remember that Christ sees, and knows, and can heal J He thinks fit. — Are we ever in trouble? Let us heai in our trouble the voice of God, and learn to hate sin more.
Notes. John Y. 1—15.
1. — [AJier this.] Literally translated, this would be, "aftei these things." Some think that when St. John is telling some event which follows immediately after the last thing narrated, be uses the expression, " after this thing " (as John ii. 12), but that wiien there has been an interval of time he uses the expression, " after these things." — If this be correct, we must suppose that some space of time elapsed between the healing of the noble- man's son and the visit to Jerusalem, recorded in this chapter.
[A feast of the Jews.] Tliere is nothing to show what feast this was. Most commentators think it was the passover. Many however think it was the feast of pentecost. Some few say it was the feast of tabernacles, some the feast of purim, and some the feast of the dedication. Each view has its advocates, and the question will probably never be settled. An argument in favour of the passover is the f ict that none of the five Jewish feasts were so regularly attended by devout Jews as the pass- over. An argument against it is the fact that on three other occasions, when the feast of the passover is mentioned in St. John, he carefully specifies it by name; and one would naturally expect that it would be named here.
The matter is really of no peculiar importance. In one point of view only it is interesting. — If the "feast" was the passover, it proves that there were four passovers during the period of our Lords ministry on earth. St. John mentions three by name, — beside this '* feast." (John ii. 23; vi. 4; xii. I.) This would m.ike it certain that our Lord's ministry lasted three full years, or at any rate must have begun with a passover, and ended Avith a passover. — If the "feast" was not the passover, we have no pioof that His ministry lasted longer than between two and three years. (See notes on John ii. 13.)
The expression, "a fea-t of the Jews," is one of many inci- dental evidences that St. John wrote specially for the use of Gentile converts, and that he thought it needful for their benefit to explain Jewish ordinances.
[Jesus went up.] The f equency of our Lord's attendance at Jewish feasts, and the respect He showed for ^losaic ordinances, should always be noticed. They were appointed by God. and 8o long as they lasted, He gave them honour. It is an important
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proof t3 us, that the unworthiness of minist'^rs is no reason for neglectin/^ God's ordinances, such as bapti-m and the Lord'a Supper The benefit we receive from ordinances and sacraments does not depend on the character of those who administer them, but on ihe state of our own souls. The pries's and officers of the Tei iple. in our Lord's time, were probably very unworthy per.-ons. But that did not p: event our Lord hunou iog the Temple ordinances and feasts. — It does not however foilow !'rom this thf t we should be justified in habitually going to hear false doctrine preached. Our Lord never did this.-
Let it be noted, that none of the four Gospel-writers speak 80 much of our Lord's doings in Judaea and Jerusalem as St. John does.
2. — [There is at Jerusalem^ These words, it is thought, show that Jerusalem was yet standing, and not taken and destroyed by the Romans, when John wrote his Gospel. Otherwise, it is argued, he would have said, " There was at Jerusalem."
[By the sheep-marJcef a pool] Nothing certain is known about this pool, or its precise situation. Modern travellers have p'O- fessed to point out where it was. But there is lirtle groun 1 for determining the matter, except conjecture and tradition. After all the changes of eighteen centuries, points like these are almost incapable of a satisfactory solution. There is no place in the world, perhaps, where it is so difficult to settle anything decid- edly about ancient buildings and sites as ' Jerusalem. S jme propose to render the expression " sheep-market '' the " sheep- gate," because of Nehemiah iii. 1. But we really have no cer- tain ground for either expression.
[Cal.ed in the Huhrew tongue Bethesda.] The word "Bethesda," according to Cruden, means " house of effusion," or " house of pity or mercy." It is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. The mention of the " Hebrew tongue," shows again that John did not write for Jews so much as Gentiles.
[Raving Jive porches.] These porches were probably covered arcades, piazzas, colonnades, or verandas, open at one side to the air, but protected against the sun or rain over-head. la a hot country hke Palestine, such buildings are very necessary,
3. — [In the^e lay a great multitude.] The context seems to show tliat the multituile were assembled at this particular feast in this place, expecting a certain miracle to be wrought, which only took place at tliis particular time of the year.
[ Impotent folk ] This expression evidently does not mean paralytic people, but merely people who were sick and ilL Tha mention of " blind, halt, withered," shows this.