The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 390

and thnt exritr,i •tntr of banlked curiosity 1 interesting foct, which is incidcntnlly oon• with whi<'h they cn<'ouutercd the Lord. vcyed by the synoptists, viz. that Cl\pern1mm was the cueoomary dwelliug-plnco of our Yers. 22-24.-The next day, the c,rowd Lord dnriug his Galihenn ministry (of. oh. "Which atood on the other Bide of the aea, nenr ii. I 2 ; lllalt. iv. 13; viii. 6; and see also 1.he site of the gront mirncle, amnzed at the Matt. ix. I; Luke iv. 24). <lrpnrtnre of the diaciples and the separation Ver. 25.-Whon they had found him on bdwC'rn them nnd Jesus, and enw tha.t there the other side of the sea ( other eido thnn lhl\t WR-I! only one little boat there '-or " none on which the miracle took pince, and yet c,t.her Ii tt.le boat there sa\""e one," and tl:iis was near C1tpern1tum. This contradicts the ex- too smo.11 for it to be the bontwbioh brought position which would make the eito of the Jesus and his disciples thither or took the feeding to be on the western side), they said latter a way-o.nd saw tha.t Jesus did not enter unto him, Rabbi, when oamest thou 1 and with his disciples into the boat in which they how happens it that thou art here 1 The were aC'customed to move about the lake, but ,r&n iM, -yl-yo11ar; is difficult to translate. The that his disciples departed alone (Howbeit• ,chen f practically includes the ho10 f also. there oame boats from Tiberiaa, the principal The difficulty lay in the time. They were station on the lake, the boatmen hoping to sure that Jesus had not started before the Becure numerous ferry-freights., near to the disciples, and they knew that there was no place where they did eat brea.d after that the method bv which the lake itself would have Lord had given thanks, associating the mar- been available, and they want explanation. vellous gift with the holy thanksgiving of The news of his crossing the water after the wondrons Host). He does not say that some fashion that would ally him to Moses, Tiberio.s wo.s near to tb&- place where, etc., Joshua., Elijah, may easily ho.ve got dissemi- bnt that the boats from Tiberias came near nated, one report or another being rapidly to t.he place, etc. This parenthesis makes it circulated. clear tliat this one little boat was the onlv one Vera. 26-36.-(a) An offer of hi'T118el/ a, belonging to the desert place, and could not t1eritable bread. have conveyed Jesns away. When then the Ver. 26.--Jesus answered them; i.e. he crowd uw tha.t Jesus was not there, nor his met by response their question, but not e.fter disoiples-the latter bad gone aud not re- the fashion their curiosity might dictate, turned, and Jesus could not be found on the omitting any reply to their unnecessary mountain-side or summit or hollows(not until inquiry, and even refusing to answer it. we reach this statement does the writer give The method and time were of no real foe principal verb of the senteuce)-they moment to bis questioners. Verily, verily, themselves embarked in the little boats, and I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because oams to Capernaum seeking for Jesus. This ye saw Bigne-iu the sense I am desirous does not mean that the entire multitude took you shonltl see those miracles of bee.ling shipping. Such an exaggeration, contrary (ver. 2) or other wonders of yesterday, viz. to the nature of even the most extravagant 1LS " signs," "symbols," of my higher nature legend, BOme (Strause) have tried to foist or of my Divine commission. The :first into the story for the uke of discrediting it. group of healings drew some of yon to my The geographical relation of the two places side, not for my word, but for more healing : shows that there were other ways of passing and though some others of you who ate of from one spot to the other than by Ehip. the bread said (ver. 14), "This is the pro• That some should retnm by the head of the mised Prophet that is coming into the lake, and others should cross its northern aro world," you did not get beyond the out- by boat to Caperuaum, reveals a simple and ward seeming, the superfioio.l phenomenon: yon revealed by thus rushing to the conclu- 1 The text is also difficult to decide. The sion that I was your Prophet and King, tho.t T .R., with r, A, A, and other later uncials, you did not renlly discern the sign I gave, and cursives, and Curetouian Syrinc, read and ye are seeking me now, not beoauee ,6wv ll.-, instead of ,I6ov, with A., B, L, the you have really seen "signs "-but beoa.uee Italic maunscripts, and other versions. Ti- ye ate of the (those) loaves, and were filled schendorf (8th edit.), Westcott and Hort, and up by this 1Jempomry supply of your daily E.T. agree to rea<l the latter. The lllllIIB want, expecting to-day some new, some authorities omit /,cii110 ••r 8 iv,/37111'a11 ol µ.a6r/- more impressive, characteristic of the Mes- .-al a/rroii, which ~ and D and other manu- sianic kingdom than yesterday. You are acripts admit with nnmerone modifications. fastening on the outward, acting on the In ver. 23 w>..o,&p,a is replaced by preponde- mere physical resources which you supposo rating authority by ,->,.ola. me to possess. These are not the elnime I • 'AA>,,a. is the reading of R.T., Westcott make on your loyalty or obedience. and Hort; 6.Ma II• of T.R., of Tischendorf Ver. 27.-Labour (work, toil, nub, IUI you (8th edit. omit.I U), Tregelle1, Laohmaun. are doing, fro111 l3eths11,ide. Julias to Oape'"  OIJ, \'I. 1-71.] 'I'IIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOH~. 257