02950
 \\Answered and said\\ (\\apekrithˆ kai eipen\\). This redundant use of
 both verbs (cf.
 # 1:26
 occurs in the Synoptics also and in the LXX also. It is Aramaic
 also and vernacular. It is not proof of an Aramaic original as
 Burney argues (_Aramaic Origin_, etc., p. 53). \\Because\\ (\\hoti\\).
 Causal use of \\hoti\\ at beginning of the sentence as in
 # 14:19; 15:19; 16:6
 The second \\hoti\\ before \\eidon\\ (I saw) is either declarative (that)
 or merely recitative (either makes sense here). \\Thou shalt see\\
 \\greater things than these\\ (\\meiz“ tout“n opsˆi\\). Perhaps volitive
 future middle indicative of \\hora“\\ (though merely futuristic is
 possible as with \\opsesthe\\ in
 # 51
 ablative case of \\tout“n\\ after the comparative adjective \\meiz“\\.
 The wonder of Nathanael no doubt grew as Jesus went on.

02951
 \\Verily, Verily\\ (\\Amˆn, amˆn\\). Hebrew word transliterated into
 Greek and then into English, our "amen." John always repeats it,
 not singly as in the Synoptics, and only in the words of Jesus,
 an illustration of Christ's authoritative manner of speaking as
 shown also by \\leg“ humin\\ (I say unto you). Note plural \\humin\\
 though \\aut“i\\ just before is singular (to him). Jesus addresses
 thus others besides Nathanael. \\The heaven opened\\ (\\ton ouranon\\
 \\ane“igota\\). Second perfect active participle of \\anoig“\\ with
 double reduplication, standing open. The words remind one of what
 took place at the baptism of Jesus
 # Mt 3:16; Lu 3:21
 but the immediate reference is to the opened heaven as the symbol
 of free intercourse between God and man
 # Isa 64:1
 and as it was later illustrated in the death of Stephen
 # Ac 7:56
 There is a quotation from
 # Ge 28:12
 Jacob's vision at Bethel. That was a dream to Jacob, but Christ
 is himself the bond of fellowship between heaven and earth,
 between God and man, for Jesus is both "the Son of God" as
 Nathanael said and "the Son of Man" (\\epi ton huion tou anthr“pou\\)
 as Jesus here calls himself. God and man meet in Christ. He is
 the true Jacob's Ladder. "I am the Way," Jesus will say. He is
 more than King of Israel, he is the Son of Man (the race). So
 quickly has this Gospel brought out in the witness of the
 Baptist, the faith of the first disciples, the claims of Jesus
 Christ, the fully developed picture of the Logos who is both God
 and man, moving among men and winning them to his service. At the
 close of the ministry Christ will tell Caiaphas that he will see
 the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with
 the clouds of heaven
 # Mr 14:62
 Here at the start Jesus is conscious of the final culmination and
 in apocalyptic eschatological language that we do not fully
 understand he sets forth the dignity and majesty of his Person.

02952
 \\The third day\\ (\\tˆi hˆmerƒi tˆi tritˆi\\). "On the day the third"
 (locative case), from the start to Galilee when Philip was found
 # 1:43
 seven days since
 # 1:19
 \\There was a marriage\\ (\\gamos egeneto\\). "A wedding (or marriage
 festival) took place."
 See note on "Mt 22:8"
 \\In Cana of Galilee\\ (\\en Kana tˆs Galilaias\\). This town, the home
 of Nathanael
 # 21:2
 is only mentioned again in
 # 4:46
 as the home of the nobleman. There was a Cana in Coele-Syria. It
 is usually located at _Kefr Kenna_ (3 1/2 miles from Nazareth),
 though _Ain Kana_ and _Khirbet Kana_ are also possible. Bernard
 thinks that it was probably on Wednesday afternoon the fourth day
 of the week (usual day for marriage of virgins), when the party
 of Jesus arrived. \\And the mother of Jesus was there\\ (\\kai ˆn hˆ\\
 \\mˆtˆr tou Iˆsou ekei\\). When they arrived. John does not mention
 her name, probably because already well known in the Synoptics.
 Probably Joseph was already dead. Mary may have been kin to the
 family where the wedding took place, an intimate friend clearly.

02953
 \\Jesus also was bidden\\ (\\eklˆthˆ kai ho Iˆsous\\). First aorist
 passive indicative of \\kale“\\, "was also invited" as well as his
 mother and because of her presence, possibly at her suggestion.
 \\And his disciples\\ (\\kai hoi mathˆtai\\). Included in the invitation
 and probably all of them acquaintances of the family.
 See note on "Joh 1:35"
  for this word applied to John's followers. This group of six
 already won form the nucleus of the great host of "learners"
 through the ages who will follow Jesus as Teacher and Lord and
 Saviour. The term is sometimes restricted to the twelve apostles,
 but more often has a wider circle in view as in
 # Joh 6:61,66; 20:30

02954
 \\When the wine failed\\ (\\husterˆsantos oinou\\). Genitive absolute
 with first aorist active participle of \\hustere“\\, old verb from
 \\husteros\\, late or lacking. See same use in
 # Mr 10:21
 A longer Western paraphrase occurs in some manuscripts. It was an
 embarrassing circumstance, especially to Mary, if partly due to
 the arrival of the seven guests. \\They have no wine\\ (\\Oinon ouk\\
 \\echousin\\). The statement of the fact was in itself a hint and a
 request. But why made by the mother of Jesus and why to Jesus?
 She would not, of course, make it to the host. Mary feels some
 kind of responsibility and exercises some kind of authority for
 reasons not known to us. Mary had treasured in her heart the
 wonders connected with the birth of Jesus
 # Lu 2:19,51
 The ministry of the Baptist had stirred her hopes afresh. Had she
 not told Jesus all that she knew before he went to the Jordan to
 be baptized of John? This group of disciples meant to her that
 Jesus had begun his Messianic work. So she dares propose the
 miracle to him.

02955
 \\Woman\\ (\\gunai\\). Vocative case of \\gunˆ\\, and with no idea of censure
 as is plain from its use by Jesus in
 # 19:26
 But the use of \\gunai\\ instead of \\mˆter\\ (Mother) does show her she
 can no longer exercise maternal authority and not at all in his
 Messianic work. That is always a difficult lesson for mothers and
 fathers to learn, when to let go. \\What have I to do with thee?\\
 (\\Ti emoi kai soi;\\). There are a number of examples of this
 ethical dative in the LXX
 # Jud 11:12; 2Sa 16:10; 1Ki 17:18; 2Ki 3:13; 2Ch 35:21
 and in the N.T.
 # Mr 1:24; 5:7; Mt 8:29; 27:19; Lu 8:28
 Some divergence of thought is usually indicated. Literally the
 phrase means, "What is it to me and to thee?" In this instance
 F.C. Burkitt (_Journal of Theol. Studies_, July, 1912) interprets
 it to mean, "What is it to us?" That is certainly possible and
 suits the next clause also. \\Mine hour is not yet come\\ (\\oup“ hˆkei\\
 \\hˆ h“ra mou\\). This phrase marks a crisis whenever it occurs,
 especially of his death
 # 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1
 Here apparently it means the hour for public manifestation of the
 Messiahship, though a narrower sense would be for Christ's
 intervention about the failure of the wine. The Fourth Gospel is
 written on the plane of eternity (W. M. Ramsay) and that
 standpoint exists here in this first sign of the Messiah.

02956
 \\Unto the servants\\ (\\tois diakonois\\).
 See note on "Mt 20:26"
  for this word (our "deacon," but not that sense here).
 \\Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it\\ (\\Hoti an legˆi humin\\
 \\poiˆsate\\). Indefinite relative sentence (\\hoti an\\ and present
 active subjunctive, general statement) with aorist active
 imperative of \\poie“\\ for instant execution. Mary took comfort in
 the "not yet" (\\oup“\\) and recognized the right of Jesus as Messiah
 to independence of her, but evidently expected him to carry out
 her suggestion ultimately as he did. This mother knew her Son.

02957
 \\Waterpots\\ (\\hudriai\\). Old word from \\hud“r\\ (water) and used in
 papyri for pots or pans for holding money or bread as well as
 water. These stone (\\lithinai\\ as in
 # 2Co 3:3
 jars full of water were kept handy (\\set there\\, \\keimenai\\, present
 middle participle of \\keimai\\) at a feast for ceremonial cleansing
 of the hands
 # 2Ki 3:11; Mr 7:3
 "after the Jews' manner of purifying" (\\kata ton katharismon t“n\\
 \\Ioudai“n\\). See
 # Mr 1:44; Lu 2:22
 for the word \\katharismos\\ (from \\kathariz“\\) which fact also raised
 a controversy with disciples of John because of his baptizing
 # Joh 3:25
 \\Containing\\ (\\ch“rousai\\). Present active participle feminine plural
 of \\ch“re“\\, old verb from \\ch“ros\\, place, space, having space or
 room for. \\Two or three firkins apiece\\ (\\ana metrˆtas duo ˆ treis\\).
 The word \\metrˆtˆs\\, from \\metre“\\, to measure, simply means
 "measurer," an amphora for measuring liquids (in Demosthenes,
 Aristotle, Polybius), the Hebrew _bath_
 # 2Ch 4:5
 here only in N.T., about 8 1/2 English gallons. Each \\hudria\\ thus
 held about 20 gallons. This common distributive use of \\ana\\ occurs
 here only in this Gospel, but is in
 # Re 4:8
 In
 # Joh 4:28
 a much smaller \\hudria\\ was used for carrying water.

02958
 \\Fill\\ (\\gemisate\\). Effective first aorist active imperative of
 \\gemiz“\\, to fill full. \\With water\\ (\\hudatos\\). Genitive case of
 material. \\Up to the brim\\ (\\he“s an“\\). "Up to the top." See \\he“s\\
 \\kat“\\
 # Mt 27:51
 for "down to the bottom." No room left in the waterpots now full
 of water.

02959
 \\Draw out now\\ (\\Antlˆsate nun\\). First aorist active imperative of
 \\antle“\\, from \\ho antlos\\, bilge water, or the hold where the bilge
 water settles (so in Homer). The verb occurs in
 # Joh 4:7,15
 for drawing water from the well, and Westcott so interprets it
 here, but needlessly so, since the servants seem bidden to draw
 from the large water-jars now full of water. Apparently the water
 was still water when it came out of the jars (verse
 # 9
 but was changed to wine before reaching the guests. The water in
 the jars remained water. \\Unto the ruler of the feast\\ (\\t“i\\
 \\architriklin“i\\). Dative case. The \\triklinos\\ was a room (\\oikos\\)
 with three couches (\\klinˆ\\) for the feast. The \\architriklinos\\ was
 originally the superintendent of the dining-room who arranged the
 couches and tasted the food, not the toast-master
 (\\sumposiarchˆs\\). \\And they bare it\\ (\\hoi de ˆnegkan\\). Second aorist
 active indicative of \\pher“\\. Apparently not knowing at first that
 they bore wine.

02960
 \\Tasted\\ (\\egeusato\\). First aorist middle indicative of \\geuomai\\. As
 it was his function to do. \\The water now become wine\\ (\\to hud“r\\
 \\oinon gegenˆmenon\\). Accusative case, though the genitive also
 occurs with \\geuomai\\. Perfect passive participle of \\ginomai\\ and
 \\oinon\\, predicative accusative. The tablemaster knew nothing of
 the miracle, "whence it was" (\\pothen estin\\, indirect question
 retaining present indicative). The servants knew the source of
 the water, but not the power that made the wine. \\Calleth the\\
 \\bridegroom\\ (\\ph“nei ton numphion\\). As apparently responsible for
 the supply of the wine (\\thou hast kept\\ \\tetˆrˆkas\\). See
 # Mt 9:15
 for \\numphios\\. When men have drunk freely (\\hotan methusth“sin\\).
 Indefinite temporal clause with \\hotan\\ and first aorist passive
 subjunctive of \\methusk“\\. The verb does not mean that these guests
 are now drunk, but that this is a common custom to put "the
 worse" (\\ton elass“\\, the less, the inferior) wine last. It is real
 wine that is meant by \\oinos\\ here. Unlike the Baptist Jesus
 mingled in the social life of the time, was even abused for it
 # Mt 11:19; Lu 7:34
 But this fact does not mean that today Jesus would approve the
 modern liquor trade with its damnable influences. The law of love
 expounded by Paul in
 # 1Co 8-10
 and in
 # Ro 14,15
 teaches modern Christians to be willing gladly to give up what
 they see causes so many to stumble into sin.

02961
02962
 \\This beginning of his signs did Jesus\\ (\\tautˆn epoiˆsen archˆn t“n\\
 \\sˆmei“n ho Iˆsous\\). Rather, "this Jesus did as a beginning of his
 signs," for there is no article between \\tautˆn\\ and \\archˆn\\. "We
 have now passed from the 'witness' of the Baptist to the
 'witness' of the works of Jesus" (Bernard). This is John's
 favourite word "signs" rather than wonders (\\terata\\) or powers
 (\\dunameis\\) for the works (\\erga\\) of Jesus. \\Sˆmeion\\ is an old
 word from \\sˆmain“\\, to give a sign
 # 12:33
 He selects eight in his Gospel by which to prove the deity of
 Christ
 # 20:30
 of which this is the first. \\Manifested his glory\\ (\\ephaner“sen tˆn\\
 \\doxan autou\\). First aorist (effective) active indicative of
 \\phanero“\\, that glory of which John spoke in
 # 1:14
 \\Believed on him\\ (\\episteusan eis auton\\). First aorist active
 indicative of \\pisteu“\\, to believe, to put trust in, so common in
 John. These six disciples (learners) had already believed in
 Jesus as the Messiah
 # 1:35-51
 Now their faith was greatly strengthened. So it will be all
 through this Gospel. Jesus will increasingly reveal himself while
 the disciples will grow in knowledge and trust and the Jews will
 become increasingly hostile till the culmination.

02963
 \\He went down to Capernaum\\ (\\katebˆ eis Kapharnaoum autos\\). Second
 aorist active indicative of \\katabain“\\. Cana was on higher ground.
 This brief stay (\\not many days\\, \\ou pollas hˆmeras\\) in this
 important city (Tell Hum) on the north shore of Galilee was with
 Christ's mother, brothers (apparently friendly at first) and the
 six disciples, all in the fresh glow of the glory manifested at
 Cana. Surely Mary's heart was full.

02964
 \\The passover of the Jews\\ (\\to pascha t“n Ioudai“n\\). The Synoptics
 do not give "of the Jews," but John is writing after the
 destruction of the temple and for Gentile readers. John mentions
 the passovers in Christ's ministry outside of the one when Christ
 was crucified, this one and one in
 # 6:4
 There may be another
 # 5:1
 but we do not know. But for John we should not know that Christ's
 ministry was much over a year in length.

02965
 \\Those that sold\\ (\\tous p“lountas\\). Present active articular
 participle of \\p“le“\\, to sell. They were in the Court of the
 Gentiles within the temple precinct (\\en t“i hier“i\\), but not in
 the \\naos\\ or temple proper. The sacrifices required animals (oxen,
 \\boas\\, sheep, \\probata\\, doves, \\peristeras\\) and "changers of
 money" (\\kermatistas\\, from \\kermatiz“\\, to cut into small pieces, to
 change money, only here in N.T., late and rare). Probably their
 very presence in his Father's house angered Jesus. The Synoptics
 # Mr 11:15-17; Mt 21:12; Lu 10:45
 record a similar incident the day after the Triumphal Entry. If
 there was only one, it would seem more natural at the close. But
 why could it not occur at the beginning also? Here it is an
 obvious protest by Christ at the beginning of his ministry as in
 the Synoptics it is an indignant outcry against the desecration.
 The cessation was only temporary in both instances.

02966
 \\A scourge of cords\\ (\\phragellion ek schoini“n\\). The Latin
 _flagellum_. In papyri, here only in N.T. and note Latin _l_
 becomes \\r\\ in _Koin‚_. \\Schoini“n\\ is a diminutive of \\schoinos\\ (a
 rush), old word for rope, in N.T. only here and
 # Ac 27:32
 \\Cast out\\ (\\exebalen\\). Second aorist active indicative of \\ekball“\\.
 It is not said that Jesus smote the sheep and oxen (note \\te kai\\,
 both and), for a flourish of the scourge would answer. \\He poured\\
 \\out\\ (\\execheen\\). Second aorist active indicative of \\ekche“\\, to
 pour out. \\The changers' money\\ (\\t“n kollubist“n ta kermata\\). "The
 small pieces of money (\\kermata\\, cut in pieces, change) of the
 bankers (\\kollubistˆs\\ from \\kollubos\\, clipped, late word
 See note on "Mt 21:12"
 )." Perhaps he took up the boxes and emptied the money. \\Overthrew\\
 \\their tables\\ (\\tas trapezas anetrepsen\\). First aorist active
 indicative of \\anatrep“\\, to turn up, though some MSS. have
 \\anestrepsen\\ from \\anastreph“\\, also to turn up.

02967
 \\Take these things hence\\ (\\Arate tauta enteuthen\\). First aorist
 active imperative of \\air“\\. Probably the doves were in baskets or
 cages and so had to be taken out by the traders. \\Make not my\\
 \\Father's house a house of merchandise\\ (\\mˆ poieite ton oikon tou\\
 \\patros mou oikon emporiou\\). "Stop making," it means, \\mˆ\\ and the
 present active imperative. They had made it a market-house
 (\\emporiou\\, here only in N.T., old word from \\emporos\\, merchant,
 one who goes on a journey for traffic, a drummer). Note the
 clear-cut Messianic claim here (My Father as in
 # Lu 2:49
 Jerome says: "A certain fiery and starry light shone from his
 eyes and the majesty of Godhead gleamed in His face."

02968
 \\Remembered\\ (\\emnˆsthˆsan\\). First aorist passive indicative of
 \\mimnˆsk“\\, to remind, "were reminded." Westcott notes the double
 effect of this act as is true of Christ's words and deeds all
 through John's Gospel. The disciples are helped, the traders are
 angered. \\That it is written\\ (\\hoti gegrammenon estin\\).
 Periphrastic perfect passive indicative of \\graph“\\ retained in
 indirect discourse (assertion). \\The zeal of thine house\\ (\\ho zˆlos\\
 \\tou oikou sou\\). Objective genitive. "The zeal for thy house."
 \\Shall eat me up\\ (\\kataphagetai me\\). Future middle indicative of
 \\katesthi“\\, defective verb, to eat down ("up" we say), perfective
 use of \\kata-\\. This future \\phagomai\\ is from the second aorist
 \\ephagon\\. It is a quotation from
 # Ps 69:9
 frequently quoted in the N.T.

02969
 \\What sign shewest thou unto us?\\ (\\Ti sˆmeion deiknueis hˆmin;\\).
 They may have heard of the "sign" at Cana or not, but they have
 rallied a bit on the outside of the temple area and demand proof
 for his Messianic assumption of authority over the temple
 worship. These traders had paid the Sadducees and Pharisees in
 the Sanhedrin for the concession as traffickers which they
 enjoyed. They were within their technical rights in this
 question.

02970
 \\Destroy this temple\\ (\\lusate ton naon touton\\). First aorist active
 imperative of \\lu“\\, to loosen or destroy. It is the permissive
 imperative, not a command to do it. Note also \\naos\\, not \\hieron\\,
 the sanctuary, symbol of God's \\naos\\, in our hearts
 # 1Co 3:16
 There is much confusion about this language since Jesus added:
 "And in three days I will raise it up" (\\kai en trisin hˆmerais\\
 \\eger“ auton\\). Those who heard Jesus, including the disciples till
 after the resurrection (verse
 # 22
 understood the reference to be to Herod's temple. Certainly that
 is the obvious way to take it. But Jesus often spoke in parables
 and even in enigmas. He may have spoken of the literal temple as
 a parable for his own body which of course they would not
 understand, least of all the resurrection in three days.

02971
 \\Forty and six years was this temple in building\\ (\\Tesserakonta kai\\
 \\hex etesin oikodomˆthˆ ho naos houtos\\). "Within forty and six
 years (associative instrumental case) was built (first aorist
 passive indicative, constative or summary use of the aorist, of
 \\oikodome“\\, without augment) this temple." As a matter of fact, it
 was not yet finished, so distrustful had the Jews been of Herod.
 \\And wilt thou?\\ (\\kai su;\\). An evident sneer in the use of \\su\\
 (thou, an unknown upstart from Galilee, of the peasant class, not
 one of the Sanhedrin, not one of the ecclesiastics or even
 architects).

02972
 \\But he spake of the temple of his body\\ (\\ekeinos de elegen peri\\
 \\tou naou tou s“matos autou\\). Emphatic he (\\ekeinos\\) and imperfect
 tense (he had been speaking). This is John's view as he looks
 back at it, not what he understood when Jesus spoke the words.

02973
 \\When therefore he was raised from the dead\\ (\\Hote oun ˆgerthˆ ek\\
 \\nekr“n\\). First aorist passive indicative of \\egeir“\\, to raise up.
 And not at first then, but only slowly after the disciples
 themselves were convinced. Then "they believed the Scripture"
 (\\episteusan tˆi graphˆi\\). They "believed" again. Dative case
 \\graphˆi\\. Probably
 # Ps 16:10
 is meant
 # Ac 2:31; 13:35
 \\And the word which Jesus had said\\ (\\kai t“i log“i hon eipen\\).
 Dative case \\log“i\\ also, but \\hon\\ (relative) is not attracted to
 the dative. Clearly then John interprets Jesus to have a
 parabolic reference to his death and resurrection by his language
 in
 # 2:19
 There are those who bluntly say that John was mistaken. I prefer
 to say that these scholars are mistaken. Even Bernard considers
 it "hardly possible" that John interprets Jesus rightly in
 # 1:21
 "Had he meant that, He would have spoken with less ambiguity."
 But how do we know that Jesus wished to be understood clearly at
 this time? Certainly no one understood Christ when he spoke the
 words. The language of Jesus is recalled and perverted at his
 trial as "I will destroy"
 # Mr 14:58
 "I can destroy"
 # Mt 26:61
 neither of which he said.

02974
 \\In Jerusalem\\ (\\en tois Ierosolumois\\). The form \\Ierosoluma\\ as in
 # 2:13
 always in this Gospel and in Mark, and usually in Matthew, though
 \\Ierousalˆm\\ only in Revelation, and both forms by Luke and Paul.
 \\During the feast\\ (\\en tˆi heortˆi\\). The feast of unleavened bread
 followed for seven days right after the passover (one day
 strictly), though \\to pascha\\ is used either for the passover meal
 or for the whole eight days. \\Believed on his name\\ (\\episteusan eis\\
 \\to onoma autou\\).
 See note on "Joh 1:12"
  for this phrase. Only one has to watch for the real import of
 \\pisteu“\\. \\Beholding his signs\\ (\\the“rountes autou ta sˆmeia\\).
 Present active participle (causal use) of \\the“re“\\. \\Which he did\\
 (\\ha epoiei\\). "Which he was doing" (imperfect tense). He did his
 first sign in Cana, but now he was doing many in Jerusalem.
 Already Jesus had become the cynosure of all eyes in Jerusalem at
 this first visit in his ministry.

02975
 \\But Jesus did not trust himself to them\\ (\\autos de Iˆsous ouk\\
 \\episteuen hauton autois\\). "But Jesus himself kept on refusing
 (negative imperfect) to trust himself to them." The double use of
 \\pisteu“\\ here is shown by
 # Ac 8:13
 where Simon Magus "believed" (\\episteusen\\) and was baptized, but
 was unsaved. He merely believed that he wanted what Philip had.
 \\For that he knew all men\\ (\\dia to auton gin“skein pantas\\). Causal
 use of \\dia\\ and the accusative case of the articular infinitive \\to\\
 \\gin“skein\\ (because of the knowing) with the object of the
 infinitive (\\pantas\\, all men) and the accusative of general
 reference (\\auton\\, as to himself).

02976
 \\And because he needed not\\ (\\kai hoti chreian eichen\\). Imperfect
 active, "and because he did not have need." \\That any one should\\
 \\bear witness concerning man\\ (\\hina tis marturˆsˆi peri tou\\
 \\anthr“pou\\). Non-final use of \\hina\\ with first aorist active
 subjunctive of \\marture“\\ and the generic article (\\peri tou\\
 \\anthr“pou\\) concerning mankind as in the next clause also. \\For he\\
 \\himself knew\\ (\\autos gar egin“sken\\). Imperfect active, "for he
 himself kept on knowing" as he did from the start. \\What was in\\
 \\man\\ (\\ti ˆn en t“i anthr“p“i\\). Indirect question with \\estin\\ of the
 direct changed to the imperfect \\ˆn\\, a rare idiom in the _Koin‚_.
 This supernatural knowledge of man is a mark of deity. Some men
 of genius can read men better than others, but not in the sense
 meant here.

02977
 \\Now\\ (\\de\\). So often in John \\de\\ is explanatory and transitional,
 not adversative. Nicodemus is an instance of Christ's knowledge
 of men
 # 2:25
 and of one to whom he did trust himself unlike those in
 # 2:24
 As a Pharisee "he belonged to that party which with all its
 bigotry contained a salt of true patriotism and could rear such
 cultured and high-toned men as Gamaliel and Paul" (Marcus Dods).
 \\Named Nicodemus\\ (\\Nikodˆmos onoma\\). Same construction as in
 # 1:6
 "Nicodemus name to him." So
 # Re 6:8
 It is a Greek name and occurs in Josephus (_Ant_. XIV. iii. 2) as
 the name of an ambassador from Aristobulus to Pompey. Only in
 John in N.T. (here,
 # 7:50; 19:39
 He was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and wealthy. There
 is no evidence that he was the young ruler of
 # Lu 18:18
 because of \\arch“n\\ (ruler) here.

02978
 \\The same\\ (\\houtos\\). "This one." \\By night\\ (\\nuktos\\). Genitive of
 time. That he came at all is remarkable, not because there was
 any danger as was true at a later period, but because of his own
 prominence. He wished to avoid comment by other members of the
 Sanhedrin and others. Jesus had already provoked the opposition
 of the ecclesiastics by his assumption of Messianic authority
 over the temple. There is no ground for assigning this incident
 to a later period, for it suits perfectly here. Jesus was already
 in the public eye
 # 2:23
 and the interest of Nicodemus was real and yet he wished to be
 cautious. \\Rabbi\\ (\\Rabbei\\).
 See note on "Joh 1:38"
 Technically Jesus was not an acknowledged Rabbi of the schools,
 but Nicodemus does recognize him as such and calls him "My
 Master" just as Andrew and John did
 # 1:38
 It was a long step for Nicodemus as a Pharisee to take, for the
 Pharisees had closely scrutinized the credentials of the Baptist
 in
 # 1:19-24
 (Milligan and Moulton's _Comm_.). \\We know\\ (\\oidamen\\). Second
 perfect indicative first person plural. He seems to speak for
 others of his class as the blind man does in
 # 9:31
 Westcott thinks that Nicodemus has been influenced partly by the
 report of the commission sent to the Baptist
 # 1:19-27
 \\Thou art a teacher come from God\\ (\\apo theou elˆluthas\\
 \\didaskalos\\). "Thou hast come from God as a teacher." Second
 perfect active indicative of \\erchomai\\ and predicative nominative
 \\didaskalos\\. This is the explanation of Nicodemus for coming to
 Jesus, obscure Galilean peasant as he seemed, evidence that
 satisfied one of the leaders in Pharisaism. \\Can do\\ (\\dunatai\\
 \\poiein\\). "Can go on doing" (present active infinitive of \\poie“\\
 and so linear). \\These signs that thou doest\\ (\\tauta ta sˆmeia ha\\
 \\su poieis\\). Those mentioned in
 # 2:23
 that convinced so many in the crowd and that now appeal to the
 scholar. Note \\su\\ (thou) as quite out of the ordinary. The scorn
 of Jesus by the rulers held many back to the end
 # Joh 12:42
 but Nicodemus dares to feel his way. \\Except God be with him\\ (\\ean\\
 \\mˆ ˆi ho theos met' autou\\). Condition of the third class,
 presented as a probability, not as a definite fact. He wanted to
 know more of the teaching accredited thus by God. Jesus went
 about doing good because God was with him, Peter says
 # Ac 10:38

02979
 \\Except a man be born anew\\ (\\ean mˆ tis gennˆthˆi an“then\\). Another
 condition of the third class, undetermined but with prospect of
 determination. First aorist passive subjunctive of \\genna“\\.
 \\An“then\\. Originally "from above"
 # Mr 15:38
 then "from heaven"
 # Joh 3:31
 then "from the first"
 # Lu 1:3
 and then "again" (\\palin an“then\\,
 # Ga 4:9
 Which is the meaning here? The puzzle of Nicodemus shows
 (\\deuteron\\, verse
 # 4
 that he took it as "again," a second birth from the womb. The
 Vulgate translates it by _renatus fuerit denuo_. But the
 misapprehension of Nicodemus does not prove the meaning of Jesus.
 In the other passages in John
 # 3:31; 19:11,23
 the meaning is "from above" (\\desuper\\) and usually so in the
 Synoptics. It is a second birth, to be sure, regeneration, but a
 birth from above by the Spirit. \\He cannot see the kingdom of God\\
 (\\ou dunatai idein tˆn basileian tou theou\\). To participate in it
 as in
 # Lu 9:27
 For this use of \\idein\\ (second aorist active infinitive of \\hora“\\)
 see
 # Joh 8:51; Re 18:7

02980
 Being old (\\ger“n “n\\). Nicodemus was probably familiar with the
 notion of re-birth for proselytes to Judaism for the Gentiles,
 but not with the idea that a Jew had to be reborn. But "this
 stupid misunderstanding" (Bernard) of the meaning of Jesus is
 precisely what John represents Nicodemus as making. How "old"
 Nicodemus was we do not know, but surely too old to be the young
 ruler of
 # Lu 18:18
 as Bacon holds. The blunder of Nicodemus is emphasized by the
 second question with the \\mˆ\\ expecting the negative answer. The
 use of \\deuteron\\ adds to the grotesqueness of his blunder. The
 learned Pharisee is as jejune in spiritual insight as the veriest
 tyro. This is not an unheard of phenomenon.

02981
 \\Of water and the Spirit\\ (\\ex hudatos kai pneumatos\\). Nicodemus had
 failed utterly to grasp the idea of the spiritual birth as
 essential to entrance into the Kingdom of God. He knew only Jews
 as members of that kingdom, the political kingdom of Pharisaic
 hope which was to make all the world Jewish (Pharisaic) under the
 King Messiah. Why does Jesus add \\ex hudatos\\ here? In verse
 # 3
 we have "\\an“then\\" (from above) which is repeated in verse
 # 7
 while in verse
 # 8
 we have only \\ek tou pneumatos\\ (of the Spirit) in the best
 manuscripts. Many theories exist. One view makes baptism,
 referred to by \\ex hudatos\\ (coming up out of water), essential to
 the birth of the Spirit, as the means of obtaining the new birth
 of the Spirit. If so, why is water mentioned only once in the
 three demands of Jesus
 # 3,5,7
 ? Calvin makes water and Spirit refer to the one act (the
 cleansing work of the Spirit). Some insist on the language in
 verse
 # 6
 as meaning the birth of the flesh coming in a sac of water in
 contrast to the birth of the Spirit. One wonders after all what
 was the precise purpose of Jesus with Nicodemus, the Pharisaic
 ceremonialist, who had failed to grasp the idea of spiritual
 birth which is a commonplace to us. By using water (the symbol
 before the thing signified) first and adding Spirit, he may have
 hoped to turn the mind of Nicodemus away from mere physical birth
 and, by pointing to the baptism of John on confession of sin
 which the Pharisees had rejected, to turn his attention to the
 birth from above by the Spirit. That is to say the mention of
 "water" here may have been for the purpose of helping Nicodemus
 without laying down a fundamental principle of salvation as being
 by means of baptism. Bernard holds that the words \\hudatos kai\\
 (water and) do not belong to the words of Jesus, but "are a
 gloss, added to bring the saying of Jesus into harmony with the
 belief and practice of a later generation." Here Jesus uses
 \\eiselthein\\ (enter) instead of \\idein\\ (see) of verse
 # 3
 but with the same essential idea (participation in the kingdom).

02982
 \\That which is born\\ (\\to gegennˆmenon\\). Perfect passive articular
 participle. The sharp contrast between flesh (\\sarx\\) and Spirit
 (\\pneuma\\), drawn already in
 # 1:13
 serves to remind Nicodemus of the crudity of his question in
 # 3:4
 about a second physical birth.

02983
 \\Marvel not\\ (\\mˆ thaumasˆis\\). "Do not begin to wonder" (ingressive
 first aorist active subjunctive with \\mˆ\\), as clearly Nicodemus
 had done. In John the word \\thaumaz“\\ usually means "unintelligent
 wonder" (Bernard). \\Ye must be born anew\\ (\\dei humas gennˆthˆnai\\
 \\an“then\\). Jesus repeats the point in verse
 # 3
 (\\dei\\ and the infinitive instead of \\ean mˆ\\ and the subjunctive)
 with \\an“then\\ (from above) only and not \\ex hudatos\\.

02984
 \\The wind\\ (\\to pneuma\\). In Greek \\pneuma\\ means either wind or spirit
 as _spiritus_ does in Latin (so also in Hebrew and Syriac).
 Wycliff follows the Latin and keeps spirit here and Marcus Dods
 argues for it. The word \\pneuma\\ occurs 370 times in the N.T. and
 never means wind elsewhere except in a quotation from the O.T.
 # Heb 1:7
 from
 # Ps 104:4
 though common in the LXX. On the other hand \\pne“\\ (bloweth, \\pnei\\)
 occurs five times elsewhere in the N.T. and always of the wind
 (like
 # Joh 6:18
 So \\ph“nˆ\\ can be either sound (as of wind) or voice (as of the
 Spirit). In simple truth either sense of \\pneuma\\ can be taken here
 as one wills. Tholuck thinks that the night-wind swept through
 the narrow street as Jesus spoke. In either case the etymology of
 \\pneuma\\ is "wind" from \\pne“\\, to blow. The Spirit is the use of
 \\pneuma\\ as metaphor. Certainly the conclusion "of the Spirit" is a
 direct reference to the Holy Spirit who works his own way beyond
 our comprehension even as men even yet do not know the law of the
 wind.

02985
 \\How?\\ (\\P“s;\\) Nicodemus is not helped either by the use of \\hud“r\\ or
 \\pneuma\\ to understand \\dei gennˆthˆnai an“then\\ (the necessity of
 the birth from above or regeneration). He falls back into his
 "stupid misunderstanding." There are none so dull as those who
 will not see. Preoccupation prevents insight. Literally one must
 often empty his mind to receive new truth.

02986
 \\The teacher of Israel\\ (\\ho didaskalos tou Israˆl\\). The well-known
 or the authorized (the accepted) teacher of the Israel of God.
 Note both articles. \\And understandest not these things?\\ (\\kai\\
 \\tauta ou gin“skeis;\\). After being told by Jesus and after so
 propitious a start. His Pharisaic theology had made him almost
 proof against spiritual apprehension. It was outside of his
 groove (rote, rut, rot, the three terrible r's of mere
 traditionalism).

02987
 \\We speak that we do know\\ (\\ho oidamen laloumen\\). Jesus simply
 claims knowledge of what he has tried to make plain to the famous
 Rabbi without success. John uses \\lale“\\ some 60 times, half of
 them by Jesus, very little distinction existing between the use
 of \\lale“\\ and \\leg“\\ in John. Originally \\lale“\\ referred to the
 chatter of birds. Note John's frequent use of \\amˆn amˆn\\ and \\leg“\\
 (double emphasis). \\And bear witness of that we have seen\\ (\\kai ho\\
 \\he“rakamen marturoumen\\). The same use of neuter singular relative
 \\ho\\ as before. Perfect active indicative of \\hora“\\. He is not a
 dreamer, guesser, or speculator. He is bearing witness from
 personal knowledge, strange as this may seem to Nicodemus. \\And ye\\
 \\receive not our witness\\ (\\kai tˆn marturian hˆm“n ou lambanete\\).
 This is the tragedy of the matter as John has shown
 # 1:11,26
 and as will continue to be true even today. Jesus probably
 associates here with himself ("we") those who have personal
 experience of grace and so are qualified as witnesses. Note the
 plural in
 # 1Jo 1:1
 Bernard thinks that John has here read into the words of Jesus
 the convictions of a later age, a serious charge to make.

02988
 \\If I told\\ (\\ei eipon\\). Condition of the first class, assumed to be
 true. \\Earthly things\\ (\\ta epigeia\\). Things upon the earth like \\ta\\
 \\epi tˆs gˆs\\
 # Col 3:2
 not things of an earthly nature or worldly or sinful. The work of
 the kingdom of God including the new birth which Nicodemus did
 not understand belongs to \\ta epigeia\\. \\If I tell you heavenly\\
 \\things\\ (\\ean eip“ humin ta epourania\\). Condition of the third
 class, undetermined. What will Nicodemus do in that case? By \\ta\\
 \\epourania\\ Jesus means the things that take place in heaven like
 the deep secrets of the purpose of God in the matter of
 redemption such as the necessity of the lifting up of Christ as
 shown in verse
 # 14
 Both Godet and Westcott note that the two types of teaching here
 pointed out by Jesus (the earthly, the heavenly) correspond in
 general to the difference between the Synoptics (the earthly) and
 the Fourth Gospel (the heavenly), a difference noted here in the
 Fourth Gospel as shown by Jesus himself. Hence the one should not
 be pitted against the other. There are specimens of the heavenly
 in the Synoptics as in
 # Mt 11:25; Lu 10:18

02989
 \\But he that descended out of heaven\\ (\\ei mˆ ho ek tou ouranou\\
 \\katabas\\). The Incarnation of the Pre-existent Son of God who was
 in heaven before he came down and so knows what he is telling
 about "the heavenly things." There is no allusion to the
 Ascension which came later. This high conception of Christ runs
 all through the Gospel and is often in Christ's own words as
 here. \\Which is in heaven\\ (\\ho “n en t“i ouran“i\\). This phrase is
 added by some manuscripts, not by Aleph B L W 33, and, if
 genuine, would merely emphasize the timeless existence of God's
 Son who is in heaven even while on earth. Probably a gloss. But
 "the Son of man" is genuine. He is the one who has come down out
 of heaven.

02990
 \\Moses lifted up the serpent\\ (\\M“usˆs hups“sen ton ophin\\).
 Reference to
 # Nu 21:7
 where Moses set the brazen serpent upon the standard that those
 who believed might look and live. Jesus draws a vivid parallel
 between the act of Moses and the Cross on which he himself (the
 Son of man) "must" (\\dei\\, one of the heavenly things) "be lifted
 up" (\\hups“thˆnai\\, first aorist passive infinitive of \\hupso“\\, a
 word not used about the brazen serpent). In John \\hupso“\\ always
 refers to the Cross
 # 8:28; 12:32,34
 though to the Ascension in Acts
 # Ac 2:33; 5:31
 Jesus is complimenting the standing and intelligence of Nicodemus
 as "the teacher of Israel" by telling him this great truth and
 fact that lies at the basis of the work of the kingdom of God
 (the atoning death of Christ on the Cross).

02991
 \\That whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life\\ (\\hina pas\\
 \\ho pisteu“n en aut“i echˆi z“ˆn ai“nion\\). Final use of \\hina\\ with
 present active subjunctive of \\ech“\\, that he may keep on having
 eternal life (a frequent phrase in John, always in John \\ai“nios\\
 occurs with \\z“ˆ\\, 16 times in the Gospel, 6 in 1John, ageless or
 endless life, beginning now and lasting forever). It is more than
 endless, for it is sharing in the life of God in Christ
 # 5:26; 17:3; 1Jo 5:12
 So here \\en aut“i\\ (in him) is taken with \\echˆi\\ rather than with
 \\pisteu“n\\. The interview with Nicodemus apparently closes with
 verse
 # 15
 In verses
 # 16-21
 we have past tenses constantly as is natural for the reflection
 of John, but unnatural for Jesus speaking. There are phrases like
 the Prologue (verse
 # 19; 1:9-11
 "Only begotten" does not occur elsewhere in the words of Jesus,
 but is in
 # 1:14,18; 1Jo 4:9
 John often puts in explanatory comments
 # 1:16-18; 12:37-41

02992
 \\For so\\ (\\hout“s gar\\). This use of \\gar\\ is quite in John's style in
 introducing his comments
 # 2:25; 4:8; 5:13
 etc.). This "Little Gospel" as it is often called, this
 "comfortable word" (the Anglican Liturgy), while not a quotation
 from Jesus is a just and marvellous interpretation of the mission
 and message of our Lord. In verses
 # 16-21
 John recapitulates in summary fashion the teaching of Jesus to
 Nicodemus. \\Loved\\ (\\ˆgapˆsen\\). First aorist active indicative of
 \\agapa“\\, the noble word so common in the Gospels for the highest
 form of love, used here as often in John
 # 14:23; 17:23; 1Jo 3:1; 4:10
 of God's love for man (cf.
 # 2Th 2:16; Ro 5:8; Eph 2:4
 In
 # 21:15
 John presents a distinction between \\agapa“\\ and \\phile“\\. \\Agapa“\\
 is used also for love of men for men
 # 13:34
 for Jesus
 # 8:42
 for God
 # 1Jo 4:10
 \\The world\\ (\\ton kosmon\\). The whole cosmos of men, including
 Gentiles, the whole human race. This universal aspect of God's
 love appears also in
 # 2Co 5:19; Ro 5:8
 \\That he gave\\ (\\h“ste ed“ken\\). The usual classical construction
 with \\h“ste\\ and the indicative (first aorist active) practical
 result, the only example in the N.T. save that in
 # Ga 2:13
 Elsewhere \\h“ste\\ with the infinitive occurs for actual result
 # Mt 13:32
 as well as purpose
 # Mt 10:1
 though even this is rare. \\His only begotten Son\\ (\\ton huion ton\\
 \\monogenˆ\\). "The Son the only begotten." For this word
 See note on "Joh 1:14"
 See note on "Joh 1:18"
 See note on "Joh 3:18"
 The rest of the sentence, the purpose clause with \\hina-echˆi\\
 precisely reproduces the close of
 # 3:15
 save that \\eis auton\\ takes the place of \\en aut“i\\ (see
 # 1:12
 and goes certainly with \\pisteu“n\\ (not with \\echˆi\\ as \\en aut“i\\
 in verse
 # 15
 and the added clause "should not perish but" (\\mˆ apolˆtai alla\\,
 second aorist middle subjunctive, intransitive, of \\apollumi\\, to
 destroy). The same contrast between "perish" and "eternal life"
 (for this world and the next) appears also in
 # 10:28
 On "perish" see also
 # 17:12

02993
 \\For God sent not the Son\\ (\\ou gar apesteilen ho theos ton huion\\).
 Explanation (\\gar\\) of God's sending the Son into the world. First
 aorist active indicative of \\apostell“\\. John uses both \\apostell“\\
 from which comes \\apostolos\\
 # 3:34; 5:36,38
 etc.) and \\pemp“\\
 # 4:34; 5:23,24,30
 etc.) for God's sending the Son and \\pemp“\\ more frequently, but
 with no real difference in meaning. All the Gospels use \\ho huios\\
 in the absolute sense in contrast with the Father
 # Mr 13:32; Mt 11:27; Lu 10:22
 \\To judge\\ (\\hina krinˆi\\). Final clause with \\hina\\ and the present
 (or aorist) active subjunctive of \\krin“\\. The Messiah does judge
 the world as Jesus taught
 # Mt 25:31; Joh 5:27
 but this was not the primary or the only purpose of his coming.
 See note on "Mt 7:1"
  for \\krin“\\, to pick out, select, approve, condemn, used so often
 and in so many varying contexts in the N.T. \\But that the world\\
 \\should be saved through him\\ (\\all hina s“thˆi ho kosmos di'\\
 \\autou\\). First aorist passive subjunctive of \\s“z“\\, the common verb
 to save (from \\s“s\\, safe and sound), from which \\s“tˆr\\ (Saviour)
 comes (the Saviour of the world,
 # 4:42; 1Jo 4:14
 and \\s“tˆria\\ (salvation,
 # 4:22
 here only in John). The verb \\s“z“\\ is often used for physical
 health
 # Mr 5:28
 but here of the spiritual salvation as in
 # 5:34

02994
 \\Is not judged\\ (\\ou krinetai\\). Present passive indicative. Trust in
 Christ prevents condemnation, for he takes our place and pays the
 penalty for sin for all who put their case in his hands
 # Ro 8:32
 The believer in Christ as Saviour does not come into judgment
 # Joh 5:24
 \\Hath been judged already\\ (\\ˆdˆ kekritai\\). Perfect passive
 indicative of \\krin“\\. Judgment has already been passed on the one
 who refuses to believe in Christ as the Saviour sent by the
 Father, the man who is not willing to come to Christ for life
 # 5:40
 \\Because he hath not believed\\ (\\hoti mˆ pepisteuken\\). Perfect
 active indicative of \\pisteu“\\, has taken a permanent attitude of
 refusal. Here \\hoti mˆ\\ states the reason subjectively as the
 judgment of the Judge in any such case (\\ho mˆ pisteu“n\\ already
 mentioned) while in
 # 1Jo 5:10
 \\hoti ou pepisteuken\\ gives the reason objectively (\\ou\\ instead of
 \\mˆ\\) conceived as an actual case and no longer hypothetical. See
 # 1:12
 for \\eis to onoma\\ with \\pisteu“\\ (believing on the name) and
 # 1:14
 for \\monogenous\\ (only begotten) and also
 # 3:16

02995
 \\And this is the judgment\\ (\\hautˆ de estin hˆ krisis\\). A thoroughly
 Johannine phrase for sequence of thought
 # 15:12; 17:3; 1Jo 1:5; 5:11,14; 3Jo 1:6
 It is more precisely the process of judging (\\kri-sis\\) rather than
 the result (\\kri-ma\\) of the judgment. "It is no arbitrary
 sentence, but the working out of a moral law" (Bernard). \\The\\
 \\light is come\\ (\\to ph“s elˆluthen\\). Second perfect active
 indicative of \\erchomai\\, a permanent result as already explained
 in the Prologue concerning the Incarnation
 # 1:4,5,9,11
 Jesus is the Light of the world. \\Loved darkness\\ (\\ˆgapˆsan to\\
 \\skotos\\). Job
 # Job 24:13
 spoke of men rebelling against the light. Here \\to skotos\\, common
 word for moral and spiritual darkness
 # 1Th 5:5
 though \\hˆ skotia\\ in
 # Joh 1:5
 "Darkness" is common in John as a metaphor for the state of
 sinners
 # 8:12; 12:35, 46; 1Jo 1:6; 2:8,9,11
 Jesus himself is the only moral and spiritual light of the world
 # 8:12
 as he dared claim to his enemies. The pathos of it all is that
 men fall in love with the darkness of sin and rebel against the
 light like denizens of the underworld, "for their works were evil
 (\\ponˆra\\)." When the light appears, they scatter to their holes
 and dens. \\Ponˆros\\ (from \\ponos\\, toil, \\pone“\\, to toil) is used
 of the deeds of the world by Jesus
 # 7:7
 In the end the god of this world blinds men's eyes so that they
 do not see the light
 # 2Co 4:4
 The fish in the Mammoth Cave have no longer eyes, but only
 sockets where eyes used to be. The evil one has a powerful grip
 on the world
 # 1Jo 5:19

02996
 \\That doeth ill\\ (\\ho phaula prass“n\\). The word \\phaulos\\ means first
 worthless and then wicked (usually so in N.T.) and both senses
 occur in the papyri. In
 # 5:29
 see contrast between \\agatha poie“\\ (doing good things) and \\phaula\\
 \\prass“\\ (practising evil things). \\Hateth the light\\ (\\misei to\\
 \\ph“s\\). Hence talks against it, ridicules Christ, Christianity,
 churches, preachers, etc. Does it in talk, magazines, books, in a
 supercilious tone of sheer ignorance. \\Cometh not to the light\\
 (\\ouk erchetai pros to ph“s\\). The light hurts his eyes, reveals
 his own wickedness, makes him thoroughly uncomfortable. Hence he
 does not read the Bible, he does not come to church, he does not
 pray. He goes on in deeper darkness. \\Lest his works should be\\
 \\reproved\\ (\\hina mˆ elegchthˆi ta erga autou\\). Negative final
 clause (\\hina mˆ\\) with first aorist passive subjunctive of
 \\elegch“\\, old word to correct a fault, to reprove, to convict. See
 also
 # 8:46; 16:8
 To escape this unpleasant process the evil man cuts out Christ.

02997
 \\That doeth the truth\\ (\\ho poi“n tˆn alˆtheian\\). See
 # 1Jo 1:6
 for this striking phrase. \\Comes to the light\\ (\\erchetai pros to\\
 \\ph“s\\). Is drawn by the light, spiritual heliotropes, not driven
 from it. \\That may be made manifest\\ (\\hina phaner“thˆi\\). Final
 \\hina\\ with first aorist passive subjunctive of \\phanero“\\. \\They have\\
 \\been wrought in God\\ (\\en the“i estin eirgasmena\\). Periphrastic
 perfect passive indicative of \\ergazomai\\. He does not claim that
 they are perfect, only that they have been wrought in the sphere
 of and in the power of God. Hence he wants the light turned on.

02998
 \\After these things\\ (\\meta tauta\\). Transition after the interview
 with Nicodemus. For the phrase see
 # 5:1; 6:1; 7:1
 \\Into the land of Judea\\ (\\eis tˆn Ioudaian gˆn\\). Into the country
 districts outside of Jerusalem. The only example of this phrase
 in the N.T., but "the region of Judea" (\\hˆ Ioudaia ch“ra\\) in
 # Mr 1:5
 \\He tarried\\ (\\dietriben\\). Descriptive imperfect active of \\diatrib“\\,
 old verb to rub between or hard, to spend time
 # Ac 14:3
 \\Baptized\\ (\\ebaptizen\\). Imperfect active of \\baptiz“\\. "He was
 baptizing." The six disciples were with him and in
 # 4:2
 John explains that Jesus did the baptizing through the disciples.

02999
 \\John was also baptizing\\ (\\ˆn de kai ho I“anˆs baptiz“n\\).
 Periphrastic imperfect picturing the continued activity of the
 Baptist simultaneous with the growing work of Jesus. There was no
 real rivalry except in people's minds. \\In Aenon near to Salim\\ (\\en\\
 \\Ain“n eggus tou Saleim\\). It is not clearly known where this place
 was. Eusebius locates it in the Jordan valley south of Beisan
 west of the river where are many springs (fountains, eyes). There
 is a place called Salim east of Shechem in Samaria with a village
 called 'Aimen, but with no water there. There may have been water
 there then, of course. \\Because there was much water there\\ (\\hoti\\
 \\hudata polla ˆn ekei\\). "Because many waters were there." Not for
 drinking, but for baptizing. "Therefore even in summer baptism by
 immersion could be continued" (Marcus Dods). \\And they came, and\\
 \\were baptized\\ (\\kai pareginonto kai ebaptizonto\\). Imperfects both,
 one middle and the other passive, graphically picturing the long
 procession of pilgrims who came to John confessing their sins and
 receiving baptism at his hands.