29. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all (6 rratnp pou ds dédaxé pot, peikwv wdvtwv éotw). There is con- siderable confusion here about the reading. Westcott and Hort and Tischendorf read 6 ratjp pou (Tischendorf rejects pov) d Sédaxév wor TavTov peifov éorw. That which the Father (or my Father) hath given me is greater than all. Rev. gives this in the margin. For gave, render hath gwen.
30. One (é). The neuter, not the masculine els, one person. It implies unity of essence, not merely of wed) or of power.
31. Took up—again (é8dcracayv—rdduv). Again refers to viii. 59. It seems as though a different verb is purposely chosen here (compare 7pav took up, in viii. 59), since the inter- view took place in Solomon’s porch, where stones would not be at hand. The verb here may mean ¢o take up. So Ajax says:
‘¢Send some one as a messenger to bear The evil news to Teucros, that he first May lift (facrdon) my corpse by this sharp sword transfixed.” Sophocles, ‘‘ Ajax,” 827.
Its more usual meaning in the New Testament, however, is to bear or carry. So of the cross (John xix. 17; Luke xiv. 27). Here it might very properly be rendered brought, perhaps from the works which were then going on at the temple. See fur- ther on xii. 6.
32. Good works (cada). Beautiful, noble works, adapted to call forth admiration and respect. Compare Mark xiv. 6, and see on ver. 11.
For which of these works (sa mofov avtav épyov). Lit, for what kind of a work of these. This qualitative force of rroiov is not to be lost sight of, though it is impossible to ren- der it accurately without paraphrasing. Jesus does not mean, as the A. V. and Rev. imply, “for which one of these works,” but “what is the character of that particular work among all these for which you stone me?” The me, closing the sentence, is emphatic.
198 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 33. Saying. Omit.
34. Is it not written (ov« éorw yeypaypévov). More strict- ly, does it not stand written.
Law (véu@). The word is sometimes used in the New Tes- tament of other scriptures. See xii. 34; xv. 25; Rom. iii. 19; 1 Cor. xiv. 21.
I said, etc. The reference is to Ps. lxxxii. 6.
35. The Scripture (7) ypagy). The passage of scripture. See on ii. 22; v. 47.
Broken (Avdjvat). Lit., loosened. Wyc., undone. The word is characteristic of John. He uses it of the destruction of the temple (ii. 19); the breaking of the Sabbath (v. 18); the violation of the law (vii. 23); the destruction of Satan’s works (1 John iii. 8), besides elsewhere in the physical sense.
36. Sanctified (ijy/acev). Better, as Rev.,in margin, conse- crated. The fundamental idea of the word is separation and consecration to the service of Deity. See note on Acts xxvi. 10, on the kindred adjective dyvos, holy or consecrated.
The Son of God. There is no article. Its absence directs us to the character rather than to the person of Jesus. The judges, to whom the quotation in ver. 35 refers, were called gods, as being representatives of God. See Exod. xxi. 6; xxii. 8, where the word rendered judges is elohim, gods. In Exod. xxii. 28, gods appears in the A. V.* Jesus’ course of reasoning is, if these judges could be called gods, how do I blaspheme in calling myself Son of God, since the Father has consecrated me and sent me on a special mission to the world ?
37. Believe me (auoreveré wor). Notice believe, with the simple dative; believe me, not on me. It is a question of faith in His ¢estemony, not in His person. See on i. 12.
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* Rev. God, with the judges in margin.