6 Qualibus in tenebris vitae, quantisque
periclis,
Degitur hoc aevi quodcunque est ”’. Kal 7) σκοτία αὐτὸ ov κατέλαβεν. The A. V. renders this ‘‘and the darkness comprehended it not”; the R. V. has “apprehended” and in the margin ‘‘overcame’’. The Greek interpreters understood the clause to mean that the darkness did not conquer the light. Thus Theophylact says: ἡ σκοτία . . ἐδίωξε τὸ das, GAN’ εὗρεν ἀκαταμάχητον καὶ ἀήττητον. Some modern interpreters,,.
686
3 lel
φωτὸς, ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσι δι αὐτοῦ. a a
GAN ἵνα µαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός.
and especially Westcott, adopt this rendering. ‘‘ The whole phrase is indeed a startling paradox. The light does not banish the darkness: the darkness does not overpower the light.” This render- ing is supposed to find support in chap. xii. 35, where Christ says, ‘‘ Walk while ye have the light,” ἵνα μὴ σκοτία ὑμᾶς καταλάβῃ: and καταλαμβάνειν is the word commonly used to denote day or night overtaking any one (see Wetstein). But the radical meaning is ‘‘to seize,”’ ‘“‘to take possession οἱ, ‘‘to lay hold of”; so in Rom. ix. 30, 1 Cor. ix. 24, Phil. iii. 12. It is also used of mental perception, as in the Phaedrus, p. 250, D. See also Polybius, iii. 32, 4, and viii. 4, 6, δυσχερὲς καταλαβεῖν, difficult to under- stand. This sense is more congruous in this passage; especially when we com- pare ver. 10 (6 κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω) and ver. 11 (οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον).
Vv. 6-13. The historic manifestation of the Logos and its results.—Ver. 6. In this verse John passes to the historical ; and like the other evangelists begins with the Baptist. So Theodore Mops: μετεληλυθὼς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ viod, τίνα ἄν εὗρεν ἀρχὴν ἑτέραν ἤ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ιωάννην :--ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος, “not there was (chap. iii. 1), but denot- ing the appearing, the historical mani- festation,”” Meyer. Cf. Lk. i. 5. The testimony of John is introduced not only as a historical note but in order to bring out the aggravated blindness of those who rejected Christ. This man was ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ Geov. Holtzmann says ‘‘an historical appearance is characterised as Godsent’’, It might rather be said that an historical appear- ance sent to fulfil a definite Divine pur- pose is so characterised. There is no designation our Lord more frequently applies to Himself. In the prayer of chap. xvii. some equivalent occurs six times. And in the epistle to the Hebrews He is called ‘the Apostle of our con- fession”. No distinguishing title is added to the common name “' John”’. Westcott says: ‘If the writer of the Gospel were himself the other John of the Gospel history, it is perfectly natural that he should think of the Baptist, apart from himself, as John only”. Watkins says: ‘‘The writer stood to him in the relation of disciple to teacher. To him he was the John.”” Afterwards the disciple became the John.—Ver. 7.