ctir Lord reminds them of this. God had fulfilled His promise, and sent them a prophet like unto Moses, and now they would not believe on Him !
69. — [Search the Scriptures.'] This famous sentence is interpreted two different ways.
(a.) Some, as Cyril, Erasmus, Ecolampadins, Beza, Brentius, Piscator, Camero, Poole, Toletus, Lightfoot, Lampe, Bengel, Doddridge, Bloomfield, Tholuck, A. Clark, Scholefield, Barnes, Burgon, D. Brown, Webster, think that our Lord spoke in the indicative mood, simply making an assertion, — " Ye do search."
(&.) Some, as Chrysostom, Augustine, Theophylact, Euthy- mius, Luther, Calvin, Cartwright, Gualter, Grotius, Rollock, Ferus, Calovius, Jansenius, Cocceius, Barradius, Musculus, Nifa- nius, Maldonatns, Cornehus ^ Lapide, Leigh, Whitby, Hammond, Slier, Alford, Wordsworth, think that He spoke in the impe- rative mood, giving a command, — " Search," — as our version gives it.
I decidedly prefer this latter view. It is more forcible, and more in keeping with our Lord's general style of address. Above all it seems to me to agree far better with the context. Our Lord had told the Jews that His Fatiier had borne witness of Him, though not by audible voice, nor by visible apparition. How then had He borne witness ? They would find it in His Word. " Go and search your own Scriptures," our Lord seems to say. " Examine them, and become really acquainted with their contents; you will find that they testify clearly and dis- tinctly of Me. If you wish to know God the Father's testimony to Me, search the Scriptures."
The word rendered *' search" means " search minutely and diligently." It appears to me intentionally used, to show thnt the Jews should not be content with mere reading. The Sep- tuagint version of Prov. ii. 4, has an expression like it.
Chrysostom remarks, — " When Christ referred the Jews to the Scriptures, He sent them not to a mere reading, but to a careful and considerate search. He said not, 'read,' but, 'search,' Since the sayings about Him required great attention (for they had been concealed from the beginning for the advantage of men of that time). He bids them now dig down with care, that they might discern what lay in the depths below. These saying'? were not on the surface, nor were they cast forth to open view, but lay like some treasure hidden very deep,"
Some, who think the word "search" should be taken as an indicative, ''ye search," maintain that our Lord spoke ironically, and meant, " Ye pretend to make a minute investigation of Scripture, and search into ths letter of it, but never get any