasks or commands of God, is not only evidenced by the context, but is the affirmation of Procopius in Gen. ii. Τὴν γὰρ ἐντολὴν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἔργον λέγει. p. 30. Jesus answered them, That which God requires of you, is, to believe and do all that I, who am sent by him, do command you. Then, though they had before believed and resolved, ver. 14, that he was of a certain truth the expected Messias, and were therefore minded to set him for their captain or king, yet now being checked by Christ for their carnal conceits of the Messias, vv. 26, 27, they retract their former resolution, and demand farther signs, before they will look after such a kind of Messias as he now tells them of, and therefore to his requiring them to believe on him, they said, What miracle do you shew? what work of wonder, such as may be sufficient to assure us that thou art the Messias? We have great reason to adhere to Moses, who wrought such miracles, brought down bread ready prepared from heaven for us; and unless thou wilt produce some attestation to thyself, which may at least equal this one, why may not we be allowed to think it unreasonable to forsake him and follow thee? Jesus saith unto them, I assure you, that manna came not from heaven, but out of the airy region, and that the work of God, not Moses; and now the same God gives you far more durable food than that was, gives you me, who came really down from heaven, and am most eminently that which manna was to your bodies, bread or food to your souls. That fed but your bodies, and putrefied presently; but that which God now gives you is for your souls, and will feed them to eternity, ver. 27, and did really descend from the heaven of heavens, not as that manna, for a multitude only, but the feeding and enlivening the whole world. ⁴ that durable vivifical bread of God, the excellency whereof is infinitely above that of manna, as in other things, so in this, that the feeding thereon yields a durable satisfaction, whereas in manna, and all corporcal food, there is still a succession of appetite. But that which I told you, ver. 26, was, that though you have seen me, and tasted of my miracles, yet you do not believe on me, feed not on this true bread, which came down from heaven. This is an evidence of great obstinacy and untowardness, of improbity and pride in you; for had God's preventing grace had any success on you, ¹⁰ that, 6. ¹¹ ye have both seen me, not impdward ye. [d] the Father giveth me] What is the meaning of ὁ δίδωσί μοι ὁ Πατήρ, what my Father giveth me, may thus be discerned: Psalm ii. 8, there is a prediction, or prophecy of Christ, (of whom in the words immediately precedent it is said, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, ver. 7.) that God will give him the heathen for his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession; where we discern what kind of giving is here meant, giving for an inheritance or possession, and that is for Christ to be lord or owner of them, and they, as possessions, subject to his power and dispose. And this is done in the conversion of them, (see note [o] Rev. ii.) Of this possession of his we find mention, Tit. ii. 14, where the περιούσιος λαός, peculiar people, are λαός εἰς περιουσιασμὸν, people for a possession, and those are to be purified by Christ, and his life given for them, that he might redeem them from all iniquity. But who they are that are thus said to be given to Christ by God will first appear negatively; 1. not any peculiar number of men, absolutely (without all respect to any qualifications) chosen by God to eternal life; for it is apparent, and expressly affirmed of one of this number, that he was finally lost; Those whom thou gavest me, saith Christ, I have kept, and none of them is lost, save the son of perdition, John xvii. 12, where, through his own wretched default, one of those who had by God been given to Christ, totally and finally departed, and was lost from him. Secondly, not those that are already actually believers, or by God looked upon as such; for of these that are here given to Christ, it is said, πρὸς ἐμὶ ἤξει, they shall come unto me: where coming to Christ is believing on him, and is a consequent of God's giving them to Christ, not antecedent to it; and therefore when they are given to Christ, they are not looked upon as believers already, but those which will be such. By these negative considerations the positive will, I suppose, be best collected, that they that are so qualified and disposed, as that Christ being proposed and revealed to them, they will follow him, come to him, become his disciples, those are they whom God gives to Christ. For there is a sort and temper of mind, which is most agreeable and proportionable to the believing on or receiving of Christ, which they that have are said to be εὔθεται εἰς βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, fit, or prepared, or disposed, for the kingdom of God, Luke ix. 62. (such as in that place are ready and willing to undergo Christ's conditions, to part with all and follow him; and contrary to these are they that are not worthy of eternal life, Acts xiii. 46.) and of such Christ saith that they are not far from the kingdom of God, and that of such is the kingdom of heaven; and St. Luke, that they are τεταγμένοι, disposed, in a readiness for eternal life; see note [i] Acts xiii. If it be demanded what temper this is, I answer, it is the honest heart described in the parable of the seed, desiring sincerely to know the truth, and to do God's will, ch. vii. 17, probity of mind, and an eminent branch of that, humility, the temper resembled by the little children, whose innocence and humility is so remarkable; and of those poor in spirit is the kingdom of God (the Christian state) made up, Matt. v. 3; and those are evangelized peculiarly, that is, wrought on by the preaching of the gospel; and God gives grace to the humble, but That being also another part of his commission to me, that whosoever believeth in his Son should not perish, but, whatever by so doing befall him here, inherit everlasting life in that other world. by what he said of himself, he pretended to come from heaven, whereas they knew his birth here on earth, and his parentage, which they conceived to be contrary to his coming down from heaven. To this muttering of theirs Jesus replied, I have said nothing which it is reasonable for you to murmur at. It is not possible you should believe aright that are so in love with the praise of men, as to take him for a prophet who hath no other testimony that he is so but his own, or the voice of other men, and dare not believe on me, the rulers for fear of displeasing the people and the people, the rulers; and meanwhile both contemn the favour and approbation of God, and set his testimony at nought, reject me, who come authorized with that. It is true there is some pretence for these vulgar prejudices against me, which would make it impossible for those that look no farther to become my followers, (and therefore this makes it so unfit and unsafe for you to fix your eyes so wholly on this.) And it is an effect of my Father's preventing grace to fit men's hearts to be ready and willing to come to me, (see note [d]), and without this work first wrought, and that probity and humility, which qualifies men to receive my doctrine, I do not expect that any man should believe on me, and therefore I attribute it to that, (see ver. 65,) when any one doth (as, on the other side, to your obdurate hearts, that you do not) come unto me. And for every one that doth thus come, and therein obey my call, and follow the duct of my Father, on him most certainly will I bestow everlasting life. It is not so much I to whom you have done this affront, and therefore I shall not need to bring any complaint or indictment against you before my Father; but it is our own prophet Moses, on whom you pretend to depend so much, and he will rise up to testify against you. The sum of what I thus say hath been obscurely delivered to you by the prophets of old: for they, for example Isaiah liv. 13, speaking of these times, have foretold, that God will dispose and prepare the hearts of many men to be fit or ready to receive Christ, Had you but heeded and believed Moses, that prophet so valued by you, his predictions and typical representations would have led you to believe on me, in whom they all are fulfilled. Where yet that of learning, or being taught of God, doth not imply his seeing or talking with my Father, and being so taught by him: for this is proper and peculiar to me, who am therefore qualified to reveal his will to all that come unto me. 47, 48. He that embraceth my doctrine, and is sincerely my disciple, to believe and practise what I command him, shall undoubtedly live for ever, as having fed on that enlivening bread, ver. 33, receiving me his spiritual food, by his faith into his soul. 49—51. The manna given in the desert did not make them immortal which did eat of it. But the bread which is now sent you down from heaven will give immortality to them that feed on it, that is, to all that truly believe in Christ, that receive his doctrine, and digest it into the food and nourishment of their souls; and this is offered and prepared for every man, not only for you Jews. Manna was bread indeed, but, first, dead, not living; secondly, it came not down from heaven properly so called, ver. 32; and thirdly, they which did eat of it afterwards died; fourthly, their manna was contradistinct from their quails, that bread from that flesh; fifthly, that was given for the preserving the life only of one nation. But contrariwise, by these so many ways of excellency above that manna, I am, first, living bread; secondly, I came down from heaven, properly so called, the highest heaven; thirdly, whosoever feedeth, that is, believeth on me, embraceth my doctrine, and practiseth accordingly, shall not die, the soul whose food I am shall become immortal in bliss; fourthly, this bread which I speak of is very flesh, even my flesh, which I will give to be crucified for the life of the world, by that death of mine purchasing grace and pardon for sin, which are the foundation of immortality; fifthly, this world is the whole world, all mankind, not only that one nation of the Jews, which received benefit by that. But if your own Moses cannot be heard by you, I cannot expect to have that authority with you. ### CHAP. VI. a lake of Gennesaret in Galilee, to that part of it which is near the city Tiberias: see note [c] Luke viii. b the miraculous cures which he wrought on them that were diseased. c mountainous desert part, belonging to the city Bethsaida, Luke ix. 10, and there he sat— d Where shall we have money with which we may buy bread enough to feed all this multitude? Hereupon the Jews disputed about this saying of his, how it is possible that men should feed on his flesh. [e] eat the flesh of the Son of man, and—] What is meant here by the flesh and blood of the Son of man must briefly be explained, and that first by taking notice of a figure or idiom frequent in these writers, whereby the parts set down separately do signify the whole, which consists of those parts. So is the heaven and the earth set to signify the whole compages of the (sublunary) world, (see note [e] 2 Pet. iii.) and many the like. And so Christ's body and flesh and bones, Eph. v. 30; and here, the flesh and blood of the Son of man is the Son of man, or Christ himself. Secondly, by observing the notion of flesh and blood, frequently used not only to signify our mortal condition, which this our flesh and blood is subject to, (whereupon, when St. Paul saith, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, he adds, neither can corruption inherit incorruption, (see note [e] Matt. xvi.) but also this mortal nature, as it is subject to much weakness, and afflictions, &c. as Isaiah xxxi. 3, the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses flesh and not spirit, that is, weak helpers, unfit to be trusted in, ver. 1. So when St. Paul saith, that through the infirmity of the flesh, that is, in many afflictions and persecutions, he preached unto them. For I that am thus sent in the flesh to die for the world, am such food as will feed you to everlasting life, and so am eminently that which food is said to be, yea, in a much higher degree; food doth not first give, but only continues and preserves life, but my flesh shall give life to the world. He that thus feedeth or believeth on me, that resigns himself up to be ruled by me, in the same manner as he abides in me hath me abiding in him, is so made a member of me, that by the life which is in me he shall also be enlivened by God, by whom I live (see note [c] ch. xiv.); and this is one preeminence over corporal food, which corrupts in the stomach before it nourishes any man. For as I, that came down from the Father, the fountain of life, his Son by eternal generation, must needs derive life from him, so also he that believeth on me, and so hath digested my precepts as the nourishment of his soul, must needs derive life from me. This bread from heaven is not like that manna, which they that eat did die for all that: he that eateth of this bread— Many therefore of those that had hitherto followed him, said, This doctrine of his is very hard and unintelligible, how he should be said really to have come down from heaven, and how his flesh should feed men to life eternal. 'Doth this deter you from my doctrine? And asked them, whether it were not as credible that he should have come from heaven as that he should go up thither; telling them that they should ere long see him do so, and that in reason would assure them that he came down from thence. And for the other particular of eating his flesh, he tells them they cannot but know, that it is the soul that enliveneth, and not the body; and agreeably, that it is not the gross carnal eating of his body of flesh that he could speak of, when he talked of their eating, and his feeding them to life eternal, (see note But for this spiritual feeding, sinking down this spiritual food into your hearts, there are some of you that are far enough from doing so. For Jesus knew at first, before he received them as disciples, whether they believed sincerely or no, and also which of them would prove false to him, and conspire with the Jews to put him to death. And indeed this was the reason that I told you, ver. 44, that no man cometh to the faith of Christ sincerely, or continues steadfast in it, but he that by God's preventing grace is qualified and disposed for it, (see note [d],) because I saw that many that follow me do not truly believe on me, that is, do not intend to live as I command them, but one keeps his love of money, and for that will betray me, and others retain their other interests and their other sins. This speech of Christ's made many of his followers forsake him, seeing he was not such a Messias as they looked for, and would not be content with every kind of following him. ᵛ thy words, as was said by thee, ver. 63, will to those that obey thee, and keep close to them, be a means to bestow eternal life. And thou hast demonstrated to us, that thou art the Messias, the eternal Son of God, and therefore it is not possible there should be any other fit to draw us from thee to him. ˣ I have, of all the followers that have believed on me, chosen but twelve to be my constant attendants, and one of them proves a traitor, a false treacherous person, that will join with my enemies against me: (see note [a] Matt. iv.) He spake of Judas, for Christ foresaw (that though perhaps yet he did no such thing, yet) he would deliver him to the Jews, and to that end combine with them, which was the greatest falseness ¹⁸ it was that would deliver him up, ἐστιν ²⁰ be, ᾖ. ²¹ from, &c. ²² deliver him On this occasion his kindred (ver. 5.) said unto him, Go into Judæa again, that the many, which were wont to follow thee there, may see the miracles which thou doest. For whosoever would gain an authority among the people, in any reason, must not do his miracles privately; therefore, whatever thou doest, do it in Judæa, as publicly as thou canst. [a] be known openly] The word παρρησίᾳ in the New Testament hath divers significations. First, it signifies ἄδιων, saith Hesychius, boldness, confidence, fearlessness of danger. So John xi. 54, παρρησίᾳ περιπατεῖν, to go about fearlessly. So Acts xxviii. 31, Phil. i. 20, Heb. iii. 6. and x. 35, and 1 John iv. 17, boldness, or fearlessness, when they are called before secular tribunals. And so παρρησιάζομαι, in two places of the Acts, ch. xiii. 46, where, in opposition to the ζῆλος, and ἀντιλογία, and βλασφημίαι of the Jews, their virulency, contradiction, and railing against Paul and Barnabas, it is said that they παρρησιαζόμενοι εἶπον, spake boldly and confidently that speech of the greatest danger, that brought all the hatred and persecution of the Jews upon them, we depart to the Gentiles. So ch. xxvi. 26, I speak, παρρησιαζόμενος, with confidence and courage to Agrippa, who knows of these things, though Festus do not. So Eph. vi. 20, and 1 Thess. ii. 2. Secondly, it signifies freeness or liberty of speaking, saying what a man will. So Acts This they said, as not believing on him, but either suspecting the truth of his miracles, or else desiring that he would do that which might acquire him that authority, which they conceived him to pretend to. 6, 7. Jesus, therefore, to rectify this mistake of theirs, saith unto them, It is not yet fit for me to be so public, because the doctrine that I teach is contrary and odious to the world, or the present prevailing power of the Jews. You may appear wheresoever you will, being not under any such hatred, by any thing that you do or teach, as I am sure to be among the Pharisees and chief of the Jews. You may go up to Jerusalem, to the feast, as publicly as you please, but I shall not go yet, when you go, or with you, because my time of going up, in such a public capacity, ver. 10, is not yet come. And accordingly he stayed a while, after the rest of his kindred, in the place where he now abode. Soon after his kindred were gone, he also followed, but more privately, with small company Now on some middle day of the feast, on one of the eight days of which the feast consisted, but neither on the first nor the last of them, (ver. 37.) How comes he to understand the books of the law and scriptures so well, having not been brought up in the schools of the prophets? (see note Any man that hath a willingness to do God's will, how contrary soever it be to his own, that hath a readiness to serve God in God's way, and is not wedded to his own, (see note [d] ch. vi.) that man, and none but he, is likely to pass a right judgment on my doctrine, whether it be of God or no. For that man will thus judge: He that pretends to be sent by God when he is not, always seeks his own advantages, somewhat of glory or profit to himself; but he that labours only the bringing honour to God, and in pursuit of that doth what is most contrary to his own interests, conceals nothing, though it cost him never so dear, to declare it he is worth believing, (or deserves to be believed,) having no false design in what he doth, no deceit or guile in him. But it is otherwise with you: you are not of that making, ver. 17. That law which your own beloved Moses gave you, and for the maintaining of which you have so much zeal, and hate me as a breaker of it, ye do not yourselves observe, ye do not (the most of you) live according to the rules of it. If ye did, ye would not be so forward to embrue your hands in my blood, who have no way offended against you or that; this concludes you not likely to judge what doctrine is of God. A man must have a books, learning, the scriptures: the Syriac reads, the book: see note [g]. [b] Thou hast a devil] All sorts of diseases were in those days brought on men (sometimes) by the devil, and so generally they that are brought to Christ for cure are said to be possessed, (see note [c] Matt. xvii.) but especially those who were more strangely affected, without any visible cause of it, were generally thought to suffer this from the devil's getting power to possess them; and of this sort, especially mad men, (such the δαιμονιζόμενοι, Matt. viii. 28, appear to be by their raving temper there,) who being not discernibly sick, or ill affected, did yet behave themselves as if they were in some strong distemper, which is oft an effect of disease or παραφροσύνη, and therefore were by them thought to be possessed by some evil spirit. So in Just. Mart. Apol. 2, οὓς δαιμονολήπτους καὶ μαινομένους καλοῦσι πάντες, "they that are possessed are by all men called mad." So ch. x. 20, it is plainly said, He hath a devil, and is mad; and Matt. xi. 18. [c] therefore] It is to be observed that as δὲ in other Gospels, so οὖν in this is a particle of transition, otherwise insignificant, serving only for passage, not to import any causality. And the same is here to be said of διὰ τοῦτο, in the beginning of this verse, which is only a form of proceeding in the present discourse, and might be rendered, [d] the dispersed among the Gentiles] The Jews were dispersed before this time in several places among the Gentiles, some in Europe, others in Asia: those in Europe had their chief assembly at Alexandria, and there the Septuagint's translation of the Bible into Greek was in use, and thence they are called διασπορὰ Ἑλλήνων, the dispersion of the Hellenists. And of these there were many also in Jerusalem which used the Septuagint's translation, being thus skilled in the Greek tongue, and these living not in Greece are yet called Ἑλληνισταί, Acts vi. 1, Hellenists, because they used the Greek language and the Septuagint's translation, whereas others are called Ἑβραίοι, Hebrews, (see note [a] Acts vi.) The Asian dispersion is mentioned 1 Pet. i. 1, and had Babylon for their metropolis, and used the Targum or Chaldee paraphrase of Onkelos in their synagogues. Of these two dispersions see Rev. xii. 14. What is the meaning of that speech that he said— On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, which was a day of solemn assembly, (see note [d] ch. xix.,) and on which it was the manner of the Jews to pour out water solemnly on the altar, Jesus on that occasion proclaimed aloud, saying, If— ° it shall be with him according to what is said, Isa. lviii. 11, He shall be like a spring of water, whose water, by conduits, shall from within break forth in great abundance; that is, being filled with the Spirit of Christ, shall not be able to contain, but break forth into all Christian actions, and preach the gospel with all zeal. [e] the feast] This feast was the feast of Tabernacles, and that is sometimes by the Hebrews called, without any more, חנ, the feast, as in Cod. Middoth, c. 2, שבו מכנסך צלוחית של מים של נסוך בחנ, "they carry a vessel of water through them" (that is, "through the water gates," שער המים) "to the sacrifice of the feast;" and Joma, c. 2. §. 5, "at the feast there was in the hand of one a pot of water," (for so that rabbinical צלוחית is the Greek word σελενκίς, which in Athenaeus, lib. 2, signifies a sort of pots, so called, saith he, from the name of a king Seleucus.) Now it was the custom in that feast of Tabernacles to offer up water unto God, to denote the blessing of rain, which they then prayed for, as of special use against the approaching seed time, as at the Passover they offered an omer, to obtain from God his blessing on their harvest, and at Pentecost their firstfruits, to obtain from God his blessing on the fruits of the trees; see Rab. Levi ben Gersom on 2 Sam. xxiii. 16. These waters which they thus offered, they drew out of Siloah, and brought them into the temple with the sound of the trumpet, and offered them with singing of voices and instruments. And in relation to these customs of the Jews at that feast, Christ here is said to have cried, ἱκραξε, with a loud voice, supplying the sound of the trumpet, a voice of proclaiming, (as κράξιον and κηρύσσιον are but several variations of the Hebrew כרו,) saying, If any man thirst, &c. taking occasion from their custom of drawing water out of Siloah, to excite the people to fetch and draw from him, as from a true fountain, all the gifts of the Spirit, which may tend to the fitting them for a divine heavenly plantation. [f] out of his belly] It was ordinary at fountains or springs of water to build receptacles, or vessels of stone, or wells, and in the middle thereof (that is, the κοιλία, the belly here, and in the Hebrew בֶּמֶן, 1 Kings vii. 20.) to have pipes or cisterns, Prov. v. 15, through which the water passes, and comes out by cocks, &c. And thus shall it be with every believer; he shall be so filled with the Spirit of God, (This saying of Christ belonged to the descent of the Holy Ghost, Acts ii. (see note [a] Acts i. and note [a] Acts xxiii.) which was to be after his ascension, and not before.) P that prophet that Moses foretold us of (though that he should be the Messias they did not all resolve). q very Messias. r David's parents dwelt? And some of the officers sent, ver. 32, would have taken— ° the ministers of the sanhedrim, sent by them to apprehend him, back again without having done it; and they said— [g] this people who knoweth not the law] Among the Jews there were, 1, the doctors of the law, the wise men, γραμματεῖς, scribes, or νομοδιδάσκαλοι, teachers of the law, (γράμματα and νόμος, writings and law, being all one, both equally the rendering of the Hebrew ספרה, which signifies the book of the law, (by which the Syriac render γράμματα, writings, ver. 15.) ιερά γράμματα, the holy writings, 2 Tim. iii. 15.) the expounders of the scripture; and, 2dly, studiosi legis, "those that studied the law," disciples, or (as the Hebrews called them) תלמידי, חכמים, scholars of the wise men; and such an one they style חבר, a companion of wise men, who is not yet a rabbi, or teacher, cannot be called doctor noster excellens, "our excellent doctor," but the next degree to one, one of the sons of the prophets, or, as the Targum renders חברין, companions, Ezek. xxxvii, אחיהון, their brethren, that is, such as are of the same society, or fraternity, with the excellentissimus doctor noster: and, 3dly, the people of the earth, the illiterate man, εἰς τῶν πολλῶν, one of the many; and these are noted by ὁ ὄχλος οἶτος, this rout, or multitude, ὁ μὴ γινώσκων τὸν νόμον, which knoweth not the law. [h] out of Galilee ariseth no prophet] That Galilee was under a reproach among the Jews, appears ch. i. 46. And as there it is said, that no good could come out of Nazareth, so here that never any prophet came out of Galilee. But upon search it seems to appear, that the Pharisees here were too large in their observation of reproach; for though it happened not often, yet of Jonah we find that he was of Gath Hepher, 2 Kings xiv. 25, that was a town of the tribe of Zebulun, Joshua xix. 13, and consequently in Galilee, Isaiah ix. 1; and this Jonah prophesied in the time of Joash, (when he was oppressed by the Syrians,) that by his son Jeroboam the kingdom should be delivered out of their hands, 2 Kings xiv. 25, 26, and was afterwards sent to Nineveh, Jonah i. 1. [i] And every —] This verse and the eleven first verses of chap. viii, the whole story of the woman taken in the act of adultery, are wholly omitted in many ancient copies. St. Chrysostom leaves it out, so doth Nonnus and Theophylact, and the Syriac interpreter, and Euthymius saith that none of the ancients have taken notice of it in their expositions of the Gospel. Maldonate, who strives for it, to make good the Trent canon, doth yet confess, that of all the manuscript Greek copies none have it but only one with Leontius's comment, and that in that also it is adashed out with a pen, and omitted by the commentator; that it is not in the most ancient copy of the Vatican; that none of the twenty-three authors in the Catena mention it. And in the end of the third book of Eusebius Eccl. Hist. we have these words, speaking of Papias, Ἐκτεθειται δὲ καὶ ἄλλην ἱστορίαν περὶ γυναικὸς ἐπὶ πολλαῖς ἁμαρτίας διαβληθείσης ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἦν τὸ καθ' Ἑβραίους εὐαγγέλιον περιέχει, "He hath related another story of a woman accused to Christ of many sins, which the Gospel according to the Hebrews contains," implying it not to be in any of the four Gospels. Other later