03250
 \\Of thyself\\ (\\peri seautou\\). This technical objection was according
 to the rules of evidence among the rabbis. "No man can give
 witness for himself" (_Mishnah, Ketub_. 11. 9). Hence, they say,
 "not true" (\\ouk althes\\), not pertinent. "They were still in the
 region of pedantic rules and external tests." In
 # Joh 5:31
 Jesus acknowledged this technical need of further witness outside
 of his own claims
 # Joh 19-30
 and proceeded to give it
 # Joh 32-47
 in the testimony of the Baptist, of the Father, of his works, of
 the Scriptures, and of Moses in particular.

03251
 \\Even if\\ (\\kan\\). That is \\kai ean\\, a condition of the third class
 with the present active subjunctive \\martur\\. Jesus means that his
 own witness concerning himself is true (\\althes\\) even if it
 contravenes their technical rules of evidence. He can and does
 tell the truth all by himself concerning himself. \\For I know\\
 \\whence I came and whither I go\\ (\\hoti oida pothen lthon kai pou\\
 \\hupag\\). In this terse sentence with two indirect questions Jesus
 alludes to his pre-existence with the Father before his
 Incarnation as in
 # 17:5
 and to the return to the Father after the death and resurrection
 as in
 # 13:3; 14:2
 He again puts both ideas together in one crisp clause in
 # 16:28
 for the apostles who profess to understand him then. But here
 these Pharisees are blind to the words of Jesus. "But ye know not
 whence I come nor whither I go" (\\humeis de ouk oidate pothen\\
 \\erchomai  pou hupag\\). He had spoken of his heavenly destiny
 # 7:33
 Jesus alone knew his personal consciousness of his coming from,
 fellowship with, and return to the Father. Stier (_Words of the
 Lord Jesus_) argues that one might as well say to the sun, if
 claiming to be the sun, that it was night, because it bore
 witness of itself. The answer is the shining of the sun.

03252
 \\After the flesh\\ (\\kata tn sarka\\). According to the standards of
 the flesh
 # 2Co 5:16
 The Baptist had said: "There stands one among you whom ye know
 not"
 # Joh 1:26
 The Light of the World had come, but they loved darkness rather
 than light
 # 3:19
 because the god of this age had blinded their thoughts so that
 they could not see the illumination of the gospel of the glory of
 Christ who is the image of God
 # 2Co 4:4

03253
 \\Yea and if I judge\\ (\\kai ean krin de eg\\). "And even if I pass
 judgment." Condition of third class again. \\True\\ (althin). See
 # 1:9
 for \\althinos\\, genuine, soundly based (cf. \\dikaia\\ in
 # 5:30
 "satisfying our perfect conception" (Westcott), not merely true
 (\\althes\\) in the particular facts (verse
 # 14
 \\For I am not alone\\ (\\hoti monos ouk eimi\\). Jesus now takes up the
 technical criticism in verse
 # 13
 after justifying his right to speak concerning himself. \\But I and\\
 \\the Father that sent me\\ (\\all eg kai ho pempsas me patr\\). See
 # 16:32
 for a like statement about the Father being with Christ. It is
 not certain that \\patr\\ is genuine here (omitted by Aleph D, but
 in B L W), but the Father is clearly meant as in
 # 7:18,33
 Jesus gives the Father as the second witness.

03254
 \\Yea and in your law\\ (\\kai en ti nomi de ti humeteri\\). Same use
 of \\kai--de\\ as in verse
 # 16
 They claimed possession of the law
 # 7:49
 and so Jesus takes this turn in answer to the charge of single
 witness in verse
 # 13
 He will use similar language (your law) in
 # 10:34
 in an _argumentum ad hominem_ as here in controversy with the
 Jews. In
 # 15:24
 to the apostles Jesus even says "in their law" in speaking of the
 hostile Jews plotting his death. He does not mean in either case
 to separate himself wholly from the Jews and the law, though in
 Matthew 5 he does show the superiority of his teaching to that of
 the law. For the Mosaic regulation about two witnesses see
 # De 17:6; 19:15
 This combined witness of two is not true just because they agree,
 unless true in fact separately. But if they disagree, the
 testimony falls to the ground. In this case the Father confirms
 the witness of the Son as Jesus had already shown
 # 5:37

03255
 \\The Father\\ (\\ho patr\\). Clearly genuine here. So these are the two
 witnesses that Jesus presents to the Pharisees in defence of his
 claim to be the Light of the World (verse
 # 12

03256
 \\Where is thy Father?\\ (\\pou estin ho patr sou;\\). "The testimony of
 an unseen and unheard witness would not satisfy them" (Vincent).
 Bernard understands the Pharisees to see that Jesus claims God
 the Father as his second witness and so ask "where," not "who" he
 is. Augustine has it: _Patrem Christi carnaliter acceperunt_,
 Christ's human father, as if the Pharisees were "misled perhaps
 by the Lord's use of \\anthrpon\\ (verse
 # 17
 " (Dods). Cyril even took it to be a coarse allusion to the birth
 of Jesus as a bastard according to the Talmud. Perhaps the
 Pharisees used the question with _double entendre_, even with all
 three ideas dancing in their hostile minds. \\Ye would know my\\
 \\Father also\\ (\\kai ton patera mou an ideite\\). Conclusion of
 second-class condition determined as unfulfilled with \\an\\ and
 second perfect active of \\oida\\ used as imperfect in both condition
 and conclusion. See this same point made to Philip in
 # 14:9
 In
 # 14:7
 Jesus will use \\ginsk\\ in the condition and \\oida\\ in the
 conclusion. The ignorance of the Pharisees about Jesus proves it
 and is due to their ignorance of the Father. See this point more
 fully stated in
 # 5:36-38
 when Jesus had his previous controversy in Jerusalem. In
 # 7:28
 Jesus said that they knew his home in Nazareth, but he denied
 then that they knew the Father who sent him. Jesus will again on
 this occasion
 # 8:55
 deny their knowledge of the Father. Later he will deny their
 knowledge of the Father and of the Son
 # 16:3
 The Pharisees are silenced for the moment.

03257
 \\In the treasury\\ (\\en ti gazophulakii\\). See already
 # Mr 12:41; Lu 21:1
 for this word for the treasure-chambers of the temple. "It
 abutted on the Court of the Women, and against its walls were
 placed chests, trumpet-like in form, as receptacles for the
 offerings of the worshippers" (Bernard). The Persian word _gaza_
 (treasure) occurs only once in the N.T.
 # Ac 8:27
 and the compound (\\phulak\\, guard) only here in John. Jesus hardly
 taught within a treasure-chamber. It probably means "at the
 treasury in the temple." This court was probably the most public
 part of the temple (Vincent). \\And\\ (\\kai\\)="and yet" as in
 # 1:10
 etc. \\Because his hour was not yet come\\ (\\hoti oup elluthei h\\
 \\hra autou\\). \\Reason\\ (\\hoti\\) given why no one seized (\\epiasen\\,
 cf.
 # 7:30
 him. \\Elluthei\\ is past perfect active of \\erchomai\\, "had not yet
 come." This very use of \\hra\\ appears in
 # 2:4
 and the very clause in
 # 7:30
 which see.

03258
 \\Again\\ (\\palin\\). Probably \\palin\\ (again) in verse
 # 12
 refers to a day after the feast is over since the last day is
 mentioned in
 # 7:37
 So then here again we probably move on to another day still
 beyond that in verse
 # 12
 \\And ye shall seek me\\ (\\kai ztsete me\\). As in
 # 7:34
 "the search of despair" (Bernard), seeking for the Messiah when
 it is too late, the tragedy of Judaism today
 # 1:11
 \\And ye shall die in your sin\\ (\\kai en ti hamartii humn\\
 \\apothaneisthe\\). Future middle indicative of \\apothnsk\\ which is
 the emphatic word here (cf.
 # Eze 3:18; 18:18; Pr 24:9
 Note singular \\hamartii\\ (sin) here, but plural \\hamartiais\\ (sins)
 when the phrase is repeated in verse
 # 24
 (sin in its essence, sin in its acts). \\Ye cannot come\\ (\\humeis ou\\
 \\dunasthe elthein\\). Precise language of
 # 7:34
 to the Jews and to the apostles in
 # 13:33

03259
 \\Will he kill himself?\\ (\\mti apoktenei heauton;\\). Negative answer
 formally expected, but there is a manifest sneer in the query.
 "The mockery in these words is alike subtle and bitter"
 (Vincent). It was a different group of Jews in
 # 7:31
 who cynically suggested that he was going to work among the
 Greeks in the Dispersion. Here they infer that Jesus refers to
 the next world. They suggest the depths of Gehenna for him as the
 abode of suicides (Josephus, _War_ III. viii. 5). Of course the
 rabbis could not join Jesus there! Edersheim argues against this
 view.

03260
 \\Ye are from beneath\\ (\\humeis ek tn kat\\). This language, peculiar
 to John, could take up the idea in Josephus that these rabbis
 came from Gehenna whence they will go as children of the devil
 # 8:44
 but the use of \\ek tou kosmou toutou\\ ("of this world" in origin)
 as parallel to what we have here seems to prove that the contrast
 between \\kat\\ and \\an\\ here is between the earthly (sensual) and
 the heavenly as in
 # Jas 3:15-17
 See also
 # Col 3:1
 This is the only use of \\kat\\ in John (except
 # 8:6
 These proud rabbis had their origin in this world of darkness
 # 1:9
 with all its limitations. \\I am from above\\ (\\eg ek tn an eimi\\).
 The contrast is complete in origin and character, already stated
 in
 # 3:31
 and calculated to intensify their anger.

03261
 \\For except ye believe\\ (\\ean gar m pisteuste\\). Negative condition
 of third class with \\ean m\\ and ingressive aorist active
 subjunctive of \\pisteu\\, "For unless ye come to believe." \\That I\\
 \\am he\\ (\\hoti eg eimi\\). Indirect discourse, but with no word in
 the predicate after the copula \\eimi\\. Jesus can mean either "that
 I am from above" (verse
 # 23
 "that I am the one sent from the Father or the Messiah"
 # 7:18,28
 "that I am the Light of the World"
 # 8:12
 "that I am the Deliverer from the bondage of sin"
 # 8:28,31,36
 "that I am" without supplying a predicate in the absolute sense
 as the Jews
 # De 32:39
 used the language of Jehovah (cf.
 # Isa 43:10
 where the very words occur \\hina pisteuste--hoti eg eimi\\). The
 phrase \\eg eimi\\ occurs three times here
 # 8:24,28,58
 and also in
 # 13:19
 Jesus seems to claim absolute divine being as in
 # 8:58

03262
 \\Who art thou?\\ (\\Su tis ei;\\). Proleptic use of \\su\\ before \\tis\\,
 "Thou, who art thou?" Cf.
 # 1:19
 He had virtually claimed to be the Messiah and on a par with God
 as in
 # 5:15
 They wish to pin him down and to charge him with blasphemy. \\Even\\
 \\that which I have also spoken unto you from the beginning\\ (\\tn\\
 \\archn hoti kai lal humin\\). A difficult sentence. It is not
 clear whether it is an affirmation or a question. The Latin and
 Syriac versions treat it as affirmative. Westcott and Hort follow
 Meyer and take it as interrogative. The Greek fathers take it as
 an exclamation. It seems clear that the adverbial accusative \\tn\\
 \\archn\\ cannot mean "from the beginning" like \\ap' archs\\
 # 15:27
 or \\ex archs\\
 # 16:4
 The LXX has \\tn archn\\ for "at the beginning" or "at the first"
 # Ge 43:20
 There are examples in Greek, chiefly negative, where \\tn archn\\
 means "at all," "essentially," "primarily." Vincent and Bernard
 so take it here, "Primarily what I am telling you." Jesus avoids
 the term Messiah with its political connotations. He stands by
 his high claims already made.

03263
 \\I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you\\ (\\polla\\
 \\ech peri humn lalein kai krinein\\). Instead of further talk
 about his own claims (already plain enough) Jesus turns to speak
 and to judge concerning them and their attitude towards him (cf.
 verse
 # 16
 Whatever they think of Jesus the Father who sent him is true
 (\\alths\\). They cannot evade responsibility for the message
 heard. So Jesus goes on speaking it from the Father.

03264
 \\They perceived not\\ (\\ouk egnsan\\). Second aorist active indicative
 of \\ginsk\\. "Preoccupied as they were with thoughts of an earthly
 deliverer" (Westcott) and prejudiced against recognizing Jesus as
 the one sent from God. \\That he spake to them of the Father\\ (\\hoti\\
 \\ton patera autois elegen\\). Indirect assertion, but with the
 present indicative (\\legei\\) changed to the imperfect (\\elegen\\) as
 was sometimes done
 # 2:25
 after a secondary tense.

03265
 \\When ye have lifted up the Son of man\\ (\\hotan hupsste ton huion\\
 \\tou anthrpou\\). Indefinite temporal clause with \\hotan\\ (\\hote + an\\)
 and the first aorist active subjunctive of \\hupso\\, to lift up
 (_Koin_ verb from \\hupsos\\, height), used several times in John of
 the Cross of Christ
 # 3:14; 8:28; 12:32,34
 It is unnecessary to render the aorist subjunctive as if a future
 perfect, simply "whenever ye lift up" (actually lift up,
 ingressive aorist). In
 # Ac 2:33
 the verb is used of the Ascension. \\Shall ye know\\ (\\gnsesthe\\).
 Future (ingressive aoristic) middle of \\ginsk\\. _Cognoscetis ex
 re quod nunc ex verbo non creditis_ (Bengel). But the knowledge
 from the facts like the fall of Jerusalem will come too late and
 will not bring a change of heart. The Holy Spirit will convict
 them concerning judgment
 # 16:8
 For \\I am\\ (\\eg eimi\\)
 See note on "Joh 8:24"
 \\As the Father taught me\\ (\\Kaths edidasken me ho patr\\). This
 claim Jesus repeats (see verse
 # 26
 and clearly makes on his arrival at the feast
 # 7:16
 This fact marks Jesus off from the rabbis.

03266
 \\Is with me\\ (\\met' emou estin\\). The Incarnation brought separation
 from the Father in one sense, but in essence there is complete
 harmony and fellowship as he had already said
 # 8:16
 and will expand in
 # 17:21-26
 \\He hath not left me alone\\ (\\ouk aphken me monon\\). First aorist
 active indicative of \\aphimi\\. "He did not leave me alone."
 However much the crowds and the disciples misunderstood or left
 Jesus, the Father always comforted and understood him
 # Mr 6:46; Mt 14:23; Joh 6:15
 \\That are pleasing to him\\ (\\ta aresta auti\\). This old verbal
 adjective, from \\aresk\\, to please, in N.T. only here,
 # Ac 6:2; 12:3; 1Jo 3:32
 The joy of Jesus was in doing the will of the Father who sent him
 # 4:34

03267
 \\Many believed on him\\ (\\polloi episteusan eis auton\\). Ingressive
 aorist active indicative, came to believe, nominally at any rate,
 as in
 # 2:23
 But the tension was keen and Jesus proceeded to test the faith of
 these new believers from among the Pharisees.

03268
 \\Which had believed him\\ (\\tous pepisteukotas auti\\). Articular
 perfect active participle of \\pisteu\\ with dative \\auti\\ (trusted
 him) rather than \\eis auton\\ (on him) in verse
 # 30
 They believed him (cf.
 # 6:30
 as to his claims to being the Messiah with their own
 interpretation
 # 6:15
 but they did not commit themselves to him and may represent only
 one element of those in verse
 # 30
 but see
 # 2:23
 for \\pisteu eis\\ there. \\If ye abide in my word\\ (\\ean humeis meinte\\
 \\en ti logi ti emi\\). Third-class condition with \\ean\\ and first
 aorist (constative) active subjunctive. \\Are ye truly my\\
 \\disciples\\ (\\alths mathtai mou este\\). Your future loyalty to my
 teaching will prove the reality of your present profession. So
 the conclusion of this future condition is put in the present
 tense. As then, so now. We accept church members on _profession_
 of trust in Christ. Continuance in the word (teaching) proves the
 sincerity or insincerity of the profession. It is the acid test
 of life.

03269
 \\And ye shall know the truth\\ (\\kai gnsesthe tn altheian\\). Truth
 is one of the marks of Christ
 # 1:14
 and Jesus will claim to Thomas to be the personification of truth
 # 14:6
 But it will be for them knowledge to be learned by doing God's
 will
 # 7:17
 The word is from \\alths\\ (\\a\\ privative and \\lth\\, to conceal,
 unsealed, open). See also verses
 # 40,44,45
 \\And the truth shall make you free\\ (\\kai h altheia eleuthersei\\
 \\humas\\). Future active indicative of \\eleuthero\\, old verb from
 \\eleutheros\\ (from \\erchomai\\, to go where one wishes and so free).
 One of Paul's great words for freedom from the bondage of the law
 # Ro 6:18; Ga 5:1
 The freedom of which Jesus here speaks is freedom from the
 slavery of sin as Paul in
 # Ro 8:2
 See
 # Joh 8:36
 This freedom is won alone by Christ
 # 8:36
 and we are sanctified in truth
 # 17:19
 In
 # 1:17
 truth is mentioned with grace as one of the marks of the gospel
 through Christ. Freedom (intellectual, moral, spiritual) is only
 attainable when we are set free from darkness, sin, ignorance,
 superstition and let the Light of the World shine on us and in
 us.

03270
 \\We be Abraham's seed\\ (\\Sperma Abraam esmen\\). "We are Abraham's
 seed," the proudest boast of the Jews, of Sarah the freewoman and
 not of Hagar the bondwoman
 # Ga 4:22
 Yes, but the Jews came to rely solely on mere physical descent
 # Mt 3:9
 and so God made Gentiles the spiritual children of Abraham by
 faith
 # Mt 3:7; Rom. 9:6
 \\And have never yet been in bondage to any man\\ (\\kai oudeni\\
 \\dedouleukamen ppote\\). Perfect active indicative of \\douleu\\, to
 be slaves. This was a palpable untruth uttered in the heat of
 controversy. At that very moment the Jews wore the Roman yoke as
 they had worn that of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Alexander, the
 Ptolemies, the Syrian (Seleucid) kings. They had liberty for a
 while under the Maccabees. "These poor believers soon come to the
 end of their faith" (Stier). But even so they had completely
 missed the point in the words of Jesus about freedom by truth.

03271
 \\Every one that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin\\ (\\pas ho\\
 \\poin tn hamartian doulos estin [ts hamartias]\\). The Western
 class omits \\ts hamartias\\ (sin), but that is the idea anyhow.
 Note the use of \\poin\\ (present active participle, continuous
 habit or practice), not \\poisas\\ (aorist active participle for
 single act), precisely as in
 # 1Jo 3:4-8
 Note also
 # 3:21
 for \\ho poin tn altheian\\ (the one who practises the truth).
 Sin, like the worst narcotic, is habit forming. Hence the problem
 today for criminologists for paroled or pardoned criminals nearly
 always go back to crime, sink again into sin, the slaves of sin.
 Xenophon has this notion of the slavery of sin (_Memor_. IV. 5.
 3). So Paul clearly in
 # Ro 6:17,20
 "slaves of sin" (\\douloi ts hamartias\\).

03272
 \\The bondservant\\ (\\ho doulos\\) ... \\the son\\ (\\ho huios\\). There is a
 change in the metaphor by this contrast between the positions of
 the son and the slave in the house. The slave has no footing or
 tenure and may be cast out at any moment while the son is the
 heir and has a permanent place. Cf. Ishmael and Isaac
 # Ge 21:10
 and Paul's use of it in
 # Ga 4:30
 We do not know that there is any reference here to Hagar and
 Ishmael. See also
 # Heb 3:5
 # Nu 12:7
 for a like contrast between Moses as servant (\\therapn\\) in God's
 house and Christ as Son (\\huios\\) over God's house.

03273
 \\If therefore the son shall make you free\\ (\\ean oun ho huios humas\\
 \\eleuthersi\\). Condition of third class with \\ean\\ and first aorist
 (ingressive) active subjunctive. "If therefore the Son set you
 free," as he has the power to do. \\Ye shall be free indeed\\ (\\onts\\
 \\eleutheroi esesthe\\). Old and common adverb from participle \\ontn\\,
 actually, really (cf.
 # Lu 24:34
 But this spiritual freedom was beyond the concept or wish of
 these Jews.

03274
 \\Yet ye seek to kill me\\ (\\alla zteite me apokteinai\\). As at the
 recent feast
 # 7:20,25,30,32; 8:20
 Some of these very professed believers were even now glowering
 with murderous vengeance. \\Hath not free course in you\\ (\\ou chrei\\
 \\en humin\\). Intransitive use of \\chre\\, old verb from \\chros\\
 (space, place), to have space or room for. They would not abide
 in Christ's word (verse
 # 31
 They had no longer room for his word when once they understood
 the spiritual aspect of his message. Jerusalem was now just like
 Galilee once before
 # 6:60-66

03275
 \\With my Father\\ (\\para ti patri\\). Locative case of \\patr\\ and
 article used as possessive (common idiom), "by the side of my
 Father," picture of intimate fellowship like \\pros ton theon\\ (face
 to face with God) in
 # 1:1
 \\From your father\\ (\\para tou patros\\). Ablative case with \\para\\ (from
 the side of) and same possessive use of \\tou\\ in each instance,
 though "the" will really answer both times. But \\ho patr\\ does not
 mean the same person. Christ's Father by contrast is not their
 father.

03276
 \\Our father is Abraham\\ (\\ho patr hmn Abraam estin\\). They saw the
 implication and tried to counter it by repeating their claim in
 verse
 # 33
 which was true so far as physical descent went as Jesus had
 admitted (verse
 # 37
 \\If ye were\\ (\\ei este\\). Strictly, "if ye are" as ye claim, a
 condition of the first class assumed to be true. \\Ye would do\\
 (\\epoieite an\\). Read by C L N and a corrector of Aleph while W
 omits \\an\\. This makes a mixed condition (protasis of the first
 class, apodosis of the second. See Robertson, _Grammar_, p.
 1022). But B reads \\poieite\\ like the Sin. Syriac which has to be
 treated as imperative (so Westcott and Hort).

03277
 \\But now\\ (\\nun de\\). Clear statement that they are not doing "the
 works of Abraham" in seeking to kill him. See this use of \\nun de\\
 after a condition of second class without \\an\\ in
 # Joh 16:22,24
 \\This did not Abraham\\ (\\touto Abraam ouk epoisen\\). Blunt and
 pointed of their unlikeness to Abraham. \\A man that hath told you\\
 \\the truth\\ (\\anthrpon hos ten altheian humin lelalka\\).
 \\Anthrpon\\ (here=person, one) is accusative case in apposition
 with \\me\\ (\\me\\) just before. The perfect active indicative \\lelalka\\
 from \\lale\\ is in the first person singular because the relative
 \\hos\\ has the person of \\me\\, an idiom not retained in the English
 \\that hath\\ (that have or who have) though it is retained in the
 English of
 # 1Co 15:9
 "that am" for \\hos eimi\\. \\Which I heard from God\\ (\\hn kousa para\\
 \\tou theou\\). Here we have "I" in the English. "God" here is equal
 to "My Father" in verse
 # 38
 The only crime of Jesus is telling the truth directly from God.

03278
 \\Ye do the works of your father\\ (\\humeis poieite ta erga tou patros\\
 \\humn\\). Who is not Abraham and not God as Jesus plainly
 indicates. \\We were not born of fornication\\ (\\hmeis ek porneias\\
 \\egennthmen\\). First aorist passive indicative of \\genna\\. This
 they said as a proud boast. Jesus had admitted that they were
 physical
 # De 23:2
 descendants of Abraham
 # 37
 but now denies that they are spiritual children of Abraham (like
 Paul in
 # Ro 9:7
 \\Porneia\\ is from \\pornos\\ (harlot) and that from \\pernmi\\, to
 sell, a woman who sells her body for sexual uses. It is vaguely
 possible that in this stern denial the Pharisees may have an
 indirect fling at Jesus as the bastard son of Mary (so Talmud).
 \\We have one Father, even God\\ (\\hena patera echomen ton theon\\). No
 "even" in the Greek, "One Father we have, God." This in direct
 reply to the implication of Jesus (verse
 # 38
 that God was not their spiritual Father.

03279
 \\Ye would love me\\ (\\gapate an eme\\). Conclusion of second-class
 condition with distinct implication that their failure to love
 Jesus is proof that God is not their Father (protasis). \\For I\\
 \\came forth from God\\ (\\eg gar ek tou theou exlthon\\). Second
 aorist active indicative of \\exerchomai\\, definite historical event
 (the Incarnation). See
 # 4:30
 for \\exlthon ek\\. In
 # 13:3; 16:30
 Jesus is said to have come from (\\apo\\) God. The distinction is not
 to be pressed. Note the definite consciousness of pre-existence
 with God as in
 # 17:5
 \\And am come\\ (\\kai hk\\). Present active indicative with perfect
 sense in the verb stem (state of completion) before rise of the
 tense and here retained. "I am here," Jesus means. \\Of myself\\ (\\ap'\\
 \\emautou\\). His coming was not self-initiated nor independent of
 the Father. "But he (\\ekeinos\\, emphatic demonstrative pronoun)
 sent me" and here I am.

03280
 \\My speech\\ (\\tn lalian tn emn\\) and \\my word\\ (\\ton logon ton\\
 \\emon\\). Perhaps \\lalia\\, old word from \\lalos\\ (talk), means here more
 manner of speech than just story
 # 4:42
 while \\logos\\ refers rather to the subject matter. They will not
 listen (\\ou dunasthe akouein\\) to the substance of Christ's
 teaching and hence they are impatient with the way that he talks.
 How often that is true.

03281
 \\Ye are of your father the devil\\ (\\humeis ek tou patros tou\\
 \\diabolou\\). Certainly they can "understand" (\\ginskete\\ in
 # 43
 this "talk" (\\lalian\\) though they will be greatly angered. But
 they had to hear it (\\akouein\\ in
 # 43
 It was like a bombshell in spite of the preliminary preparation.
 \\Your will to do\\ (\\thelete poiein\\). Present active indicative of
 \\thel\\ and present active infinitive, "Ye wish to go on doing."
 This same idea Jesus presents in
 # Mt 13:38
 (the sons of the evil one, the devil) and
 # 23:15
 (twofold more a son of Gehenna than you). See also
 # 1Jo 3:8
 for "of the devil" (\\ek tou diabolou\\) for the one who persists in
 sinning. In
 # Re 12:9
 the devil is one who leads all the world astray. The Gnostic view
 that Jesus means "the father of the devil" is grotesque. Jesus
 does not, of course, here deny that the Jews, like all men, are
 children of God the Creator, like Paul's offspring of God for all
 men in
 # Ac 17:28
 What he denies to these Pharisees is that they are spiritual
 children of God who do his will. They do the lusts and will of
 the devil. The Baptist had denied this same spiritual fatherhood
 to the merely physical descendants of Abraham
 # Mt 3:9
 He even called them "broods of vipers" as Jesus did later
 # Mt 12:34
 \\A murderer\\ (\\anthrpoktonos\\). Old and rare word (Euripides) from
 \\anthrpos\\, man, and \\ktein\\, to kill. In N.T. only here and
 # 1Jo 3:15
 The Jews were seeking to kill Jesus and so like their father the
 devil. \\Stood not in the truth\\ (\\en ti altheii ouk estken\\).
 Since \\ouk\\, not \\ouch\\, is genuine, the form of the verb is
 \\esteken\\ the imperfect of the late present stem \\stk\\
 # Mr 11:25
 from the perfect active \\hestka\\ (intransitive) of \\histmi\\, to
 place. \\No truth in him\\ (\\ouk estin altheia en auti\\). Inside him
 or outside (environment). The devil and truth have no contact.
 \\When he speaketh a lie\\ (\\hotan lali to pseudos\\). Indefinite
 temporal clause with \\hotan\\ and the present active subjunctive of
 \\lale\\. But note the article \\to\\: "Whenever he speaks the lie," as
 he is sure to do because it is his nature. Hence "he speaks out
 of his own" (\\ek tn idin lalei\\) like a fountain bubbling up (cf.
 # Mt 12:34
 \\For he is a liar\\ (\\hoti pseusts estin\\). Old word for the agent in
 a conscious falsehood (\\pseudos\\). See
 # 1Jo 1:10; Ro 3:4
 Common word in John because of the emphasis on \\altheia\\ (truth).
 \\And the father thereof\\ (\\kai ho patr autou\\). Either the father of
 the lie or of the liar, both of which are true as already shown
 by Jesus. \\Autou\\ in the genitive can be either neuter or
 masculine. Westcott takes it thus, "because he is a liar and his
 father (the devil) is a liar," making "one," not the devil, the
 subject of "whenever he speaks," a very doubtful expression.

03282
 \\Because I speak the truth\\ (\\eg de hoti tn altheian leg\\).
 Proleptic emphatic position of \\eg\\. "Truth is uncongenial to
 them" (Bernard). See
 # 3:19
 for their picture.

03283
 \\Which of you convicteth me of sin?\\ (\\Tis ex humn elegchei me peri\\
 \\hamaritas;\\). See on
 # 3:20; 16:8
 (the work of the Holy Spirit) for \\elegch\\ for charge and proof.
 The use of \\hamartia\\ as in
 # 1:29
 means sin in general, not particular sins. The rhetorical
 question which receives no answer involves sinlessness
 # Heb 4:15
 without specifically saying so. Bernard suggests that Jesus
 paused after this pungent question before going on. \\Why do ye not\\
 \\believe me?\\ (\\Dia ti humeis ou pisteuete moi;\\). This question
 drives home the irrationality of their hostility to Jesus. It was
 based on prejudice and predilection.

03284
 \\He that is of God\\ (\\ho n ek tou theou\\). See this use of \\ek\\ in
 # 3:31
 "Their not listening proved that they were not of God" (Dods).
 They were of the earth and the devil, not of God.

03285
 \\Thou art a Samaritan and hast a demon\\ (\\Samareits ei su kai\\
 \\daimonion echeis\\). On the spur of the moment in their rage and
 fury they can think of no meaner things to say. They know, of
 course, that Jesus was not a Samaritan, but he had acted like a
 Samaritan in challenging their peculiar spiritual privileges
 # 4:9,39
 The charge of having a demon was an old one by the Pharisees
 # Mt 12:24
 and it is repeated later
 # Joh 10:20

03286
 \\I have not a demon\\ (\\eg daimonion ouk ech\\). This Jesus says
 calmly, passing by the reference to the Samaritans as beneath
 notice. \\My Father\\ (\\ton patera mou\\). As in
 # 2:16
 He is not mad in claiming to honour God (cf.
 # 7:18
 They were insulting the Father in insulting him (cf.
 # 5:23
 On \\atimaz\\ (\\a\\ privative and \\tima\\, to dishonour) see
 # Lu 20:11

03287
 \\But I seek not mine own glory\\ (\\eg de ou zt tn doxan mou\\). As
 they did not seek the glory of God
 # 5:44; 8:4
 \\And judgeth\\ (\\kai krinn\\). The Father judges between you and me,
 though the Son is the Judge of mankind
 # 5:22
 "It is only the \\doxa\\ (glory) that comes from God that is worth
 having" (Bernard).

03288
 \\If a man keep my word\\ (\\ean tis ton emon logon trsi\\). Condition
 of third class with \\ean\\ and constative aorist active subjunctive
 of \\tre\\. Repeated in verse
 # 52
 See verse
 # 43
 about hearing the word of Christ. Common phrase in John
 # 8:51,52,55; 14:23,24; 15:20; 17:6; 1Jo 2:5
 Probably the same idea as keeping the commands of Christ
 # 14:21
 \\He shall never see death\\ (\\thanaton ou m thersi eis ton\\
 \\aiona\\). Spiritual death, of course. Strong double negative \\ou m\\
 with first aorist active subjunctive of \\there\\. The phrase "see
 death" is a Hebraism
 # Ps 89:48
 and occurs with \\idein\\ (see) in
 # Lu 2:26; Heb 11:5
 No essential difference meant between \\hora\\ and \\there\\. See
 # Joh 14:23
 for the blessed fellowship the Father and the Son have with the
 one who keeps Christ's word.

03289
 \\Now we know\\ (\\nun egnkamen\\). Perfect active indicative of
 \\ginsk\\, state of completion, "Now since such talk we have come
 to certain knowledge that thou hast a demon" (verse
 # 48
 \\Is dead\\ (\\apethanen\\). Second aorist active indicative of
 \\apothnsk\\. "Abraham died." \\And thou sayest\\ (\\kai su legeis\\).
 Adversative use of \\kai\\, "and yet." Emphatic position of \\su\\
 (thou). Same condition quoted as in verse
 # 51
 \\He shall never taste of death\\ (\\ou me geustai thanatou eis ton\\
 \\aiona\\). Same emphatic negative with subjunctive as in verse
 # 51
 but \\geustai\\ (first aorist middle subjunctive of \\geu\\ with
 genitive case \\thanatou\\ (death). Another Hebraism for dying like
 \\thersi\\ (see) in verse
 # 51
 Used in
 # Heb 2:9
 of the death of Jesus and in Synoptics
 # Mt 16:28; Mr 9:1; Lu 9:27
 It occurs in the Talmud, but not in the O.T. The Pharisees thus
 did not misquote Jesus, though they misunderstood him.

03290
 \\Art thou greater than our father Abraham?\\ (\\M su meizn ei tou\\
 \\patros hmn Abraam;\\). Negative answer expected by \\m\\ with
 ablative case of comparison in \\patros\\ after \\meizn\\. The question
 was designed to put Jesus in a difficult position, for Abraham
 and the prophets all "died." They do not see that Jesus uses
 death in a different sense. \\Whom makest thou thyself?\\ (\\tina\\
 \\seauton poieis;\\). \\Seauton\\ is predicate accusative with \\poieis\\.
 They suspect that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy as they charged in
 # 5:18
 in making himself equal with God. Later they will make it
 specifically
 # 10:33; 19:7
 They set a trap for Jesus for this purpose.

03291
 \\If I glorify myself\\ (\\ean eg doxas emauton\\). Third-class
 condition with \\ean\\ and first aorist active subjunctive (or future
 active indicative) of \\doxaz\\. \\It is my Father that glorifieth me\\
 (\\estin ho patr mou ho doxazn me\\). The position and accent of
 \\estin\\ mean: "Actually my Father is the one," etc. \\Of whom ye say\\
 (\\hon humeis legete\\). The accusative of the person (\\hon\\) with
 \\legete\\ is regular (cf.
 # 10:36
 \\Your God\\ (\\theos humn\\). So Aleph B D and apparently correct,
 though A C L W Delta Theta have \\hmn\\ (our God). The \\hoti\\ can be
 taken as recitative (direct quotation, \\hmn\\, our) or declarative
 (indirect, that, and so \\humn\\). The Jews claimed God as their
 peculiar national God as they had said in
 # 41
 So Jesus turns this confession and claim against them.

03292
 \\And ye have not known him\\ (\\kai ouk egnkate auton\\). Adversative
 use again of \\kai\\="and yet." Perfect active indicative of \\ginsk\\,
 the verb for experiential knowledge. This was true of the \\kosmos\\
 # 1:10; 17:25
 and of the hostile Jews
 # 16:3
 Jesus prays that the world may know
 # 17:23
 and the handful of disciples had come to know
 # 17:25
 \\But I know him\\ (\\eg de oida auton\\). Equipped by eternal
 fellowship to reveal the Father
 # 1:1-18
 This peculiar intimate knowledge Jesus had already claimed
 # 7:29
 Jesus used \\oida\\
 # 8:19; 15:21
 or \\ginsk\\
 # 17:23,25
 for the knowledge of the Father. No undue distinction can be
 drawn here. \\And if I should say\\ (\\kan eip\\). Third-class condition
 (concession), "even if I say," with \\kai ean\\ (\\kan\\) and second
 aorist active subjunctive. "Suppose I say." \\I shall be like you a\\
 \\liar\\ (\\esomai homoios humin pseusts\\). Apodosis of the condition.
 \\Homoios\\ (like) is followed by the associative-instrumental case
 \\humin\\. The word \\pseusts\\ (liar), in spite of the statement that
 they are the children of the devil, the father of lying
 # 8:44
 comes with a sudden jolt because it is a direct charge. This word
 liar is not considered polite today in public speech when hurled
 at definite individuals. There is a rather free use of the word
 in
 # 1Jo 2:4,22; 4:20; 5:10
 It is not hard to imagine the quick anger of these Pharisees.

03293
 \\Rejoiced\\ (\\galliasato\\). First aorist middle indicative of
 \\agalliaomai\\, a word of Hellenistic coinage from \\agallomai\\, to
 rejoice. \\To see\\ (\\hina idi\\). Sub-final use of \\hina\\ and second
 aorist active subjunctive of \\hora\\. This joy of Abraham is
 referred to in
 # Heb 11:13
 (saluting, \\aspasamenoi\\, the promises from afar). There was a
 Jewish tradition that Abraham saw the whole history of his
 descendants in the vision of
 # Ge 15:6
 but that is not necessary here. He did look for and welcome the
 Messianic time, "my day" (\\tn hmeran tn emn\\). "He saw it, and
 was glad" (\\eiden kai echar\\). Second aorist active indicative of
 \\hora\\ and second aorist passive indicative of \\chair\\. Ye see it
 and are angry!

03294
 \\Thou art not yet fifty years old\\ (\\pentkonta eti oup echeis\\).
 Literally, "Thou hast not yet fifty years." Not meaning that
 Jesus was near that age at all. It was the crisis of completed
 manhood
 # Nu 4:3
 and a round number. Jesus was about thirty to thirty-three. \\And\\
 \\hast thou seen Abraham?\\ (\\Kai Abraam herakas;\\). So A C D and B W
 Theta have \\herakes\\, both second person singular of the perfect
 active indicative of \\hora\\. But Aleph, Sin-syr., Coptic versions
 (accepted by Bernard) have \\kai Abraam herake se?\\ "Has Abraam
 seen thee?" Either makes sense here.

03295
 \\Before Abraham was\\ (\\prin Abraam genesthai\\). Usual idiom with
 \\prin\\ in positive sentence with infinitive (second aorist middle
 of \\ginomai\\) and the accusative of general reference, "before
 coming as to Abraham," "before Abraham came into existence or was
 born." \\I am\\ (\\eg eimi\\). Undoubtedly here Jesus claims eternal
 existence with the absolute phrase used of God. The contrast
 between \\genesthai\\ (entrance into existence of Abraham) and \\eimi\\
 (timeless being) is complete. See the same contrast between \\en\\ in
 # 1:1
 and \\egeneto\\ in
 # 1:14
 See the contrast also in
 # Ps 90:2
 between God (\\ei\\, art) and the mountains (\\genthnai\\). See the
 same use of \\eimi\\ in
 # Joh 6:20; 9:9; 8:24,28; 18:6

03296
 \\They took up stones therefore\\ (\\ran oun lithous\\). First aorist
 active indicative of \\air\\, inferential use of \\oun\\. The time for
 argument had past. \\To cast at him\\ (\\hina balsin ep' auton\\). Final
 clause with \\hina\\ and the second aorist active subjunctive of
 \\ball\\. Vivid picture of a mob ready to kill Jesus, already
 beginning to do so. \\Hid himself\\ (\\ekrub\\). Second aorist passive
 indicative of \\krupt\\. He was hidden. No Docetic vanishing, but
 quietly and boldly Jesus went out of the temple. His hour had not
 yet come. Once again three months later the Pharisees will try to
 kill him, but he will pass out of their hands
 # 10:39

03297
 \\As he passed by\\ (\\paragn\\). Present active participle of \\parag\\,
 old verb to go along, by, or past
 # Mt 20:30
 Only example in this Gospel, but in
 # 1Jo 2:8,17
 The day was after the stirring scenes in chapter 8, but not at
 the feast of dedication as Westcott argues. That comes three
 months later
 # 10:22
 \\From his birth\\ (\\ek genets\\). Ablative case with \\ek\\ of old word
 from \\gen, ginomai\\. Here alone in N.T., but the phrase \\tuphlos ek\\
 \\genets\\ is common in Greek writers. Probably a well-known
 character with his stand as a beggar (verse
 # 5

03298
 \\Who did sin?\\ (\\tis hmarten;\\). Second aorist active indicative of
 \\hamartan\\. See
 # Ac 3:2; 14:8
 for two examples of lameness from birth. Blindness is common in
 the Orient and Jesus healed many cases (cf.
 # Mr 8:23; 10:46
 and mentions this fact as one of the marks of the Messiah in the
 message to the Baptist
 # Mt 11:5
 This is the only example of congenital blindness healed. It is
 not clear that the disciples expected Jesus to heal this case.
 They are puzzled by the Jewish notion that sickness was a penalty
 for sin. The Book of Job had shown that this was not always the
 case and Jesus shows it also
 # Lu 13:1-5
 If this man was guilty, it was due to prenatal sin on his part, a
 curious notion surely. The other alternative charged it upon his
 parents. That is sometimes true
 # Ex 20:5
 etc.), but by no means always. The rabbinical casuists loved to
 split hairs on this problem. Ezekiel
 # Eze 18:20
 says: "The soul that sinneth it shall die" (individual
 responsibility for sin committed). There is something in
 heredity, but not everything. \\That he should be born blind\\ (\\hina\\
 \\tuphlos gennthi\\). Probably consecutive (or sub-final) use of
 \\hina\\ with first aorist passive subjunctive of \\genna\\.

03299
 \\But that the works of God should be made manifest in him\\ (\\all'\\
 \\hina phanerthi ta erga tou theou en auti\\). Jesus denies both
 alternatives, and puts God's purpose (\\all' hina\\ with first aorist
 subjunctive of \\phanero\\) as the true solution. It is sometimes
 true that disease is the result of personal sin as in the man in
 # 5:14
 and parents can hand on the effects of sin to the third and
 fourth generations, but there are cases free from blame like
 this. There is comfort for many sufferers in the words of Jesus
 here.
