John 8

John 8:5

[a] such should be stoned] That all that are guilty of adultery should be stoned, we find not in the law of Moses, but that they should die the death, which phrase, say the Talmudists, generally signifies strangling. This punishment of stoning belongs particularly to those that are taken in the fact, as here the woman was, ver. 4. So saith Philo of such, πάντες θανάτων μυρίων ἐνόμισαν, “All men have counted them worthy of many deaths,” and so of stoning, which was a high degree of severity; and so Solon in one of his laws, Ἐάν τις μοιχὸν λάβῃ ὅτι ἂν βούληται, χρῆσθαι, “If any man take an adulterer in the fact, he may use him how he please;” and in the twelve tables, Mæchum in adulterio deprehensum impune necato; “He that takes him may kill him lawfully and securely.”

John 8:12

Then Jesus, soon after the delivering those words, ch. vii. 38, and in pursuance of the same matter, said to them all publicly, I am come to enlighten the hearts of all men; he that will leave his former course, and follow me, I will give him that illumination which shall bring him to piety and bliss. a testimony is not to be heeded or credited, is no valid testimony, or to be received by us.

John 8:14

Jesus answered, My testifying of myself doth not invalidate my testimony, my coming from heaven on an embassy to you, on another’s, not mine own errand, (and that testified by the Spirit to John Baptist, and by John Baptist to you, if ye would believe, but, however, to myself undoubtedly known,) gives a validity to my testimony, and joins God the Father himself in the testimony with me. And as the Holy Ghost hath testified that I am sent by God, so my ascension to heaven, (which will sufficiently prove my mission,) being known to me beforehand, though not to you, and being discoverable by the event to you also, especially when so many eyewitnesses shall have testified it to you, it will follow that my testimony of myself, though a single one, will be authentic and valid, though, perhaps, as the one is not already, so the other also will not be heeded by you.

John 8:15

Ye that know not my divine original, ver. 14, judge of me only according to my human extraction, and, in proportion to that, pass sentence of me; I am unwilling to say or judge the worst of you, otherwise I could say worse of you.

John 8:16

And if I should do so, my judgment were valid according to law, because this is the judgment also and testimony of my Father, who, by his Spirit and miracles, and the voice from heaven, requiring all to believe on me, must needs judge them as pertinacious unbelievers who stand out against all this.

John 8:17

And it is known in all laws, particularly in that of yours, Deut. xvii. 6, that the testimony of two men is to be received as valid, in any cause whatsoever.

John 8:18

And I and my Father are those two; for as I now witness of myself, (which is not against law or reason for me to do, for it is not mine own cause, but concerns others to whom I am sent, and not myself, but only as a witness and declarer,) so my Father also, by voice from heaven, descent of his Spirit, a witness of myself, elul & paprupsir.

John 8:19

They say therefore unto him, Is not Joseph your father? have you any other? Jesus replied, You 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.

John 8:20

These things Jesus said in that part of the temple where the chest stood into which the offerings were put, where he publicly taught the people, and that without any man offering to lay hands on him, God so disposing of it for a season; for his hour— ‘I shall depart from hence, and then you shall seek me unprofitably, and by contemning (or as it is interpreted, ver. 24, not believing) me now, bring judgments upon yourselves, as they that take no warning by the preaching of the prophet, Ezek. ii. 9; and then it will be too late to wish for this time again, for I shall be gone far out of reach of your coming to me.

John 8:22

The Jews, not understanding to what his speech drove, said one to another, What! will he kill himself? &c. You and I are from very contrary distant originals; your affections, like yourselves, are of an earthly temper and original, and therefore can fancy such black interpretations of my speeches as if I would kill myself, when my meaning is, that I shall ascend to heaven, whence I came: and if ye believe not that I am the Messias, ye shall lose the benefit that I came to bring you, and die without any remedy in your sins. I have told you all this while, He that is sent from the Father, the Messias; and if you ask me never so often, I can tell you no otherwise.

John 8:25

[b] from the beginning] The phrase τὴν ἀρχὴν may here be adverbially taken; so it is often in other authors: Hippocrates, in the beginning of his book περὶ ἄρχ. ἰητρ. Τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐκ ἂν εὑρέθη τέχνη ἰητρική, αὖτ’ ἂν ἐζητήθη, and so ἀρχὴν in Herodotus in Thalia, cited by Budæus. But for the sense or notation of the phrase here, Melanchon, Ep. p. 511, seems to have made a good conjecture, that it signifies prorsus, a note of affirmation, even so, or altogether, absolutely. For so the Chaldee, when they would express any thing to be simply lawful or unlawful, they use the word לְבַחֲלָה, that is, τὴν ἀρχὴν literally, from הַחַל, incepit, and so it will signify no more than ὑπαξαπλῶς, omnino, &c. So in Alexander Aphrodisæus, περὶ εἰμαρμ. speaking of that honour and piety, which is the end of making the statue or image of any, οὐδ’ ἂν τὴν ἀρχὴν, saith he, ὁ ἀνδριάς ἐγένετο ἄνευ τοιαύτης αἰτίας, “a statue had not at all been made without that cause.” And after speaking of chance, ἄλλο δὲ ὁ τὴν ἀρχὴν μηδὲ ἠλπίζετο, “but somewhat that was utterly unexpected.” And again, speaking of the duties of man, “Without them,” saith he, “the life of man is not a life,” καὶ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀνθρώπων ἔτι, “nor indeed at all the life of men any longer;” and many the like in that one book. But the other interpretation also, τὴν ἀρχὴν, at the first, may well enough be borne, and hath the example of the Septuagint, Gen. xiii. 4, and xliii. 18 and 20, and of Nemesius, πε. φυσ. ἀνθρ. Τὴν ἀρχὴν καρτερήσαντες περὶ τὸ τέλος

L. de Joseph. Cap. 30. HAMMOND ANNOTT. Y

John 8:26

I could by many evidences charge and aggravate your infidelity: but I will use no other but the testimony of my Father, which is alone sufficient to convince you, and, having my commission from him, I speak nothing but what that commission extends to. I am, lyé ciμ. the very same which I tell you. HAMMOND, VOL. I. D d

John 8:27

This speech of his they understood not: not yet conceiving, that by him that sent him he meant the Father.

After the Romans’ crucifying of me, which I now foretell you, and that by your instance and urging them to it, there will be those evidences yielded you of my being truly what now you will not believe me to be, (viz. my resurrection, ascension, &c.,) that you shall have no excuse to deny it, then shall ye be convinced (either to the working your repentance or your destruction) that I am the Messias, and came from God, and do nothing but according to my commission from him.

John 8:29

And as I had at my coming commission from him, so is he perpetually present with me in all I do, to advance and promote all the designs of my coming; that is, to prosper all I set about; for I do nothing but by his appointment and commission.

constantly practise my commands, you are truly and really my followers and disciples.

[c] please him] The word ἀριστὸν signifies in common use the decree or appointment of any court, or judge, or prince, (coming from ἀρίσκω just as δόγμα, the ordinary word for an ordinance, doth from δοκίω, agreeable to the form of ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν, Acts xv. 25.) so the principum placita among the Romans, the arrests of the parliament of Paris, &c. among the French, and the common pleas in England, (that is, communia placita, or ἀριστὰ,) a phrase to express a court of judicature among us, the word pleas denoting judgments in one court, as the king’s bench a tribunal in another. So here ἀριστὰ αὐτῷ may possibly be God’s laws, decrees, determinations, which he, as the Judge or Prince of all, of his good pleasure, determines to be done; and because commissions are issued out of courts, and are a kind of decree of those courts, that such a man should have such a power, therefore ἀριστὰ may be extended to those. So Acts vi. 2, οὐκ ἀριστὸν ἐστι, it is not thought fit, or appointed, or determined, &c.; and ἤρσεν ὁ λόγος, ver. 5., the thing was resolved on, and agreed on by all, the multitude there having to do in the choice of the men, as follows, and the apostles consecrating and imposing hands on them, ver. 6. So Acts vii. 3, when Herod saw ὅτι ἀριστὸν ἐστι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, I suppose the meaning is, that the Jews had expressed their judgment, passed their votes in it, that is, either the sanhedrim of the Jews, or possibly the people of the Jews, for so since the power of capital punishments was taken from the Jews, and was now in the Romans’ hands, the proceeding was after the Roman fashion, which was, ut injussu populi nihil fiat, “that nothing should be done without the command of the people.” Thus it was before in the case of Christ, Matt. xxvii. 22, where Pilate asks the multitude, What shall we do with Jesus? and they all said, Let him be crucified: this was their ἀριστὸν there, and, ver. 24, it seems the judge could not resist this vote of theirs, and the whole matter is laid on this sentence of theirs, Pilate disclaiming, and washing his hands from having any thing to do in it. And so in that of James: the Jews, it seems, had given their votes, (ἀριστὸν Ἰουδαίοις,) and Herod seeing how forward they were in it, (for so Eusebius expresses it, πρὸς ἡδονὴν γεγονὸς τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, they not only consented but joyed in it,) to gratify them further, he proceeded to apprehend Peter also, and of him it is added, (agreeably to what hath been now said,) that Herod meant after the passover to bring him forth to the people, that is, to ask their sentence, or ἀριστὸν, or pleasure, concerning him; and accordingly, if they so voted, to put him to death; and therefore, ver. 11, when he recounteth his deliverance, he calls it not only a rescue from the hand of Herod, but from the people of the Jews, and their expectation.

John 8:32

And those truths which I shall reveal to you, shall bestow upon you a most valuable freedom.

John 8:33

Then the other Jews there present (not the believers, ver. 31, but those that were more bloodily disposed, ver. 37,) replied, saying, We are heirs to the promises made to Abraham, and never yet subdued to be slaves to any; and, besides, we are exercised in the study of the law; and of all such we have a proverb, that such a man is a servant to no man: what can the meaning of those words be, That the truth shall make us free?

John 8:34

Jesus answered them, I assure you you are mistaken in that opinion of yourselves, in thinking yourselves to be freemen; your being born of Abraham’s seed will not prove it; for living and going on in gross courses of sin, ye are to know, that there are no such slaves as they that live indulgent in sin.

35, 36. And being such, you are far from having any right to be continued in God’s family, which belongs only to sons. In the common account of the world, a servant is so far from being a son, and so from having any right to the inheritance of the family, that he is at the mercy of the son when he comes to the father’s estate, to cast him quite out of the family, and, unless the son make him free, he cannot be free

ye shall have lift up, “Oræ vœōnere. appointed. am, and, vœō vla, nal. which he hath

John 8:37

And as long as you are engaged in any such sinful course, (as by your designing my death it seems you are,) it is not your being Abraham’s children that will make you, or demonstrate you freemen.

John 8:38

I do after the example of my Father, and you of yours in proportion.

in his obedience and virtues be like him, as children resemble their natural parents in their nature and feature.

John 8:40

But you are most contrary to that: Abraham was an hospitable person, and obeyed God in all his commands, would have been very far from designing the death of any the meanest prophet, for no other crime but that of bringing God’s truth unto him; and yet this do ye.

John 8:41

Ye have another father, not willingly owned by you, and him you are like in your actions. Hereupon they reply, None have dubious parents, but they that are unlawfully begotten; we are not such, we are none of those to whom the style of children of whoredoms is given, Hos. ii. 4, but owned and acknowledged by God as his only children.

John 8:42

Jesus answers, Your hating of me is a certain argument that God is not your Father, for I am sent immediately from him; I came from heaven, and what I do is by commission from God, not on mine own motion, or any business or errand of mine, or as false prophets without mission.

John 8:43

If God were your Father, whose commands you received and obeyed as children, you would know my language, being, indeed, the very language of that Father. But the reason is clear: the thing that makes you not believe in me is not want of means of conviction that my doctrine comes from God, but because my doctrine is not agreeable to your humour; you cannot abide to hear it, you have not affections capable of it.

John 8:44

The practices which the devil offers to you, or hath practised before you, you like much better than those which I commend to you; he was from the

John 8:45

It is neither the inevidence of my doctrine nor the weakness of your understandings that keeps you from believing me, and embracing my doctrine; the only thing that makes you reject me is my speaking the truth, that heavenly, pure, perfect rule of practice, which, it seems, is not for your turn, is vehemently resisted by your passions and prejudices.

John 8:46

I am sure you have no fault or imposture to lay to my charge, nothing to produce or prove against me; and the tree will be known by the fruits, and yet you will not believe truth when I speak it.

John 8:47

If you had true piety in you, then certainly my doctrine, being from God, would be acceptable to you, and you would embrace it.

John 8:48

Have any of the sanhedrim, or the more famous learned men, believed on him?

To this the Jews had no other reply, but to fall into reproachful language against him, calling him Samaritan (a word of reproach) and madman. See note [b] ch. vii. 20.

[d] Samaritan] This title of Samaritan here is by way of reproach affixed on Christ, not that they thought him so, but because this was an odious name among the Jews; so as idolaters, Lev. xxv. 47, are called Aramai, or Syrians, because the Syrians were anciently

John 8:49

But this rout, which have never studied the law, are apt to run into all giddiness, and follow any false teacher.

That I do no vicious extravagant thing appears by my seeking no honour to myself, not coming in my own name, but referring all my embassy to the honour of God, and you do all that your malice can invent to defame me.

John 8:50

Nicodemus, one of the sanhedrim, he that was afraid to come to Jesus in the daytime, but came in the night, ch. iii. 1, said unto them,

And this let me tell you, although I do not seek after my own glory, yet my Father doth tenderly observe whether I am honoured or dishonoured, and passes sentence on men severely for it; see Deut. xviii. 19; otherwise, as it is no glory of mine I look after, so your reproaches would not touch me.

John 8:51

This is too hasty a prejudice against him; in all reason you ought to hear what he can say for himself, and what any can witness against him. Our

law proceeds not against any before we have examined him and taken cognizance of his matter.

‘Art thou, who art one of the sanhedrim, a follower or favourer of this Galilean? Examine all times, you shall never find that Galilee hath brought forth a prophet: see ch. i. 46.

As it is, I cannot be so unkind to you as thus to leave you in this contempt so dangerous to you, whereas, on the other side, your receiving of the message which I bring you were the way to bring you to eternal life, and rescue you from eternal torments. Part mad, see note [b] ch. vii. 20.

John 8:53

And they dissolved the assembly, or court, and departed. ### CHAP. VIII. JESUS went unto the mount of Olives.

Abraham and the prophets were not freed from dying, and what manner of power dost thou assume to thyself, to bestow privileges which God never gave to them whom he so much favoured?

John 8:54

Jesus replied, I shall say nothing of myself: the power which I have, I have from him whom certainly you acknowledge to be greater than Abraham, own him as your God, he hath testified sufficiently of me by voice from heaven, &c.

John 8:55

This Father of mine, whom you call your God, you know very imperfectly; you know not what kind of worship and obedience it is that he requires, but place it in external legal performances: I come to tell you his will more perfectly; and to this end have my message from him, and so cannot but know it distinctly; and if in compliance with you, or to avoid your reproaches, I should say otherwise than what I have hitherto said, or confess that I came not from him, or knew him not, I should be like you, a downright liar: this I will not be guilty of, but do again profess, that I am sent with perfect knowledge of his will, and do exactly observe it.

John 8:56

And because you talk so much of Abraham, I shall now say of him, that he, having received the promise of the Messias, Gen. xi. 35, did thereupon vehemently, and with great pleasure and excellency of mind, desire to look nearer into it, to see my coming into the world; and a revelation of it was made unto him, and in it of the state of the gospel; and he was heartily joyed at it.

John 8:57

To this the Jews objected that he was not fifty years old, and therefore how could he say that Abraham lived since his birth, that Christ could see Abraham, or be seen by him?

John 8:58

Jesus answered that objection of theirs, You are much mistaken in reckoning my age; for, first, I have a being from all eternity, and so before Abraham was born, and, therefore, as young as you take me to be in respect of my age here, I may well have seen and known Abraham. But then, secondly, in respect of my present appearance here on earth, though that be but a little above thirty years’ duration, yet long before Abraham’s time it was decreed by my Father, and in kindness to Abraham revealed to him while he lived, in which respect it is true that he knew me also.

John 8:59

They therefore, conceiving this speech of his to be blasphemous, after the manner of zealots, were ready to stone him presently: but Jesus—