The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 448

In oh. 1:I. 49-51, they so.id o.nd prophesied phus co.Us it " the very sacred close ( uvµ.,rl- more thnn thoy knew. Arohdeo.con Wo.tkins pa.uµa) of the yee.r." The LXX. gives the so.ye, "Tho irony of history is seon in the onrious translation l(o31ov for azereth, equi- fa.et thnt the very words of these J ewe of vo.lent to "assembly." Thie l(o5iov Philo Po.loetine a.re recorded in Greok, by e. Jow (' De Septenaris ') describes as the end of of l'o.loetine, presiding over o. Ohristio.n the feetivo.ls of the se.cred yeo.r. llfeyer, Ohurch in o. Gentile city." Alford, Goclet, Lange, o.ncl mo.ny others re- Vor. 36.-Whnt is this word (A&-yor) whioh gard the eighth clo.y as that here referred t.o he spake, Ye ahe.ll seek me, e.nd ye sho.ll notby the wore! "great," an,l find, in tl,e very find (me), 1 o.nd where I e.m, ye ce.nnot come1o.bsence of the ceremonial of drawing water This verso is simply e. repetition of the from the Pool of Si loam, the occasion which Lord's sentence, which, notwithste.nding their provoked the reference of our Lord to hia do.mo.ging interprote.tion o.nrl unconscious own power to meet the spiritual thirst of prophecy of greo.t events, ho.unted them with mankind, thns repeating what be had so.id o. weird power, e.nd loft them, ns his word left lo the womo.n of Se.marie. of his own grace, tho officers who were silenced e.nd pare.lyzed with further e.nd nobler expansions. The by it, with o. sense of undiscovered e.nd e.wful songs which he.d been sung on every pre- mee.ning. Doth here and in ver. 45 we see vious do.y of the feast were sung without that the eve.ngelist ho.cl access to the idco.sthe epeoio.l rejoicings and water-ceremonie.l. and converse of the "Jews," which proves Hence some have thought that the very that he had epecio.l sources of information centre.at between the previous do.ye e.nd thi.:i to which the ordinary eynoptio tro.dition le.et de.y, " gree.t" in other respects, me.y wo.e strange. The thought grows upon one have me.de the reference quite o.s impressive that John was more than the mere fisherman o.s if the following words he.d been spoken of the le.ke. He we.e e. friend of Nicodemus, in some po.use, or at the co11clnsion of the and known' to Ce.io.phas. It is clear thnt great Ho.llel of the seventh day. So West- some further time elapses. This converse.- cott. lt should, however, be noted the.t tion, of which we have the prominent items, Rabbi Jude. (in the Geme.re. on 'Succo.h ') the chief uttero.nccs, wo.e producing its effectasserts that the water-pouring took place 011 upon the two-sided multitude, upon "the the eighth day o.e well. This is supposed, Jews," the "Pharisees," the city party, the by Le.nge, to be ino.conre.t.e or e. later e.ddi• chief priests. The Lord probe.bly retired tion. Eclersheim, however, ha.a given strong once more to the house of Lazarus or of reasons for believing the.t very specie.I John. ce1·emonie.l took place 011 the seventh do.y. Vera. 87-39.-(6) The claim to be Organ The people, e.ll carrying in both hand.i and Giver of the Holy Spirit. their palm, myrtle, e.nd citron bran.ches, Ver. 37.-Now on the last day, the great divided into three compo.nies, one of which day of the fee.et. A question e.risee-Wo.s waited in the temple, 011e went to Moye. to the le.et do.y the seventh or the eighth de.y? fetch willow branches to adorn the e.lto.r, o.nd and wl,y wo.s it co.lied the great do.y? The e. third repaired with music to the Pool of qneetio11 ce.11not be finally o.newered. The Siloam, where the priest filled his golden goblet with water, fl.lld returned, with blast l!'eo.et of 'l'e.berne.olce, o.ccording to Numb. nix.12 and Deut.xvi. 13,is so.id to wt seven of trumpet, by the we.ter-gate, to the court ot days ; o.nd, so far e.s the Mose.io ceremonie.l the priests. '!'here he was joined by other goes, the ceromo11inl of the seventh do.y wo.e priests with vessels of wine. The water less imposing 1111d festive the.n either of the was poured into the silver funnel, e.nd e.t preceding de.ye. But Numb. 1:xix. 35 shows this e.ct burst forth the great Hillie! (Ps. tho.t the eighth de.y we.e o.lso oelebre.ted o.s a cxiii.-<lxviii.) in respo11Sive chorus. The sofomn assembly, on which no servile work people shook their po.Im branches as theyso.ng oould be done (cf. Lev. xxiii. 36; Neh. viii. the words," Oh, give th.uiki! n.c.to the Loru." I 8). In 2 Mo.cc. J:. 6 eight dtiye of the 011 the last day, the great day of the fcaat, feast were spoken of. 011 tho day of holy the priests compassed the e.ltar seve11 ti.rucs 0011vooo.tion the people removed or left their before the sacri.fices were kindled, o.nd the booths, e.nd thus commemorated, with gree.t sougs e.ccompanying the ceremony of this rejoicing, the close of the wilderness-period clay were co.lied " the great Hosa.une.." As and the commenceme11t of their no.tio110.l the people left the temple they .iliook off history. It mo.y, moreover, have been co.I.led their willow leaves 011 the altar, e.ncl beat " the groo.t day" because ii. wo.e the olosi11g their po.Im bro.uches to pieces. Edersheill.l de.y of all the festivo.ls of the yce.r. Jose- thinks tho.t it was e.t the moment whe11 the pe.uso o.fter the greo.t Ho.lie! occurred the.t 1 The JJ.f ie introduced, not by Tisohendorf Jesus lifted up his voice, o.ncl there is much (8th ediL.), but by R.T. and L11ohm11nn, on probe.bility i11 the suggestion. Alford, o.e- the nuthol'ity, m11inly, of D, G, T, I, IW.d cepting the 11011-pow·ing of the water 011 the thNC vel'lliOIW. eighth dt\y,couaider; that the ,·eryo.L,euce of  818 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [oe. vn. 1-63.