áπηλov eis τà orlow. Not only deserted Him, but went back to their old life. This is the xplois, the separation of bad from good, which Christ's coming necessarily involved; iii. 18, 19.

OŮKÉTɩ. No longer. 'No more' may mean 'never again,' which οὐκέτι does not mean; some may have returned again. Περιεπάτουν graphically expresses Christ's wandering life; comp. vii. 1, xi. 54, Luke viii. 1, ix. 58.

67. Toîs SuSEкa. The first mention of them; S. John speaks of them familiarly as a well-known body, assuming that his readers are well acquainted with the expression (see on v. 62). This is a mark of truth: all the more so because the expression does not occur in the earlier chapters; for it is probable that down to the end of chap. iv. at any rate 'the Twelve' did not yet exist. Pilate, Martha and Mary, and Mary Magdalene are introduced in the same abrupt way as persons well-known (xviii. 29, xix. 25). Oûv, in consequence of the frequent desertions.

μὴ κ. ὑμ. θέλετε. Surely ye also do not wish to go: we must avoid rendering éλew by the 'will' of the simple future: comp. vii. 17, viii. 44. Christ knows not only the unbelief of the many, but the belief and loyalty of the few.

68. Zlμwv Пérpos. See on i. 42. S. Peter, as leader, primus inter pares, answers here as elsewhere in the name of the Twelve (see on Mark iii. 17), and with characteristic impetuosity. His answer contains three reasons in logical order why they cannot desert their Master: (1) there is no one else to whom they can go; the Baptist is dead. Even if there were (2) Jesus has all that they need; He has 'sayings of eternal life.' And if there be other teachers who have them also, yet (3) there is but one Messiah, and Jesus is He. Contrast his earlier utterance, 'Depart from me' (Luke v. 8).

énμara L. alwv. See on iii. 34. No article; the expression is quite general, and seems to be an echo of v. 63, the truth of which S. Peter's experience could already affirm. It may mean either utterances about eternal life, or leading to eternal life. The analogy of the Bread of life, Light of life, Tree of life, and Water of life (v. 35, viii. 12; Rev. ii. 7, xxi. 6) is strongly in favour of the latter.

69. ueîs. Emphatic; we (in contrast to the deserters) have believed and have come to know (vii. 17, 26, viii. 32, 51): this has been the case for some time. Note the order; by believing they have come to know; sometimes (1 John iv. 16) knowledge precedes faith.

ὁ ἅγιος τ. Θ. S. Peter's confessions are worth comparing. 1. 'Thou art the Son of God' (Matt. xiv. 33); in this the other Apostles joined. 2. Thou art the Holy One of God' (John vi. 69). 3. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matt. xvi. 16). They increase in fulness, as we might expect. For the last he is pronounced 'blessed' by Christ. See on i. 21.

70. avтoîs. He replies to all, not to their spokesman only.

OvK ¿yȧ úμâs T. 8. . Note the order throughout. Did not I choose (xiii. 18, xv. 16) you the Twelve? Here probably the question ends: and of you one is a devil is best punctuated without an interrogation; it is a single statement in tragic contrast to the preceding question (comp. vii. 19). It would be closer to the Greek to omit the article before 'devil' and make it a kind of adjective; and of you one is devil, i.e. devilish in nature: but this is hardly English. The words contain a half-rebuke to S. Peter for his impetuous avowal of loyalty in the name of them all. The passage stands alone in the N.T. (comp. Matt. xvi. 23), but its very singularity is evidence of its truth. S. John is not likely to have forgotten what was said, or in translating to have made any serious change.

71. λeyev Sé. Now He spake, was meaning. For the accusative instead of Tepi c. gen. comp. viii. 54, ix. 19, i. 15.

'Iokaρiτov. Here and in xiii. 26 the true reading adds Iscariot not to the name of Judas (xii. 4, xiii. 2, xiv. 22), but to that of his father. If Iscariot means 'man of Kerioth,' a place in Judah (Josh. xv. 25), or possibly Moab (Jer. xlviii. 24), it would be natural for both father and son to have the name. In this case Judas was the only Apostle who was not a Galilean, and this would place a barrier between him and the Eleven.

ueλdev. Was about to; xii. 4; Luke xxii. 23; comp. v. 64. There is no need to include either predestinarian views on the one hand or the intention of Judas on the other. What has taken place, when viewed from a point before the event, may be regarded as sure to take place. Els èk T. 8. is in tragic contrast with what precedes; for he was to betray Him-one of the Twelve. "Clean and unclean birds, the dove and the raven, are still in the Ark" (S. Augustine).

With regard to the difficulty of understanding Christ's words in this sixth chapter, Meyer's concluding remark is to be borne in mind. "The difficulty is partly exaggerated; and partly the fact is overlooked that in all references to His death and the purpose of it Jesus could rely upon the light which the future would throw on these utterances: and sowing, as He generally did, for the future in the bosom of the present, He was compelled to utter much that was mysterious, but which would supply material and support for the further development and purification of faith and knowledge. The wisdom thus displayed in His teaching has been justified by History."

CHAPTER VII.

8. Omit ταύτην after frst ἑορτήν. Between οὔπω (BLT) and οὐκ (NDKM) before avaẞaívw it is impossible to decide with certainty.

10. εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνέβη for τότε κ. αὐ. ἀν. εἰς τ. ἑορ. on overwhelming evidence.

26. Omit ἀληθῶς after ἐστιν.

32. οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι (S. John's invariable order; v. 45, xi. 47, 57, xviii. 3) for oi Þ. k. oi ȧpx., on overwhelming evidence.

39. After πveûμa omit_aylov (assimilation to xx. 22), with NT. D adds ἐπ' αὐτοῖς and B adds δεδομένον after ἅγιον. Οὔπω for οὐδέπω. 46. ἐλάλησεν οὕτως for οὕτως ἐλ. Omit ὡς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος after aveρwros, with BLT; other MSS. exhibit great variation.

50. πρὸς αὐτὸν πρότερον for νυκτὸς πρὸς αὐτόν. Here also there is much variation in the readings.

52. ἐγείρεται for ἐγήγερται.

"Chapter vii., like chapter vi., is very important for the estimate of the fourth Gospel. In it the scene of the Messianic crisis shifts from Galilee to Jerusalem; and, as we should naturally expect, the crisis itself becomes hotter. The divisions, the doubts, the hopes, the jealousies, and the casuistry of the Jews are vividly portrayed. We see the mass of the populace, especially those who had come up from Galilee, swaying to and fro, hardly knowing which way to turn, inclined to believe, but held back by the more sophisticated citizens of the metropolis. These meanwhile apply the fragments of Rabbinical learning at their command in order to test the claims of the new prophet. In the background looms the dark shadow of the hierarchy itself, entrenched behind its prejudices and refusing to hear the cause that it has already prejudged. A single timid voice is raised against this injustice, but is at once fiercely silenced" (Sanday).

As in chapters v. and vi. Christ is set forth as the Source and Support of Life, so in chapters vii. viii. and ix. He is set forth as the Source of Truth and Light. The Fulfiller of the Sabbath and of the Passover fulfils the Feast of Tabernacles also.

CHAP. VII. CHRIST THE SOURCE OF TRUTH AND LIGHT.

Chap. vii. has three main divisions: 1. The controversy with His brethren (1-9); 2. His teaching at the Feast of Tabernacles (10-39); 3. The opposite results; division in the multitude and in the Sanhedrin (40-52).

1-9. THE CONTROVERSY WITH HIS BRETHREN.

1. μerà тaûтa. See on iii. 22. The interval is again vague (Introduction to Chap. vi.): it covers five or six months, the interval between the Passover (vi. 4) and the Feast of Tabernacles.

TEPLETTάTEL. See on vi. 66. The imperfects imply continued action. To this ministry in Galilee, which S. John thus passes over, much of Matt. xiv. 34-xviii. 35 belongs.

ov yap K.T.λ. See v. 18. From this we understand that He did not go up to Jerusalem for the Passover of vi. 4. 'Jewry' is found here in all English Versions except Wiclif's; it was common in the earlier translations. But in A. V. it has been retained (probably by an oversight) only here, Luke xxiii. 5, and Dan. v. 13: elsewhere Judæa has been substituted. In Dan. v. 13 the same word is translated both 'Jewry' and 'Judah'! Comp. the Prayer-Book version of Ps. lxxvi. 1.

2. ἡ ἑορ. τ. Ιουδ. ἡ σκ. Tabernacles, or 'the Feast of the 7th month,' or 'of ingathering,' was the most joyous of the Jewish festivals. It had two aspects: (1) a commemoration of their dwelling in tents in the wilderness, (2) a harvest-home. It was therefore a thanksgiving (1) for a permanent abode, and especially for a permanent place of worship, (2) for the crops of the year. Celebrebant hoc Judaei, velut reminiscentes beneficia Domini, qui occisuri erant Dominum (S. Augustine). It began on the 15th of the 7th month, Ethanim or Tisri (about our September), and lasted seven days, during which all who were not exempted through illness or weakness were obliged to live in booths, which involved much both of the discomfort and also of the merriment of a picnic. The distinctions between rich and poor were to a large extent obliterated in the general encampment, and the Feast thus became a great levelling institution. On the eighth day the booths were broken up and the people returned home: but it had special sacrifices of its own and was often counted as part of the Feast itself. The Feast is mentioned here, partly as a date, partly to shew what after all induced Christ to go up to Jerusalem, partly perhaps for its symbolical meaning. "The Word was made flesh and tabernacled among us' (i. 14). Tabernacles was a type of the Incarnation, as the Passover of the Passion.

3. oûv. Because He had not attended the previous Passover.

oi ådeλþoì avтoû. See on ii. 12. The bluntness of this suggestion, given almost as a command, shews that they presumed upon their near relationship. It would be more natural in the mouths of men older than Christ, and therefore is in favour of their being sons of Joseph by a former marriage rather than sons of Joseph and Mary (comp. Mark iii. 21, 31). They shared the ordinary beliefs of the Jews about the Messiah, and therefore did not believe in their Brother. But His miracles perplexed them, and they wished the point brought to a decisive issue. There is no treachery in their suggestion; its object is not to put Him in the power of His enemies. Comp. ii. 3, 4, where His Mother's suggestion and His treatment of it are somewhat similar to what we have here.

them, whether pilgrims to Jerusalem for His brethren seem to imply that they Oewρýcovσw, not merely 'see,' but 'con

οἱ μαθηταί σου. Any of the Feast or living there. themselves are not disciples. template;' see on vi. 40. 4. οὐδεὶς γ. For no man doeth anything in secret and himself seeketh to be in openness: or, according to BD1, and seeketh it (avró) to

be in openness. They imply that He works miracles to prove His Messiahship and hides them from those who would be convinced by them. To conceal His miracles is to deny His Messiahship; the Messiah must assert His position. Winer, p. 786.

év πappηolą. Here and xvi. 29 only with a preposition; see on v. 13.

ei Taûta Toleîs. If Thou doest these things, not 'If Thou do these things;' no doubt as to the fact of His miracles is expressed. 'If Thou doest miracles at all, do them before the whole nation, instead of in obscure parts of Galilee.'

φανέρωσον σ. Manifest Thyself; see on i. 31 and xxi. 1.

ovde y. Evidence of the Evangelist's candour; he admits that those who were thus closely connected with Jesus did not put their trust in Him: For not even did His brethren (as one would certainly expect) believe on Him. It is marvellous that in the face of this verse any one should have maintained that three of His brethren (James, Simon, and Judas) were Apostles. This verse is also fatal to the common theory, that these 'brethren' are really our Lord's cousins, the sons of Alphæus. Certainly one of the sons of Alphæus (James) was an Apostle; probably a second was (Matthew, if Levi and Matthew are the same person, as is almost universally admitted); possibly a third was (Judas, if 'Judas of James' means 'Judas, brother of James,' as is commonly supposed). By this time the company of the Twelve was complete (vi. 67, 70, 71); so that we cannot suppose that some of the Twelve have still to be converted. If then one, two, or three sons of Alphæus were Apostles, how could it be true that the sons of Alphæus 'did not believe on Him?' 'His brethren' cannot be the sons of Alphæus. They seem to have been converted by the Resurrection. Immediately after the Ascension we find them with the Apostles and the holy women (Acts i. 14; comp. 1 Cor. ix. 5; Gal. i. 19).

6. ὁ καιρὸς ὁ ἐμ. See on viii. 31. My time for manifesting Myself to the world is not yet present; with special reference to the Passion. It is inadequate to interpret it of the time for going up to the Feast. Moreover, what sense would there be in 'Your time for going up to the Feast is always ready?' Whereas 'You can always manifest yourselves' makes excellent sense. See last note on ii. 4. Kapós, frequent in the Synoptists, occurs here only in S. John, v. 4 being a gloss: S. John's word is pa. Kapós is Christ's opportunity on the human side, pa is His hour on the Divine side, i.e. as ordained by God.

7. ó kóσμos. Unbelievers; the common use in S. John: in v. 4 it meant all mankind (see on i. 10). He takes up their word and gives it a meaning far deeper than theirs. The world cannot hate them because they are part of itself (xv. 19). Hence it is that they can always manifest themselves; they can always count upon a favourable reception. As in iii. 3, 5, v. 19, vi. 44, 65, où dúvaraι expresses a moral impossibility; comp. vv. 34, 36, viii. 21, 43, xii. 39, xiii. 33, 36, xiv. 17, xvi. 12. For paprupŵ see on i. 7.

8. ueîs. Emphatic; you, with all your fondness for publicity.