tial and approximate (Exod. xxxiii. 23). The seeing intended here is seeing of the divine essence rather than of the divine per- son, which also is indicated by the absence of the article from @cov, God. In this sense even Christ was not seen as God. The verb dpda, to see, denotes a physical act, but emphasizes the mental discernment accompanying it, and points to the re- sult rather than to the act of vision. In1Johni.1; iv. 12, 14, Sedouwar is used, denoting calm and deliberate contemplation (see on ver. 14). In xii. 45, we have Jewpéw, to behold (see on Mark y. 15; Luke x. 18). Both Sedouar and Jewpéw imply de- liberate contemplation, but the former is gazing with a view to satisfy the eye, while the latter is beholding more critically, with an inward spiritual or mental interest in the thing beheld, and with a view to acquire knowledge about it. ‘“ Oewpeiv would be used of a general officially reviewing or inspecting an army; JeacIar of a lay spectator looking at the parade” (Thayer).
The only begotten son (6 povoyerns vids). Several of the principal manuscripts and a great mass of ancient evidence support the reading povoyevns Oeds, “God only begotten.” *
Another and minor difference in reading relates to the article, which is omitted from povoyevys by most of the authorities which favor @eds. Whether we read the only begotten Son, or God only begotten, the sense of the passage is not affected. The latter reading merely combines in one phrase the two attri- butes of the word already indicated—(God (ver. 1), only begot- ten (ver. 14); the sense being one who was both God and only begotten.
* Dr. Scrivener, ‘‘ Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament,” re- marks: ‘‘ Those who will resort to ancient evidence exclusively for the recension of the text, may well be perplexed in dealing with this passage. The oldest manuscripts, versions, and writers are hopelessly divided.” He decides, how- ever, for the reading vids, So Tischendorf’s text, and of commentators, Meyer, De Wette, Alford, Godet, Schaff (in Lange). Westcott and Hort’s text gives @eds, with 6 novoyerhs vids in margin. So Westcott (Commentary), Milligan and Moulton, and Tregelles. See Schaff’s note on the passage in Lange; Scriv- ener, p. 525; and ‘‘Two Dissertations,” by F. J. A. Hort, Cambridge, 1877.