heart which, it is assumed, was the immediate cause of death, and which was followed by an effusion of blood into the peri- cardium. This blood, separated into its thicker and more liquid parts, flowed forth when the pericardium was pierced by the spear.* I think, however, with Meyer, that John evidently in- tends to describe the incident as something entirely unexpected and marvellous, and that this explanation better suits the solemn asseveration of ver. 35. That the fact had a symbolic meaning to the Evangelist is evident from 1 John v. 6.
35. He that saw it bare record (6 éwpaxas weyaptipnker). Rev., rendering the perfect tense in both verbs, he that hath seen hath borne witness. This can refer only to the writer of this Gospel. Compare 1 Johni. 1.
True (dAnIwn). Genuine, according to the true ideal of what testimony should be. See on i. 9.
And he («axetvos). This pronoun is urged by some as a reason for regarding the witness as some other than John, be- cause it is the pronoun of remote reference. But ix. 87 shows clearly that a speaker can use this pronoun of himself; and it is, further, employed in this Gospel to indicate a person “as possessing the quality which is the point in question in an emi- nent or even exclusive degree” (Godet). See i. 18; v. 39.
True (dAn3j). Lit., true things. As distinguished from false. Thus, by the use of the two words for true, there are brought out, as Westcott remarks, “the two conditions which testimony ought to satisfy; the first, that he who gives it should be competent to speak with authority; and the second, that the account of his experience should be exact.”
38. A disciple of Jesus. Matthew calls him a rich man; Mark, an honorable counsellor, i.e., a member of the Sanhedrim ; and Luke, a counsellor, good and just.
* See William Stroud, ‘Physical Theory of the Death of Christ.”