Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 4:50
Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
50. the man believed ] The father’s faith is healed at the same time as the son’s body.
had spoken ] Better, spake; aorist, not pluperfect.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Go thy way – This was a kind and tender address. It was designed to convince him that he could word a miracle though not personally present.
Thy son liveth – Thy son shall recover; or he shall be restored to health, according to thy request.
The man believed – The manner in which Jesus spoke it, and the assurance which he gave, convinced the man that he could heal him there as well as to go to Capernaum to do it. This is an instance of the power of Jesus to convince the mind, to soothe doubts, to confirm faith, and to meet our desires. He blesses not always in the manner in which we ask, but he grants us our main wish. The father wished his son healed by Jesus going down to Capernaum. Jesus healed him, but not in the way in which he asked it to be done. God will hear our prayers and grant our requests, but often not in the precise manner in which we ask it. It is his to judge of the best way of doing us good.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 50. Go thy way; thy son liveth.] Had our Lord gone with him, as he wished, his unbelief could not have been fully removed; as he would have still thought that our Lord’s power could not reach from Cana to Capernaum: in order to destroy his unbelief at once, and bring him into the fulness of the faith of his supreme power, he cures him, being apparently absent, by that energy through which he fills both the heavens and the earth. Here it may be observed, our blessed Lord did what this man requested him to do, but not in the way in which he wished it to be done. God will save all to the uttermost who call upon him, but not in the way in which they may desire. Eternal life is the free gift of God, and he has a right to give it as he pleases; and he always gives his gifts in that way in which his glory is best promoted, and our eternal interest secured.
The man believed the word] And yet it appears that he had suspended his faith upon a certain condition: “If I find on my return that my son is healed, I will believe that Jesus is the Messiah.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Our Saviour would neither discourage the weak faith of this nobleman, nor yet encourage his weakness: he healeth his son for the encouragement of his faith; he doth it by his word, without going down to him, that he might not gratify his weakness, thinking his personal presence was necessary; he bids him go, for his son was recovered (that is here meant by liveth). Upon this his faith groweth, and he who before only believed Christ to be a prophet, probably upon others hearsay, now believeth his word, that is, was persuaded that his son was indeed recovered.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
50. Go thy way; thy son livethBotheffects instantaneously followed:”The man believed the word,”and the cure, shooting quicker than lightning from Cana to Capernaum,was felt by the dying youth. In token of faith, the father takes hisleave of Christin the circumstances this evidenced full faith. Theservants hasten to convey the joyful tidings to the anxious parents,whose faith now only wants one confirmation. “When beganhe to amend? . . . Yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever lefthim”the very hour in which was uttered that great word, “Thyson liveth!” So “himself believed and his whole house.”He had believed before this, first very imperfectly; then withassured confidence of Christ’s word; but now with a faith crowned by”sight.” And the wave rolled from the head to the membersof his household. “To-day is salvation come to this house“(Lu 19:9); and no mean housethis!
second miracle Jesus didthatis, in Cana; done “after He came out of Judea,” as theformer before.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Jesus saith unto him, go thy way,…. Return home in peace, be not over much troubled and distressed about this matter; leave it with me, I will take care of it; all will be well: so the Persic version reads, “be not anxious, and go thy way”; do not be solicitous for my presence, or urge me to go with thee; depart alone, there is no necessity for my being upon the spot:
thy son liveth; he is now recovered of his disease, and is well, and in perfect health, and lives, and will live:
and the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him; such power went along with the words of Christ, as not only cured the son at that distance, who lay at the point of death, but also the father of his unbelief; and he no more insisted on his going down with him, but firmly believed that his son was alive, and well, as Christ had said he was:
and he went his way; he took his leave of Christ, and set out for Capernaum; very probably, not the same day, it being now in the afternoon of the day; but the next morning, as it should seem from what follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Thy son liveth ( ). “Thy son is living,” and will not now die, Jesus means. Words too good and gracious to be true. His son is healed without Jesus even going to Capernaum, “absent treatment” so to speak, but without the cure being absent.
Believed the word ( ). Instantaneous faith (aorist active indicative), trusted the word (dative case ).
Went his way (). Inchoative imperfect middle, “started on his way,” acted on his faith.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way;- (legei auto ho lesous poreuou) “Jesus says to him, go on,” as you will, on back home, to his side.
2) “Thy son liveth.” (ho huios sou ze) “Your son lives,” is alive; He is not dead, but lives on and will be all right, is the idea conveyed, as He had spoken to the centurion whose servant was sick with palsy, Mat 8:13.
3) “And the man believed the word ‘ “ (episteusen ho anthropos to logo) “The man trusted the word or statement,” without physically seeing the miraculous power of Jesus demonstrated in healing his son, at that moment, some twenty miles away, down in Capernaum, much as the Syrophenician woman experienced, Mar 7:29-30.
4) “That Jesus had spoken unto him,” (hon eipen auto ho lesous) “Which Jesus said directly unto him,” that his son lives yet, and would continue to live.
5) “And he went his way.” (kai eporeueto) “And he went his way, or went away,” believing that he would find his son healed, as he did, Joh 4:51-53.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
50. Thy son liveth. The first thing that strikes us here is, the astonishing kindness and condescension of Christ, that he bears with the man’s ignorance, and stretches his power beyond what had been expected. He requested that Christ would come to the place and cure his son. He thought it possible that his son could be freed from sickness and disease, but not that he could be raised up after he was dead; and therefore he urges Christ to make haste, that his son’s recovery may not be prevented by his death. Accordingly, when Christ pardons both, we may conclude from it how highly he values even a small measure of faith. It is worthy of observation that Christ, while he does not comply with his desire, grants much more than he had requested; for he testifies as to the present health of his son. Thus it frequently happens that our Heavenly Father, while he does not comply with our wishes in every particular, proceeds to relieve us by unexpected methods, that we may learn not to prescribe to him in anything. When he says, Thy son liveth, he means that he has been rescued from the danger of death.
The man believed the word which Jesus had spoken to him. Having come with the conviction that Christ was a prophet of God, he was on that account so much disposed to believe, that, as soon as he had heard a single word, he seized it and fixed it in his heart. Though he did not entertain all the respect that he ought for the power of Christ, yet a short promise suddenly awoke new confidence in his mind, so that he believed the life of his son to be contained in a single word of Christ. And such is the promptitude with which we ought to receive the word of God, but it is very far from producing always so immediate an effect on the hearers. For how many will you find that profit as much by many sermons as this man, who was half a heathen, profited by hearing a single word? So much the more ought we to labor with zeal to arouse our sluggishness, and, above all, to pray that God would touch our hearts in such a manner, that we may not be less willing to believe than He is ready and gracious to promise.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(50) Go thy way.His faith is to be strengthened, and is to pass beyond a trust in aid through bodily presence. Jesus will not go down, but he is himself to go with the assurance, Thy son liveth. Up to this point he had believed on the testimony of others, but he, too, now believes on account of the word of Christ Himself.
Had spoken unto him.Better, spake unto him. The word he believed was that spoken then.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
50. The man believed His very earnest desire prompted faith in the bodily healing.
Went his way From Cana to Capernaum.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Jesus says to him, “Go on your way, your son lives.” The man believed the words that Jesus spoke to him and he went his way.’
So Jesus put his faith to the test. ‘Go your way, your son will live’, He said. Compare, ‘Draw out now and bear to the ruler of the feast’ (Joh 2:8). There too the drawers had had to exercise faith simply because Jesus had commanded it. Many would have hesitated and wanted more assurance, or pressed Jesus to come in person, but crucially the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him. Here at least was one man who had confidence in Jesus and His word. He had no doubts. He went confidently on his way. Jesus had thus achieved a number of things. He had not openly done a wonder and thus brought about a desire in people for more wonders. He had made the man think deeply about what and why he was seeking. And He had revealed that compassion that never failed those in need.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
Ver. 50. Thy son liveth ] Is in very good health; for non est vivere, sed valere, vita It is not to live but to live in good health, (Martial). So God is better to us ofttimes than our prayers, than our hopes.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
50. ] The bringing out and strengthening of the man’s faith by these words was almost as great a spiritual miracle, as the material one which they indicated.
We may observe the difference between our Lord’s dealing here and in the case of the centurion (Mat 8:6 ff. and [70] ). There, when from humility the man requests Him to speak the word only, He offers to go to his house: here, when pressed to go down, He speaks the word only. Thus (as Trench observes, after Chrysostom) the weak faith of the nobleman is strengthened, while the humility of the centurion is honoured.
[70] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25 , the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified , thus, ‘ Mk.,’ or ‘ Mt. Mk.,’ &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 4:50 . And now the man believed [or ] . His first immature faith has grown into something better. The evident sincerity of Jesus quickens a higher faith. On Christ’s word he departs home, believing he will find his son healed.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
liveth. Greek. zao. A word characteristic of this Gospel. See p. 1511, and compare App-170.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
50.] The bringing out and strengthening of the mans faith by these words was almost as great a spiritual miracle, as the material one which they indicated.
We may observe the difference between our Lords dealing here and in the case of the centurion (Mat 8:6 ff. and [70]). There, when from humility the man requests Him to speak the word only, He offers to go to his house: here, when pressed to go down, He speaks the word only. Thus (as Trench observes, after Chrysostom) the weak faith of the nobleman is strengthened, while the humility of the centurion is honoured.
[70] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25, the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified, thus, Mk., or Mt. Mk., &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 4:50. , liveth) In antithesis to, before that he die, Joh 4:49.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 4:50
Joh 4:50
Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.-Jesus saw in his earnest entreaty the manifestation of an earnest and humble faith, and in response to this faith Jesus did more than he asked. He healed the son without going down.
The man believed the word that Jesus spake unto him, and he went his way.-It was another manifestation of his trusting faith that he was willing to accept this assurance and to return home without Jesus.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Go: Joh 11:40, 1Ki 17:13-15, Mat 8:13, Mar 7:29, Mar 7:30, Mar 9:23, Mar 9:24, Luk 17:14, Act 14:9, Act 14:10, Rom 4:20, Rom 4:21, Heb 11:19
Reciprocal: 1Ki 14:12 – when thy feet 1Ki 17:16 – the barrel Ecc 9:7 – Go Mat 15:28 – be it Mar 1:42 – immediately Luk 5:13 – immediately Luk 7:10 – General Joh 4:51 – Thy
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Jesus did not accompany the father back to his home, but bade him go on his way, with the assurance that his son would live. The nobleman was satisfied to leave for home alone, because he believed the word of Jesus. Had he lingered to repeat his request for Jesus to go with him, it would have indicated that he was in doubt.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 4:50. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. The man believed the word that Jesus spake unto him, and he went his way. Jesus does not need the passionate appeal: the prayer has been already granted. Thy son liveth does not mean, is made to live now after thy second petition; but, even while the word is in thy mouth, or before it was so, thy son liveth. The meaning, in short, is not, I perform the cure at this instant; but rather, I have performed it, the work is done, thy son is recovered. He will not come to heal the child; there is no need that He should do so, the child is already whole. Will the father believe the word? He will, for his faith is purified and changed: it is now faith in the word of Jesus, though no sign or wonder has been seen.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Jesus did not do what the father asked, but He gave him a promise instead: his son would live. The official seized the promise and departed for home alone demonstrating that he believed Jesus could heal from a distance. If he had refused to go home without Jesus, he would have been disbelieving Jesus’ word. He chose not to insist on receiving evidence and exercised faith without tangible proof. Thus he believed in Jesus in a deeper sense than he had at first.
"The official became a model of what it means to believe apart from signs." [Note: Howard, p. 70.]