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1: After these things Jesus walked in Galilee - That is,
continued there, for some months after the second passover.
For he would not walk - Continue in Judea; because the Jews - Those
of them who did not believe; and in particular the chief priests,
scribes, and Pharisees, sought an opportunity to kill him.
2: The feast of tabernacles - The time, manner, and reason of this
feast may be seen, (Le 23:34), &c.
3: His brethren - So called according to the Jewish way of speaking.
They were his cousins, the sons of his mother's sister. Depart
hence - From this obscure place.
4: For no man doth any thing - Of this kind, in secret; but rather
desireth to be of public use. If thou really dost these things
- These miracles which are reported; show thyself to the world - To
all men.
6: Jesus saith, Your time is always ready - This or any time will
suit you.
7: The world cannot hate you - Because ye are of the world. But
me it hateth - And all that bear the same testimony.
10: He also went up to the feast - This was his last journey but
one to Jerusalem. The next time he went up he suffered.
11: The Jews - The men of Judea, particularly of Jerusalem.
12: There was much murmuring among the multitude - Much whispering;
many private debates with each other, among those who were come
from distant parts.
13: However no man spake openly of him - Not in favour of him:
for fear of the Jews - Those that were in authority.
14: Now at the middle of the feast - Which lasted eight days. It
is probable this was on the Sabbath day. Jesus went up into the
temple - Directly, without stopping any where else.
15: How does this man know letters, having never learned? - How
comes he to be so well acquainted with sacred literature as to
be able thus to expound the Scripture, with such propriety and
gracefulness, seeing he has never learned this, at any place of
education?
16: My doctrine is not mine - Acquired by any labour of learning;
but his that sent me - Immediately infused by him.
17: If any man be willing to do his will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God - This is a universal rule, with
regard to all persons and doctrines. He that is thoroughly
willing to do it, shall certainly know what the will of God is.
18: There is no unrighteousness in him - No deceit or falsehood.
19: But ye are unrighteous; for ye violate the very law which ye
profess so much zeal for.
20: The people answered, Thou hast a devil - A lying spirit.
Who seeketh to kill thee? - These, coming from distant parts,
probably did not know the design of the priests and rulers.
21: I did - At the pool of Bethesda: one work - Out of many:
and ye all marvelled at it - Are amazed, because I did it on the
Sabbath day.
22: Moses gave you circumcision - The sense is, because Moses
enjoined you circumcision (though indeed it was far more ancient
than him) you think it no harm to circumcise a man on the Sabbath:
and are ye angry at me (which anger had now continued sixteen
months) for doing so much greater a good, for healing a man,
body and soul, on the Sabbath?
27: When Christ cometh, none knoweth whence he is - This Jewish
tradition was true, with regard to his Divine nature: in that
respect none could declare his generation. But it was not true
with regard to his human nature, for both his family and the
place of his birth were plainly foretold.
28: Then cried Jesus - With a loud and earnest voice. Do ye both
know me, and know whence I am ? - Ye do indeed know whence I am as a
man. But ye know not my Divine nature, nor that I am sent from God.
29: l am from him - By eternal generation: and he hath sent me - His
mission follows from his generation. These two points answer
those: Do ye know me? Do ye know whence I am?
30: His hour - The time of his suffering.
33: Then said Jesus - Continuing his discourse (from(Joh 7:29)) which they had interrupted.
34: Ye shall seek me - Whom ye now despise. These words are,
as it were, the text which is commented upon in this and the
following chapter. Where I am - Christ's so frequently saying
while on earth, where I am, when he spake of his being in heaven,
intimates his perpetual presence there in his Divine nature:
though his going thither was a future thing, with regard to his
human nature.
35: Will he go to the dispersed among the Greeks - The Jews
scattered abroad in heathen nations, Greece particularly.
Or, Will he teach the Greeks? - The heathens themselves.
37: On the last, the great day of the feast - On this day there was
the greatest concourse of people, and they were then wont to fetch
water from the fountain of Siloam, which the priests poured out on
the great altar, singing one to an other, With joy shall ye draw
water from the wells of salvation. On this day likewise they
commemorated God's miraculously giving water out of the rock,
and offered up solemn prayers for seasonable rains.
38: He that believeth - This answers to let him come to me. And
whosoever doth come to him by faith, his inmost soul shall be
filled with living water, with abundance of peace, joy, and
love, which shall likewise flow from him to others. As the
Scripture hath said - Not expressly in any one particular place.
But here is a general reference to all those scriptures which
speak of the effusion of the Spirit by the Messiah, under the
similitude of pouring out water.(Zec 14:8).
39: The Holy Ghost was not yet given - That is, those fruits of
the Spirit were not yet given even to true believers, in that
full measure.
40: The prophet - Whom we expect to be the forerunner of the Messiah.
42: From Bethlehem - And how could they forget that Jesus was born
there? Had not Herod given them terrible reason to remember it?(Mic 5:2).
48: Hath any of the rulers - Men of rank or eminence, or of the
Pharisees - Men of learning or religion, believed on him?
49: But this populace, who know not the law - This ignorant rabble;
are accursed - Are by that ignorance exposed to the curse of being
thus seduced.
50: Nicodemus, he that came to him by night - Having now a little
more courage, being one of them - Being present as a member of the
great council, saith to them - Do not we ourselves act as if we
knew not the law, if we pass sentence on a man before we hear him?
52: They answered - By personal reflection; the argument they could
not answer, and therefore did not attempt it. Art thou also a
Galilean? - One of his party? Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet
- They could not but know the contrary. They knew Jonah arose out
of Gethhepher; and Nahum from another village in Galilee.
Yea, and Thisbe, the town of Elijah, the Tishbite, was in Galilee
also. They might likewise have known that Jesus was not born in
Galilee, but at Bethlehem, even from the public register there,
and from the genealogies of the family of David. They were
conscious this poor answer would not bear examination, and so
took care to prevent a reply.
53: And every man went to his own house - So that short plain
question of Nicodemus spoiled all their measures, and broke
up the council! A word spoken in season, how good it is!
Especially when God gives it his blessing.
