medoe. The plural does not noceeeitato the him to J'eB11s; RB one entirely eympathetii, proeence of Johu, though it does suggest and RB eagerly longing for the Christ, for the agreement of Andrew e.nd his friend in the Lamb of God, for the King of Israel. the s1,mo august conclusion. Wbnt sense Seeing that Simon was founrl so soon-most of Divino things must have come from the probably on the evening of the memorablo words and looks of Jesus I II o who pro- day-we gather that Simon also must have d uccd euoh impression on the Baptist as been among the hearers of John. He too that whioh the four evangelists report, he.d must have left his fishing to listen to the done oven more with the susceptible spirits Baptist. The entire group must have been of his two disciples. The Be.ptiet never drawn away from their ordinary avoca.tion8 actually called J csus " the Christ." But by the trumpet-call of the preacher iu the when ho had testified to the pre-existing wilderness. J'es118 looked-intently, with glory, tho heavenly origin, tho sublime func- penetrating glo.nce-upon him, aud ea.id, Thou tions of the great •px&µ,vos, and by specie.I art Simon, the Son of J'ohn 1-that is the 1·evelBtion on his fore,varncd spirit had de- no.me by which thou hast been introduced clared that he wo.s the Son of God, the to me; a time is coming for thee to receive Lamb of God, and the Baplizer with the a new name-Thou shalt be called Cephas 2 Holy Ghost and fire: what must not the ( which is interpreted, Peter). It is perfect! y inference be when his two disciples came gratuitous of Baur and Hilgenfeld to into yet closer and moro intimate relations imagine this to be o. fictitiouR adapt,ltion of with Jesus? The Jewish idea of'' Messiah" the great scene recorded in Matt. xvi. The (M«rulas, only occurring here and eh. iv. 25), solemn assertions made there proceed npon equivalent to N':''~7?,Aramaized form, the stat. the assumption of the previous conference emphat. of CJ'o/1;) (Hebrew 1}'~7,)); cf. 'huual of the name "Peter.'' There the Lor<l. for•l?~(Ka.utzscli., 'Gro.m. des Bib. Aram.,' p. ea.id, "Thou art Peter, o.nd upon thi, rock," 10), wo.s the term used among all cla-sses to de- etc. On this eal'lier occasion Jesus said. note One who should, as anointed by God, ful- "Thou art Simon, thou sha.lt be called fil tho functions of Prophet, Priest and King, K114>as." The assumption of the Tiibingen who should realize the splendid visions of the critics, that a desire to lower Peter from llfa ancient prophecies, and combine in himself primacy is conspicuous in this passage, can- a wonderful exhibition of Divine majesty not be snetained. Though Andrew and and even of awful eufl'ering. We eee that the John precede Peter in their earliest rela- Baptist understood what wae meant by the tions with Jesus, yet Peter is undoubteclly title, but denied its applicability to himself. the most conspicuous character, to whom The Samaritans believe in a coming Prophet the Lord from the first gives an honourable and Saviour (eh. iv. 25, 29). The people cognomen(cf. also eh. vi 67-69 andxxi.15, believe that Messiah will work miracles, etc.). (Compo.re here, for historic changes ot that he will be bo1-n in Bethlehem, that he name, Gen. xrii. 5; xxxii. 28.) Weiss(' Lifo will abide for ever, that he would prove to of Christ,' Eng. trans., i. 370) says admirably, be the Son of God. The King Meseio.h is o. "There iR no ground for assuming that this pre-existing power o.nd presence in their is e.n anticipation of Matt. xvi. ltl. Simon past history. He will come in the clouds, was not to beo.r this name until he was de e.nd reign for ever and ever (see eh. vii. 26, serving of it. Jesus never culled him ::i.ny 31 and 42; xii. 3!). According to Wiinsche thing hut Simon (Mark xiv. 37; Matt. xvii. (' Neue Beitrnge ziirerlauterungder Ev., aus 25; Luke xxii. 31; eh. :ui. 15-17). Paul Talmud und Midre.sch,' pp. 499, 500), the calls him by the names Peter and Cephas Talmud (' Pesacbim,' 54, and' Nedavim,' 39) ... The evangelist is right when he beholds declares the.t Messias, or his Name, w11.s one in this scene a more than human acum~n. of the seven things created before the world; e.nd Midre.sch (' Schemoth,' par.19) on Exod. ~. B, L, and other authorities, Tregelles, iv. 22 declares that the King Messie.e wo.s tho Tischendorf (8th edit.), tiwugh Lacbmaun First born of God. The more spiritual ideas preserved it with A, X, r, .<l, etc:. The of John the Baptist have prepared the two omission gives some additional dramatic disciples to see, even in the travel-stained, force to the narrative. 1 •1.,dvov ("John") must replace the fo- lowly Man, "the Messiah." Of course, their idea of Messiah e.nd their ideo. of miliur 'Iwva ("Jonah") here and eh. :ui.. on Jesus would suffer wonderful de\'elopment, the authority of ~. B•, L, 33. So Tregelles, and be harmonized and blended into e. Tischendorf (8th edit.), Westcott and Hort. sublime unity by later instructions; but U.T. 'I..,va, is read by A, B', X, r, A, anJ they had made this great discovery, and other uncials and versions. Lachmann, Tre- hastened to impart it. gelles, and Bale Revisers all place 'Iwva in Ver. 42.-Ee I brought (the past tense) the margin. 1 N;i:ai, equivalent to K114>iis, an emphat.
1 The Kai is omitted hfore 1/-yt1-yev by ,tat. t~ -•]':?,, a rock (Kautzsch). 38 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN.: [cu. t. 1-61 .