Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 3:24
For John was not yet cast into prison.
24. This corrects the impression, naturally derived from the Synoptists, that Christ’s public ministry did not commence till after the imprisonment of the Baptist. The whole of these first three chapters and part of the fourth must be placed before Mat 4:12, where there are great gaps in the history.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For John was not yet cast into prison – See Luk 3:20. The mention of this shows that John was not imprisoned until some time after our Lord entered on his ministry. The design of John was to call men to repentance, and to prepare them for the Messiah, and this he continued to do after our Saviour commenced his work. It shows that a minister of religion should be industrious to the day of his death. John still toiled in his work not the less because the Messiah had come. So ministers should not labor less when Christ appears by his Spirit, and takes the work into his own hands, and turns many to himself.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
For John was yet in the exercise of his public ministry, not cast into prison, as he was soon after.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. John not yet cast intoprisonHence it is plain that our Lord’s ministry did notcommence with the imprisonment of John, though, but for this,we should have drawn that inference from Mt4:12 and Mark’s (Mr 1:14)express statement.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For John was not yet cast into prison. As he afterwards was by Herod, for the sake of Herodias, because he reproved Herod for taking her to be his wife, when she was wife to his brother Philip; see Mt 14:3; and this circumstance shows, that these things were done before that journey of Christ into Galilee, mentioned in Mt 4:12.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For John had not yet been cast into prison ( ). Periphrastic past perfect indicative of explaining () why John was still baptizing, the reason for the imprisonment having been given by Luke (Lu 3:19f.).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Prison [ ] . See on Act 5:18, 21.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For John was not yet,” (oupo gar en loannes) “Because John was not yet,” at this time, implying that he was shortly thereafter, Mat 14:3. John, the writer of this gospel, who had been with Jesus through all this period, seems to give a chronological sequence of events.
2) “Cast into prison.” (beblemenos eis ten phulaken) “Having been thrown into prison,” at the hand of Herod, because of anger and malice of Herod’s adulterous wife, whom John the Baptist had offended, as recounted Mat 6:17-29; Luk 9:7-9.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(24) Was not yet cast into prison.This Judan ministry, then, preceded the Galilean ministry of the earlier Gospels. (See Joh. 4:3, and Note on Mat. 4:12.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. John not prison This verse is a remarkable indication that our Evangelist writes for a body of readers who had a previous general acquaintance with the facts of Christian history. He assumes that they were aware that John was imprisoned, and knew about the time.
Occasion and delivery of John’s closing testimony, 25-36. Compare notes on Joh 1:19-37.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘For John had not yet been put in prison.’
John had not yet been put into prison. Thus this is before the ministries of Jesus mentioned in the other Gospels. Jesus is quite happy at this stage to be connected with John for whom He had profound admiration and they engage in parallel ministries. It was only when He learned that there was talk about His greater success than John, that He took the step of moving to Galilee so as not to upstage John.
It is clearly around this time that John was put into prison, and it is only then that Jesus was prepared to commence a wider, active ministry. While John was around, Jesus wished to act as support to his ministry and did not draw on his pool of disciples. But once John is in prison Jesus feels free to commence a new ministry in the power of the Spirit. We should note that we learn from the other Gospels that crowds followed Him ‘from Judea’. This tends to confirm that there had been an initial Judean ministry (Mar 3:7).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
corrects, in passing, the synoptic tradition, [169] which John knew as being widely spread, and the discrepancy in which is not to be explained either by placing the imprisonment between Joh 4:2-3 , and by taking the journey of Jesus to Galilee there related as the same with that mentioned in Matt
[169] It is supposed, indeed, that John simply wishes to intimate that what he records, vv. 22 36, must be placed before Mat 4:12 (Hengstenberg). But in the connection of Matthew, there is no place for it before Joh 4:12 .
Joh 3:24 corrects, in passing, the synoptic tradition, [170] which John knew as being widely spread, and the discrepancy in which is not to be explained either by placing the imprisonment between Joh 4:2-3 , and by taking the journey of Jesus to Galilee there related as the same with that mentioned in Mat 4:12 (Lcke, Tholuck, Olshausen, B. Crusius, Ebrard, Hengstenberg, and many others), or by making the journey of Mat 4:12 to coincide with that named in Joh 6:1 (Wieseler). See on Mat 4:12 . Apart from that purpose of correction, which is specially apparent if we compare Mat 4:17 (subtleties to the contrary in Ebrard), the remark, which was quite intelligible of itself, would be, to say the least, superfluous, unnecessary even to gain space for bringing Jesus and the Baptist again alongside each other (Keim), even if we were to venture to propose the suggestion, of which the text says nothing, that Jesus felt himself obliged, as the time of the Baptist was not yet expired, to bring the kingdom of God near, in keeping with the form which the Baptist had adopted (Luthardt, p. 79).
[170] It is supposed, indeed, that John simply wishes to intimate that what he records, vv. 22 36, must be placed before Mat 4:12 (Hengstenberg). But in the connection of Matthew, there is no place for it before Joh 4:12 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
Ver. 24. Cast into prison ] The primitive bishops were found more frequently in prisons than palaces. Bocardo became a college of Quondams, a as the Marian martyrs merrily called it. If Petronius could tell Caesar that he had rather be with Cato in the prison house than with him in the senate house; why should it grieve any to suffer bonds with and for Christ? Chrysostom had rather be Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ than Paul rapped up into tbe third heaven. (Homil. in Eph 3:1 ) , . (Dio Cass.)
a The former holder of some office or position; one who has been deposed or ejected; D
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
24. ] There is much difficulty, which probably never will be cleared up, about the date of the imprisonment of John, and its reference to the course of our Lord’s ministry. Between Mat 4:11-12 , there seems to be a wide hiatus, in which (see note there) the first chapters of this Gospel should be inserted. But the records from which the three synoptic Gospels have arisen were apparently unconscious of any such interval. Our Evangelist seems here to refer to such records, and to insert this remark, that it might not be imagined, as it would be from them, that our Lord’s public ministry (in the wider sense, see below on Joh 3:26 ) began with the imprisonment of the Baptist.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 3:24 . , “for not yet had John been cast into prison”: a clause inserted for the sake of those who might have gathered from the synoptic narrative that John was cast into prison immediately after the temptation of Jesus, Mar 1:14 , Mat 4:12 . John having been present with Jesus through all this period can give the sequence of the events with chronological precision.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
was = had been.
not yet. Greek. oupo, compound of ou.
prison = the prison. Compare Mat 4:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
24.] There is much difficulty, which probably never will be cleared up, about the date of the imprisonment of John, and its reference to the course of our Lords ministry. Between Mat 4:11-12, there seems to be a wide hiatus, in which (see note there) the first chapters of this Gospel should be inserted. But the records from which the three synoptic Gospels have arisen were apparently unconscious of any such interval. Our Evangelist seems here to refer to such records, and to insert this remark, that it might not be imagined, as it would be from them, that our Lords public ministry (in the wider sense, see below on Joh 3:26) began with the imprisonment of the Baptist.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 3:24. , not yet) Here the Evangelist takes for granted, what the others [Matthew, Mark, and Luke] bad written concerning the imprisonment of John the Baptist.-, for) Therefore John ceased to baptize, when he was cast into prison; not before.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 3:24
Joh 3:24
For John was not yet cast into prison.-Although Jesus was now teaching, had begun his public ministry and through his disciples was baptizing, John was not yet cast into prison and was still teaching. Both Jesus and John were teaching at the same time.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Mat 4:12, Mat 14:3, Mar 6:17, Luk 3:19, Luk 3:20, Luk 9:7-9
Reciprocal: Mat 11:2 – in
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
This is the only place where John mentions the imprisonment of John the Baptist. The manner of the injection of the subject into the story, indicates that John’s work was about over, and that his imprisonment was in the near future.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 3:24. For John was not yet east into prison. Words in which the Evangelist vindicates the accuracy of his narrative, and corrects a mistake apparently prevailing in the Church when he wrote. The earlier Gospels, dealing mainly with the Galilean work of Jesus, do not mention His entering upon His public ministry until after the Baptist had been delivered up. This seems to have led to an impression that the Baptist was imprisoned before our Lord entered on His public work. The false inference is here corrected.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Ver. 24. For John had not yet been cast into prison.
This remark of the evangelist is surprising, because there is nothing in what precedes which is adapted to occasion it. The fact of the incarceration of John the Baptist, as already accomplished, was not, in any way, implied in the preceding narrative. It is therefore elsewhere than in our Gospel that we must seek for the reason why the evangelist thinks that he must correct a misapprehension existing on this subject, as he evidently does by the remark of Joh 3:24. This reason is easily discovered in the narrative of our first two Synoptics: Mat 4:12 : Jesus, having heard that John was delivered up, withdrew into Galilee. Mar 1:14 :
After that John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee. These words immediately follow the account of the baptism and temptation; they would necessarily produce on the reader the impression that the imprisonment of John the Baptist had followed very closely upon the baptism of Jesus, and precededeven occasionedHis first return to Galilee; thus precisely the opinion which the remark of John sets aside. The account in Luk 3:19-20 is different; the imprisonment of the Baptist is there evidently mentioned only by way of anticipation. Hengstenberg thought that the narrative of Matthew and Mark might be explained by the fact that the first return of Jesus to Galilee the one which John relates in Joh 1:44was simply omitted by them. But we have seen (Joh 2:11) that the first visit of Jesus to Capernaum coincided with certain scenes of the very first period of the Galilean ministry related by the Synoptics.
It only remains, therefore, to acknowledge that frequently in the primitive oral tradition the first two returns from Judea to Galilee (Joh 1:44 and Joh 4:1-3) were blended together. From this identification would, naturally, result the suppression of the entire interval which had separated themthat is to say, of almost a whole year of Jesus’ ministry. To recover this ground which had disappeared, John was thus obliged expressly to restore the distinction between the two returns. He was especially obliged to do this on reaching the fact which he is about to relate, a fact which falls precisely in this interval.Hilgenfeld himself, speaking of this passage, says: Involuntarily the fourth evangelist bears witness here of his acquaintance with the Synoptical narrative.
There is nothing to criticise in this remark except the word involuntarily. For the intentional character of this parenthesis, Joh 3:24, is obvious. We have already proved in John the evident intention of distinguishing these two returns to Galilee by the manner in which he spoke of the miracle of Cana, Joh 2:11; we shall have occasion to make a similar remark of the same character, with reference to Joh 4:54. As for the way in which this confusion arose in the tradition written out by the Synoptics, we may remember that it was only after the second return to Galilee that Jesus began that uninterrupted prophetic ministry which the first three Gospels portray for us very particularly and which was the beginning of the foundation of the Church. However important were the attempts made in Judea, up to this time, in the description of the development of Jewish unbelief which John traced, they could just as easily be omitted in the narrative of the actual establishment of the kingdom of God, and of the foundation of the Church which was the result of the Galilean ministry, related especially by the Synoptics.
We can draw from this twenty-fourth verse an important conclusion with respect to the position of the author of the fourth Gospel in the midst of the primitive Church. Who else but an apostle, but an apostle of the first rank, but an apostle recognized as such, could have taken in his writing a position so sovereign with regard to the tradition received in the Church, emanating from the Twelve, and recorded in the Gospels which were anterior to his own? By a stroke of the pen to introduce so considerable a modification in a narrative clothed with such authority, he must have been, and have felt himself to be, possessed of an authority which was altogether incontestable.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Verse 24
For John was not yell cast into prison. From the first three Evangelists one would naturally conclude that our Lord’s public ministry only began after the Baptist’s imprisonment. But here, about six months, probably, after our Lord had entered upon His public ministry, we find the Baptist still at his work of preaching and baptizing. How much longer this continued cannot be determined with certainty; but probably not very long. For the great importance of this little verse for the right harmonizing of the Gospels, and determining the probable duration of our Lord’s ministry, see on Matt. 4:12.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Obviously John continued preaching and baptizing after Jesus began ministering, and he did so until Herod Antipas imprisoned him. The Synoptic writers began their narratives of Jesus’ public ministry with His ministry in Galilee. They viewed the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as starting with John the Baptist’s imprisonment (Mar 1:14). The Apostle John began his narrative of Jesus’ ministry with His earlier Judean ministry. From him alone we learn that between Jesus’ temptation and John the Baptist’s arrest John and Jesus baptized at the same time. His reference to John the Baptist’s imprisonment is important because it helps the reader see that John’s account does not contradict the Synoptics. Yet his primary concern was John the Baptist’s witness to Jesus.