695
29. TH ἐπαύριον βλέπει ὁ Ἰωάννης τὸν “Incody ἐρχόμενον wpe κ Exod. xii.
ᾳ
αὐτὸν, καὶ λέγει, ''"Ίδε 6
the reading Βηθανίᾳ is to be preferred. The addition πέραν τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου con- firms this reading ; as the existence of Bethany near Jerusalem rendered the distinguishing designation necessary.
Bethany = TSN [meaning “ boat- house,” and Bethabara having the same meaning [Tay a ferry boat] is it not
possible that the same place may have been called,by both names indifferently ? Henderson (Palestine, p. 154) suggests that possibly the explanation of the doubtful reading is that the place referred to is Bethabara which led over into Bethania, that is, Bashan. Similarly Conder (Handbook, p. 320) says Bethania beyond Jordan is evidently the province of Batanea, and the ford Abdrah now discovered leads into Batanea. At this place ‘‘ John was, baptising,” rather than ‘* John was baptising ”’.
Vv. 29-34. The witness of Σούι based on the sign at the baptism of Fesus.— Ver. 29. τῇ ἐπαύριον, the first instance of John’s accurate definition of time. Cf. 35, 43, ii. 1. The deputation had withdrawn, but the usual crowd attracted by John would be present. ‘‘ The in- quiries made from Jerusalem would naturally create fresh expectation among John’s disciples. At this crisis,” etc. (Westcott).—BAére. τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐρχό- µενον πρὸς αὐτόν. Jesus had quite recently returned from the retirement in the wilderness, and naturally sought John’s company. Around John He is nore likely to find receptive spirits than elsewhere. -And it gave His herald an opportunity to proclaim Him, ἴδε 6 ἁμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ 6 αἴρων τὴν αµαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. The article indicates that a person who could thus be designated had been expected; or it may merely be introductory to the further definition of the succeeding clause.—rov θεοῦ, pro- vided by God; cf. “bread of God,” vi. 33; also Rom. viii. 32. It is impossible to suppose with the author of Ecce Homo that by this title “‘ the lamb of God” the Baptist merely meant to designate Jesus as aman ‘full of gentleness who could patiently bear the ills to which He would be subjected” (cf. Aristoph., Pax, 935). The second clause forbids this interpre- tation. He isa lamb atpwv τὴν ἁμαρτίαν.
Χ ἁμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, 6 αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν | πα
. ποστ,
eb. i. 3.
1 Jo. ii.a2. x Pet. i. 19.
and there is only one way in which a lamb can take away sin, and that is by sacrifice. The expression might suggest the picture of the suffering servant of the Lord in Is. liii., ‘led as a lamb to the slaughter,” but unless the Baptist had previously been speaking of this part of Scripture, it is doubtful whether those who heard him speak would think of it. In Isaiah it is as a symbol of patient endurance the lamb is introduced; here it is as the symbol of sacrifice. It is needless to discuss whether the paschal lamb or the lamb of daily sacrifice was in the Baptist’s thoughts. He used ‘the lamb” as the symbol of sacrifice in general. Here, he says, is the reality of which all animal sacrifice was the symbol.—é αἴρων, the present participle, indicating the chief characteristic of the lamb. aipw has three meanings: (1) to raise or lift up, John viii. 59, jpav λίθους; (2) to bear or carry, Mt. xvi. 24, apdtw τὸν σταυρὸν atrov; (3) to τε- move or take away, John xx. 1, of the stone ἠρμένον from the sepulchre ; and 1 John 11. 5, ἵνα τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἄρῃ, that He might take away sins. In the LXX Φέρειν, not αἴρειν, is regularly used {ο express the ‘‘bearing” of sin (sec Leviticus, passim). In 1 Sam. xv. 25 Saul beseeches Samuel in the words ἄρον τὸ ἁμάρτημά pov, which obviously means “remove” (not ‘“‘bear’’) my sin. Soin r Sam. xxv. 28. But a lamb can remove sin only by sacrificially bearing it, so that here atpew includes and implies dépew.—rod κόσμον, cf. 1 John ii. 2, αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστὶ . . . περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου, and especially Philo’s assertion quoted by Wetstein that some sacrifices were ὑπὲρ ἅπαντος ἀνθρώπων γένους.