Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 12:41
These things said Isaiah, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
41. when he saw ] The better reading is, because he saw. We had a similar double reading in Joh 12:17, where ‘when’ is to be preferred. In the Greek the difference is only a single letter, and . Christ’s glory was revealed to Isaiah in a vision, and therefore he spoke of it. The glory of the Son before the Incarnation, when He was ‘in the form of God’ (Php 2:6), is to be understood.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
When he saw his glory – Isa 6:1-10. Isaiah saw the Lord (in Hebrew, Yahweh) sitting on a throne and surrounded with the seraphim. This is perhaps the only instance in the Bible in which Yahweh is said to have been seen by man, and for this the Jews affirm that Isaiah was put to death. God had said Exo 33:20, No man shall see me and live; and as Isaiah affirmed that he had seen Yahweh, the Jews, for that and other reasons, put him to death by sawing him asunder. See Introduction to Isaiah, Section 2. In the prophecy Isaiah is said expressly to have seen Yahweh Joh 12:1; and in Joh 12:5, Mine eyes have seen the King Yahweh of hosts. By his glory is meant the manifestation of him – the Shechinah, or visible cloud that was a representation of God, and that rested over the mercy-seat. This was regarded as equivalent to seeing God, and John here expressly applies this to the Lord Jesus Christ; for he is nor affirming that the people did not believe in God, but is assigning the reason why they believed not on Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The whole discourse has respect to the Lord Jesus, and the natural construction of the passage requires us to refer it to him. John affirms that it was the glory of the Messiah that Isaiah saw, and yet Isaiah affirms that it was Yahweh; and from this the inference is irresistible that John regarded Jesus as the Yahweh whom Isaiah saw. The name Yahweh is never, in the Scriptures, applied to a man, or an angel, or to any creature. It is the unique, incommunicable name of God. So great was the reverence of the Jews for that name that they would not even pronounce it. This passage is therefore conclusive proof that Christ is equal with the Father.
Spake of him – Of the Messiah. The connection requires this interpretation.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 41. When he saw his glory] Isa 6:1, c. I saw Jehovah, said the prophet, sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim and one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah, God of hosts; the whole earth shall be full of his glory! It appears evident, from this passage, that the glory which the prophet saw was the glory of Jehovah: John, therefore, saying here that it was the glory of Jesus, shows that he considered Jesus to be Jehovah. See Bishop Pearce. Two MSS. and a few versions have , and , the glory of God, or of his God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The evangelist saith, that these things Esaias said, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Isaiahs sight of Gods glory is described, Isa 6:1, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, &c. The evangelist expounds this of Christ, which is an evident proof of the Deity of Christ, that he is Jehovah; for it was Jehovah whom the prophet there saw: and that the revelation of that dreadful wrath of God, did not only concern that particular age in which Isaiah lived, but the successive generation of the Jews, whom the prophet saw by the eye of prophecy would tread in the same steps, and use Christ (the Heir) as their forefathers had used him, and the prophets of that age.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
41. These things said Esaias, whenhe saw his glory, and spake of hima key of immense importanceto the opening of Isaiah’s vision (Isa6:1-13), and all similar Old Testament representations. “THESON is the King Jehovahwho rules in the Old Testament and appears to the elect, as in theNew Testament THE SPIRIT,the invisible Minister of the Son, is the Director of the Church andthe Revealer in the sanctuary of the heart” [OLSHAUSEN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
These things said Esaias,…. Concerning the blinding and hardening of the Jews:
when he saw his glory, and spake of him; when he saw, in a visionary way, the glory of the Messiah in the temple, and the angels covering their faces with their wings at the sight of him; and when he spake of him as the King, the Lord of hosts, whom he had seen, Isa 6:1, from whence it is clear that he had respect to the Jews in the times of the Messiah. The prophet says in Isa 6:1 that he “saw the Lord”: the Targumist renders it, “I saw”, , “the glory of Jehovah”; and in Isa 6:5 he says, “mine eyes have seen the King”, Jehovah, Zebaot, the Lord of hosts; which the Chaldee paraphrase renders, “mine eyes have seen”, , “the glory” of the Shekinah, the King of the world, the Lord of hosts. Agreeably to which our Lord says here, that he saw his glory, the glory of his majesty, the glory of his divine nature, the train of his divine perfections, filling the temple of the human nature; and he spoke of him as the true Jehovah, the Lord of hosts; and which therefore is a very clear and strong proof of the proper divinity of Christ. And it may be observed from hence, that such persons who have a true, spiritual, and saving sight of Christ, of the glory of his person, and the fulness of his grace, cannot but be speaking of him to others, either in private, or in public, as Isaiah here did, and as the church in So 5:10; and as the apostles of Christ, Joh 1:1; and indeed, should they hold their peace, the stones would cry out; such must, and will speak of his glory in his temple, Ps 29:9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Because he saw his glory ( ). Correct reading here (because), not (when). Isaiah with spiritual vision saw the glory of the Messiah and spoke () of him, John says, whatever modern critics may think or say. So Jesus said that Abraham saw his day (8:56). Cf. Heb 11:13.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
When [] . The best texts read oti, because.
His glory. In the vision in the temple, Isa 6:1, 3, 5.
Of Him. Christ.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “These things said Esaias,” (tauta eipen Esaias) “Isaiah said these things in prophecy,” in the presence and under the Spirit of God, as recognized by the apostle John, as here recounted, Isa 6:1. Isaiah saw the Lord Jehovah (Jesus), high and lifted up, exalted before the Father, to be honored, adored, and worshipped.
2) “When he saw his glory,” (hoti eiden ten doksan autou) “Because he saw his glory,” His majestic appearance that reflected His Divine attributes of Holiness, mercy, love, and justice, etc., Isa 1:1-3.
3) “And spake of him.” (kai elalesen peri autou) “And he spoke concerning him,” and of His appearance, and emotions in His presence, as he received his message from this Holy one, to bear to an unholy people, a truly “Great commission,” Isa 6:6-12; And these Scriptures, as prophecy, to speak of “Him,” the Redeemer, Act 10:43; Rev 19:10 c; Act 1:8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
41. These things spoke Jesus. Lest readers should think that this prediction was inappropriately quoted, John expressly states, that the prophet was not sent as a teacher to a single age, but, on the contrary, that the glory of Christ was exhibited to him, that he might be a witness of those things which should take place under his reign. Now the Evangelist takes for granted, that Isaiah saw the glory of Christ; and hence he infers, that Isaiah accommodates his instruction to the future state of Christ’s kingdom.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(41) These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory.The better text is, . . . because he saw His glory. (Comp. Note on the reading in Joh. 12:17.) The result of seeing His glory was that he spake of Him. This is St. Johns interpretation of the prophecy. Isaiah himself tells us, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple (Joh. 6:1). But no man hath seen God at any time. The Word is the express image of His Person. This glory was of the pre-incarnate Word, who was in the beginning with God, and was God.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
41. Saw his glory Saw whose glory? Plainly, according to the passage in the prophet Isa 6:1-10, Jehovah’s glory; the term Lord in capitals standing in our Old Testament translation. And this Jehovah is the proper incommunicable name of the God of Israel. And here the Evangelist tells us that this glory of Jehovah was the glory of Jesus of Jehovah-Jesus. He assumes this as being of course the belief of his contemporaneous readers. And this accords with the fact that the earliest Christian Fathers, as Justin Martyr, as well as the biblical scholars of all ages, have held that the Jehovah of the Old Testament, manifesting himself in various ways to the Old Testament saints, was no other than the God manifest in the flesh of the new dispensation.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joh 12:41. These things said Esaias, when, &c. He uttered these remarkable words, when in vision he saw the glory of the Son of God, and the manifestations which he was to make of the divine counsels; and described the effect which these manifestations were to have upon his hearers; for which reason they are a prophetical description of the men of the age in which Jesus lived. We have observed, in the note on Isa 6:1 that from this passage Christ is evidently proved to be the Jehovah: but the reader who may be desirous to see this argument in its full force, is referred, not only to the authors there quoted, but particularly to the excellent Bishop Pearson on the Creed, p. 125.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 12:41 . (see the critical notes): because he saw His glory, and (in consequence of this view) spoke of Him . This was the occasion that moved him, and it led to his speaking what is contained in Joh 12:40 .
] refers to Christ , the subject of , Joh 12:40 , and the chief person in the whole subject under contemplation (Joh 12:37 ). According to Isa 6:1 ff., the prophet, indeed, beheld God’s glory, God sitting upon His throne, attended by seraphim, etc.; but in the O. T. theophanies, it is just Christ who is present as the Logos , [119] and their glory is His. See on Joh 1:1 . Of course the glory of Christ before the incarnation is intended, the (Phi 2:6 ), in which He was.
. ] still dependent on ; has the emphasis as the correlate of .
[119] From which a conclusion can as little be drawn against the personality of the Logos (Beyschlag, p. 166 f.), as from the angelic theophanies against the personality of the angel or angels concerned (not even in Rev 5:6 ). That the idea of angels in the N. T. wavers between personality and personification is not correct. Observe also, that the self-revelation of the devil does not set aside the personality of the man who is the bearer of it (as Judas). Further, the , implying the identity of Christ with the Logos, here shows clearly enough that the latter is viewed as personal. Comp. also Pfleiderer, in Hilgenfeld, ZeitsChr. 1866, p. 258.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
Ver. 41. When he saw his glory ] His train only in the temple, Isa 6:1 , where the seraphims are said to hide their faces with two wings, as with a double scarf, before God’s glorious brightness, that would put out their eyes else; they clap their wings on their faces, as men do their hands when the lightning flasheth in their eyes.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
41. ] ., because he saw. “This apocalyptic vision was the occasion of that prophecy.” Meyer.
, of Christ . The Evangelist is giving his judgment, having ( Luk 24:45 ) had his understanding opened to understand the Scriptures, that the passage in Isaiah is spoken of Christ . And indeed, strictly considered, the glory which Isaiah saw could only be that of the Son, Who is the of the Father, Whom no eye hath seen.
. . . . does not depend on : and he spake concerning Him.
Joh 12:41 . John’s view of prophecy is given in the words . “The Targum renders the original words of Isaiah ‘I saw the Lord’ by ‘I saw the Lord’s glory’. St. John states the truth to which this expression points, and identifies the Divine Person seen by Isaiah with Christ.” Westcott. This involves that the Theophanies of the O.T. were mediated by the pre-existent Logos.
when. Greek hote. All the texts read hoti, because.
glory. Greek. doxa. One of the characteristic words in John’s Gospel. See Joh 1:14.
of = concerning. Greek. peri. App-104.
41.] ., because he saw. This apocalyptic vision was the occasion of that prophecy. Meyer.
, of Christ. The Evangelist is giving his judgment,-having (Luk 24:45) had his understanding opened to understand the Scriptures,-that the passage in Isaiah is spoken of Christ. And indeed, strictly considered, the glory which Isaiah saw could only be that of the Son, Who is the of the Father, Whom no eye hath seen.
. . . . does not depend on : and he spake concerning Him.
Joh 12:41. , when he saw His glory) Instead of , one or two copies write from Joh 12:43; but with this reading the application of Isaiahs inspired declaration to the times of Christ would be weakened.[327] Isaiah, ch. Joh 6:1 [In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne], saw the divine glory of Jesus: Joh 1:14, We beheld His glory, the glory of the Only-begotten of the Father, Joh 17:1, etc., in such a way, moreover, as it was about to be revealed in the New Testament, and as the Jews were not about to recognise it.- , and spake) There is to be understood , when, as , that, is understood at Joh 12:16. What is pointed to is that speech of the prophet, which is mentioned conjointly with the vision which he saw: Isa 6:5, Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
[327] Dd read . Memph. and Theb. Versions read . But ABabc Vulg. Rec. Text and Hil. read . Note also that the oldest MSS. ABLX, the Memph. and Theb. Versions, read . Dabc Vulg. however support the Rec. Text, .-E. and T.
Joh 12:41
Joh 12:41
These things said Isaiah, because he saw his glory; and he spake of him.–Isaiah foresaw the glory of the works and power of Jesus and foretold of these, and yet how few would believe him.
when: Isa 6:1-5, Isa 6:9, Isa 6:10
saw: Joh 1:14, Joh 1:18, Joh 14:9, Exo 33:18-23, 2Co 4:6, Heb 1:3
spake: Joh 5:39, Act 10:43, 1Pe 1:11, Rev 19:10
Reciprocal: Jdg 6:22 – because Job 42:5 – mine Son 2:9 – showing Isa 35:2 – they shall Isa 40:5 – the glory Eze 43:2 – the glory Luk 2:9 – and the Joh 2:11 – manifested Joh 9:39 – might be Joh 11:40 – see Joh 12:45 – General Act 7:2 – The God Act 7:55 – and saw 2Co 3:18 – the glory Heb 11:13 – but
1
The account of this vision is in Isa 6:1-10. Saw his glory is described in the first four verses of the passage cited.
These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
[When he saw his glory.] Isa 6:1; “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne.” Where the Targum, I saw the Lord’s glory; etc. So Exo 24:10; “They saw the God of Israel.” Targum, “They saw the glory of the God of Israel.” And Exo 24:11; “And they saw God.” Targum, “And they saw the glory of God.” So the Targumists elsewhere very often: commended therefore by their followers for so rendering it, Because no man could see God.
It might be therefore thought that our evangelist speaks with the Targumist and the nation when he saith, that “Isaiah saw his glory”; whereas the prophet himself saith, “He saw the Lord.”
But there is a deeper meaning in it: nor do I doubt but this glory of our Saviour which Isaiah saw was that kind of glory by which he is described when he was to come to avenge himself and punish the Jewish nation. As when he is said, “to come in his kingdom,” and “in his glory,” and “in the clouds,” etc. viz. in his vindictive glory. For observe,
1. The prophet saw “the posts of the door shaken and removed,” as hastening to ruin. 2. “The Temple itself filled with smoke”: not with the cloud as formerly, the token of the divine presence, but with smoke, the forerunner and prognostic of that fire that should burn and consume it. 3. He saw the seraphim, angels of fire, because of the predetermined burning. 4. He heard the decree about blinding and hardening the people till the cities be wasted, and the land desolate.
Joh 12:41. These things said Isaiah, because he saw his glory; and he spake concerning him. When we remember that the chapter of Isaiah from which the quotation of Joh 12:39-40 is taken is that in which the prophet sees the glory of the Lord, it may appear at first sight as if it were only the glorious vision there beheld by him that is here referred to. Yet it is impossible not to feel that this 41st verse, connected as it is in the closest manner with the words immediately preceding it, must really refer to that work of Christ to which the Evangelist had applied the prophets words; and that His glory must point to the glory of the self-manifestation of Jesus by means of the signs of Joh 12:37 (comp. chap. Joh 2:11). It is clear, therefore, that John intentionally unites that Jesus who is the I in I shall heal them with the Lord spoken of in Isa 6:1, etc.unites, in short, the Incarnate Word as Messiah and Prophet and the Divine Word in His glory, sitting on a throne high and lifted up, and His train filling the temple. But that is precisely the lesson of his whole Gospel; and it is this truth, so deeply imbedded in it, that gives unity and force to the passage we have been considering.
One point must still be briefly noticed in connection with these verses. If the Jews were thus doomed to unbelief, where was their guilt? The answer is, that they are supposed to have wilfully rejected the revelation and grace of God before that point of their history is reached which is now in the eye both of prophet and Evangelist. Their whole previous training ought to have prepared them for receiving the claims of Jesus. They abused that training; they ceased to be of the truth; they blinded themselves; and judicial blindness followed. It is only necessary to add that what we have spoken of as a previous training may belong to the order of thought rather than to that of time. Almost at the very instant when the Almighty appeals to me by the presentation of Jesus, He may be appealing to me by His providence, His grace, the general working of His Spirit, so as to make me ready to receive Jesus; these dealings I may so use that the bent of my character may at once appear, and if I am judicially doomed to darkness, the very sentence that dooms me is the consequence of my own folly and sin.
Ver. 41. This did Isaiah say, when he saw his glory and spoke of him.
John justifies in this verse the application which he has just made to Jesus Christ of the vision of Isaiah 6. The Adonai whom Isaiah beheld at that moment was the divine being who is incarnated in Jesus. Herein also John and Paul meet together; comp. 1Co 10:4, where Paul calls the one who guided Israel from the midst of the cloud Christ. Some interpreters have tried to refer the pronoun , of him, not to Christ, but to God. But the last words: and spoke of him, would be useless in this sense and this remark would be aimless in the context. The Alexandrian reading, because he saw, instead of when he saw, is adopted by Tischendorf, Weiss, Keil, etc. But it does not appear to me acceptable. Its only reasonable sense would be: because he really saw his glory and spoke of Him so long beforehand (a thing which seems impossible). But this reflection would be very coldly apologetic and quite useless for readers who were accustomed to hear the prophecies quoted. It is much more easy to understand how the conjunction , which is quite rarely used, may have been replaced by , which appears in every line, than how the reverse could have taken place. The ancient Latin and Syriac versions are agreed in supporting the received text. The sense of the latter is simple and perfectly suitable. It was of Christ, who manifested Himself to him as Adonai, that Isaiah spokewhen he uttered such words. John proves that he has the right to apply this passage here.
It might be inferred from Joh 12:37-41 that no Jew had either believed or been able to believe; Joh 12:42-43, while completing this historical resume, remove this misapprehension, but, at the same time, explain the want of significance of these few exceptions with reference to the general course of the history.
In the vision that Isaiah recorded in Isaiah 6, the prophet wrote that he saw God’s glory (Isa 6:3). Now John wrote that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory and spoke of Jesus. Obviously John regarded Jesus as God (cf. Joh 1:18; Joh 10:30; Joh 20:28; Col 2:9). Isaiah had spoken of Jesus in that he had revealed many messianic prophecies. Earlier Jesus had claimed that Moses had written about Him (Joh 5:46).
These quotations justify interpreting the Old Testament servant of the Lord passages as referring to the Messiah. There has long been a debate within Judaism and liberal Christianity about whether these passages refer to a personal Messiah or only to Israel.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)