John 8
DOYLY— his hour] The hour of His last suffering in obedience to His Father’s will. Dr. Clagett.
— He was a murderer &c.] The two sins, for which Christ principally reproves the Jews in this passage, are, their attempt to take His life, and their contempt of the truth. By both these, He shews that they resemble, or are under the influence of, the evil spirit. Grotius.
— a murderer—a liar.] By a lie the devil seduced our first parents, and brought death upon them, with all their posterity, Rom. v. 12; Wisd. ii. 24. Beausole.
John 8:7
- He that is without sin among you, &c.] He says to them in this answer, Why do ye urge me to give a judgment in this matter? I have nothing to say against your executing the law. Only consider that he, who is thus zealous in punishing another, should in all equity be free from guilt himself. Whoever therefore among you has a clear and innocent conscience, let him begin and cast the first stone at the woman. Dr. S. Clarke.
— first cast a stone] The first stone was thrown by the principal accuser; it was of great bulk and weight, and generally fatal. See Deut. xiii. 9; xvii. 7. Grotus.
His meaning is, I shall not condemn the woman Myself, for it is not My office. You may do it, if you will affirm yourselves to be those righteous men, which you desire to be accounted. But this ye dare not do before Me, who, as ye well know, can prove the contrary, and give the by-standers such a history of what you have been, and what you are, as will make you ashamed to shew yourselves. And therefore it is that I challenge and defy you to proceed.—“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Bp. Horne.
John 8:9
9.— went out one by one.] Never was triumph more complete: these hypocrites were self-convicted, confounded, and disgraced before the multitude. Dr. Hales.
— left alone.] All the accusers being gone; it is probable that the Apostles were standing by, and also some of the multitude. Grotus.
The criminal alone remains to be seen, all her accusers are fled; and not without sufficient cause. They found there was One ready to accuse them in their turns; they perceived that all things were naked and open before Him with whom they had to do, and they were not disposed that He should lay open their hearts, and read a lecture to them before the people. Their consciences told them what sort of lecture this must needs be, and therefore, rather than He should read it to them, they prudently withdrew, and left Him to condemn or absolve the woman as He thought fit. Bp. Horne.
11.— Neither do I condemn thee: Neither do I, who have no commission to pass sentence upon thee, take upon Me to condemn thee to die; go, and in fear of the Divine judgments repent, and sin no more. Dr. Whitby. Jesus was no magistrate; which affords a sufficient reason for His forbearing to condemn her, and dismissing her with a warning against the heinousness of the sin, and a charge to amend her life. There is not the
slightest reason to conclude that He did not, by His behaviour on this occasion, strongly mark His disapprobation of adultery. He expressly charged the woman to sin no more, and He only avoided interfering in a matter by which it was intended to ensnare him. Bps. Pearce and Mann.
We are not to suppose that our Lord meant to excuse guilt, or to find fault with the law of Moses, which was the law of God. By that law, adultery was to be punished with death. But the sentence could not be passed without accusers and witnesses, who were all fled. Proper magistrates must pass it; and, had they done so, Christ would not have interposed to hinder the execution of justice. But they not having condemned her, whose proper office it was, no more would Christ, whose office it was not. With respect to the Law, He left all as it was; He neither condemned nor absolved the woman. But, as the Publisher of the Gospel, and the Author of salvation, He directed her how to obtain the pardon of Heaven and eternal life; namely, by so truly repenting of her sin, as never to return to it again. Bp. Horne.
— go, and sin no more.] Despair not, therefore, thou, whoever thou art, whom temptation has drawn into sin; thou art in the hands of One who desireth not the death of a sinner; of One who died for thy sake, to procure for thee forgiveness, grace, and glory. Return to Him, pray to Him, love Him, and serve Him, all the remaining days of thy life. Let the remembrance of what is past teach thee how bitter are the fruits of sin; fear, sorrow, shame, and confusion; and henceforth learn by experience, (for nothing else can truly inform thee,) how sweet are the fruits of righteousness; peace and hope and joy and holy confidence. So shall thy brethren receive thee, as one alive from the dead, and angels themselves shall join in celebrating that mercy which has been extended towards thee. “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth.” Bp. Horne.
- Then spake Jesus again—I am the light of the world: This business of the adulteress being over, Jesus returns to His first purpose of instructing the people, ver. 2; He here says, I am sent into the world to enlighten all men with such understanding of the truth, that he, who believes and follows My doctrine, shall not remain under any uncertainty concerning the way of salvation, but shall have the knowledge of all things necessary to eternal life. Dr. Clayett.
13.— Thou bearest record of thyself: Thou bringest no proof of what Thou affirmet, and we are not bound to believe concerning Thyself on Thine own single testimony. Dr. S. Clarke.
Christ justifieth his doctrine. Anno DOMINI 22.
them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
John 8:14
- — for I know whence I came, &c.] I know that I came down from heaven: and I being a Divine Person, and one essential attribute of the Godhead being truth, therefore it necessarily follows that My single testimony of Myself must be true; and this ye would readily acknowledge, but that, by means of your unreasonable prejudices, “ye cannot tell whence I come and whither I go;” that is, ye will not believe Me to come from heaven, and to be a Divine Person. Dr. Wells.
John 8:15
- — after the flesh;] According to the meanness of My extraction and appearance. Dr. Whitby. After the custom of the world, or according to your mistaken prejudices. Bp. Mann.
— I judge no man.] I condemn no man, but teach all; My business now being that of a Prophet, not of a judge. Dr. Clagett.
John 8:16
- — for I am not alone,] My own testimony is not alone, but it inseparably includes that of another which you have no colour to refuse; and that is the testimony of the Father. Dr. Clagett.
John 8:17
- — is true.] Is valid in causes of the greatest consequence; and this evidence of the truth of My mission ye have; for the Father (ver. 18.) beareth witness of Me. Dr. Whitby.
John 8:18
- — the Father—beareth witness of me.] God the Father bore witness of Jesus by the miracles which He performed. Our Saviour reasons, that if in ordinary cases the witness of two persons is sufficient, certainly the evidence here must be allowed to be infinitely stronger and more decisive. “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater,” 1 John v. 9. Bp. Mann.
John 8:19
- — Ye neither know me, nor &c.] Ye will not receive any knowledge concerning Me or My Father. Your acknowledging of Me is the only way to bring you to the knowledge of My Father. Dr. Hammond.
John 8:20
- — the treasury,] The part of the temple where was
John 8:21
21 — I go my way, &c.] I shall depart from hence, and then ye will seek me to no purpose; and by persisting in a hardened unbelief of Me, ver. 24, ye will bring judgments on yourselves, as taking no warning by the preaching of a Prophet, Ezek. iii. 19: it will then be too late for you to wish to recall this time, for I shall then have departed to a place where ye cannot come to Me. Dr. Hammond.
John 8:23
- — Ye are from beneath; I am &c.] You and I are of very different originals: your affections, like yourselves, are of an earthly temper and origin; and therefore you imagine such perverse interpretations of My words (as that of ver. 21.) Dr. Hammond.
John 8:24
- — that I am he,] The Messiah, the Prophet who was to come.
John 8:25
- — the same that I said unto you &c.] What from the first I said that I was, that I affirm to you still. Dr. S. Clarke.
John 8:26
- I have many things to say &c.] I could take occasion, from these unreasonable questions of yours, to charge you with several things which you would not care to hear: but I pass them by at present, and desire you to remember this which I say; He that sent Me expects to be believed, and you will find it a terrible thing to gainsay His authority: mark this also, that in all those instructions which I have given to the world, I delivered nothing which He will not justify. Dr. Clagett.
John 8:28
- — When ye have lifted up the Son of man,] When ye shall have lifted up the Son of man on the cross; see chap. iii. 14; xviii. 32. Bp. Mann.
— then shall ye know] By the further evidences afforded by My resurrection and ascension; (Dr. Ham-
Anno DOMINI 23. He annvereth the Jews that boasted of Abraham. Anno DOMINI 31.
John 8:30
- As he spake these words, many believed on him.] Meaning that, upon Jesus’s foretelling many things that were to happen to Himself and to the nation of the Jews, many that heard Him were disposed to consider and compare what they had known and heard of Him before; and being persuaded that He was a Person sent from God, they declared that they would become His disciples. Dr. S. Clarke.
John 8:32
32.—shall make you free.] You shall obtain the greatest and most desirable freedom (Dr. S. Clarke) from the yoke of bondage to sin and corruption, ver. 34. Dr. Whitby.
John 8:33
33.—were never in bondage] It hence sufficiently appears how much they pierced in being of the seed of Abraham, and how jealous they were of their freedom. We, they here say, are of the seed of Abraham, of that race who are attached to our liberty and tenacious of it, and, as far as concerns ourselves, were never in bondage to any man. Dr. Leph/foot.
At the very time when they spake this, they were subject to the Roman power, but they preserved this appearance of liberty, that they retained their institutions and were governed by their own laws.
John 8:34
34.—is the servant of sin.] He replies, You misunderstand Me; I speak not of bodily freedom, but of spiritual; of freedom from prejudice and sin. Bp. Mann.
John 8:35
35.—the servant abideth not] Ye think yourselves free, as being descended from Abraham, and living under the law of Moses. But Abraham and Moses were merely servants, and therefore their authority was only for a time; whereas the authority of the Son shall never have an end. Bp. Mann.
John 8:36
- If the Son therefore &c.] If therefore ye will submit to be made free of God’s house by the authority of the Son, ye shall gain a freedom which ye can never lose,
John 8:37
37.—my word hath no place in you.] Your corrupt affections will not permit you to embrace it. Dr. Whitby.
John 8:38
- I speak that which &c.] I speak that which I know to be agreeable to the will of God My Father; but ye do that which is agreeable to the will of your father the devil, ver. 44. Dr. Wells.
John 8:39
39.—ye would do the works of Abraham.] Would be like him in obedience and virtue, as children resemble their natural parents in feature and disposition. Dr. Hammond.
John 8:40
40.—this did not Abraham.] Who was a great example of humility and docility, and readiness to believe and obey all Divine revelations. Dr. S. Clarke.
John 8:41
41.—We be not born of fornication;] We are not born of an idolatrous or adulterous race, but of parents that worship God, and Him only: so neither do we ourselves serve any other besides Him. As therefore Abraham was our earthly father, so God, and God only, is our heavenly Father. Dr. S. Clarke.
John 8:43
43.—because ye cannot hear my word.] Because your prejudices and lusts will not suffer you to attend to My doctrine. Bp. Mann.
John 8:44
- Ye are of your father &c.] The likeness of your manners and dispositions, and your obstinate inclinations to fulfil the lusts of the devil, plainly shew you to be his children. For, as he sought the death of Adam and his posterity at first, and has been ever since bent on destroying those especially whom God raised up for the benefit of mankind; so are ye now disposed against Me, whom God hath sent to save the world. Dr. S. Clarke.
—the lusts of your father ye will do.] The lusts of the devil are the wilful and deliberate sins of men, wrought by their own will and choice, agreeable to, in imitation of, and in compliance with, the temptations of the great apostate from God and goodness; works of
T Christ answereth the Jews. His authority and dignity.
Amo DOMINI 25. will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
John 8:45
- — because I tell you the truth.] Because I will not suit My doctrine to your lusts and interests, but tell you the truth. Dr. Clagett.
John 8:46
- Which of you convinceth me &c.] If I have done my thing that makes Me unworthy of belief, why do not some of you convict Me of it? And, if My doctrine itself be worthy of belief, why do ye not believe Me? Dr. S. Clarke.
John 8:47
- He that is of God &c.] He who resembles God in holiness and goodness, and is disposed to do His will, is ready to receive the doctrine that comes from Him; and your not receiving His words is an evidence that you do not thus resemble Him, nor bear a filial affection towards Him. Dr. Whitby.
John 8:48
- — Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, &c.] Have we not reason to call Thee a separatiat, an enemy to our religion, a man possessed of a devil? What can we say too bad of Thee? In the ideas of a Jew, the imputation of being a Samaritan was the most reproachful possible. The term implied, that He was an idolater
John 8:49
- — I have not a devil.] He deigns to notice this part of the imputation, as tending to draw down scandal on His doctrine, and weaken the authority of His preaching; but, at the same time, He is contented simply to clear Himself from their wicked suggestions, with all the mildness that became His character, and the justness of His cause. Dean Stanhope.
John 8:50
- — I seek not mine own glory.] I do not covet honour, as false prophets do; but there is One who observes how I am treated, and will call you to account. Dean Stanhope.
John 8:51
- — he shall never see death.] He shall not die eternally; he shall not be subject to the pains of eternal death. Bp. Mann.
John 8:52
- Then said the Jews—Now we know &c.] The Jews perverted His words, as if He spake of temporal death. Now, they say, it is undeniably plain that Thou art governed by a lying spirit; for Abraham kept the word of God, and so did the Prophets; yet they all are dead. And Thou sayest, “If a man,” &c. Dr. Clagett.
John 8:54
- — If I honour myself, &c.] That I should exalt Myself, were very vain and exceptionable; but My Father, even the God to whom you profess to belong, He honours Me by bearing testimony to My doctrine. Dean Stanhope.
John 8:56
- — he saw it, and was glad.] He saw by faith My coming into the world, which was then distant, and that prospect was the subject of great gladness to him. Dean Stanhope. See the note on Gen. xxii. 19.
John 8:57
- — not yet fifty years old.] Our Saviour was at this time scarcely thirty-three years old. They use the term “fifty” as a general or round number. Grotius.
John 8:58
- — Before Abraham was, I am.] The use of the expression “I am” sufficiently maintains, and the nature of the passage absolutely requires that it should denote, not merely a present being, but a priority of
One born blind received sight. Anno DOMINI 82.
John 8:59
59.— took they up stones] This was the punishment usual for blasphemy, and sometimes inflicted by zealots without any formal process or sentence of the law. Dean Stanhope.
— going through the midst of them.] Unseen and untouched by His enemies. Dr. Clagett.
Chap. IX. ver. 1.— as Jesus passed by.] Passed through the streets of Jerusalem, probably on some other day than that on which the foregoing events occurred. Bp. Pearce.