God requires. The Jews’ question contemplates nwmerous works. Jesus’ answer directs them to one work. Canon West- cott justly observes that “this simple formula contains the complete solution of the relation of faith and works.”
30. Therefore. Since He had claimed to be the One sent of God.
31. Manna. Properly, the manna, referring to the familiar historic fact. A passage is cited from a Hebrew commentary on Ecclesiastes, as follows: “ As the first Redeemer made the manna to descend, as it is written, ‘Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you’; so the later Redeemer also shall make the manna to descend, as it is written, ‘May there be abun- dance of corn in the earth.’ ”
32. Moses gave you not (ov Maors dédwxev ipiv). The antithesis is between Moses and my Father. So Rev., rightly, “it was not Moses that gave you,” ete.—“but my Father giveth,” etc. Some editors change the perfect tense, dédaxev, hath given, to the aorist, é6wxev, gave.
The true bread from heaven (tov dprov éx Tod ovpavod Tov adnSivév). The translation would gain by following the Greek order, “the bread out of heaven, the real bread.”
33. He which cometh down (6 xataBaivov). So it may be rendered; but also that which, referring to dpros, bread : and so, better, as Rev., since Jesus does not identify Himself with the bread until ver. 35.
35. | am the bread of life. A form of expression peculiar to John. See vv. 41, 48, 51; viii. 12; x. 7, 9,11, 145 xi. 25; xiv. 6; xv. 1, 5.
Cometh—believeth. Faith in its actiwe aspect and in its resting aspect.
Never (ov 4). Rather, i nowise, or by no means. Rev., shall not.