Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 5:33
Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
33. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness ] Better, Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness. ‘What ye have heard from him is true; but I do not accept it, for I need not the testimony of man. I mention it for your sakes, not My own. If ye believe John ye will believe Me and be saved.’ ‘Ye’ and ‘I’ in these two verses (33, 34) are in emphatic opposition.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ye sent unto John – See Joh 1:19.
He bare witness … – See Joh 1:26, Joh 1:29, Joh 1:36. This testimony of John ought to have satisfied them. John was an eminent man; many of the Pharisees believed on him; he was candid, unambitious, sincere, and his evidence was impartial. On this Jesus might have rested the proof that he was the Messiah, but he was willing, also, to adduce evidence of a higher order.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 33. Ye sent unto John] I am not without human testimony of the most respectable kind:-Ye sent to John, and he bare witness. There are several circumstances in John’s character which render his testimony unexceptionable.
1. He is consulted by the very enemies of Christ, as a very holy and extraordinary man.
2. He is perfectly free from all self-interest, having declined making the least advantage by his own reputation.
3. He is sincere, undaunted, and so averse from all kinds of flattery that he reproves Herod at the hazard of his liberty and life.
4. He was so far from being solicited by Christ to give his testimony that he had not even seen him when he gave it. See Joh 1:19-28.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Ye sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to John, Joh 1:29; he was a man of reputation among you, for all the people judged him a prophet; and he had an interest in Herods court:
he bare witness (he doth not say to me, but) to the truth.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
33-35. Ye sent unto John(SeeJoh 1:19, &c.).
receive not testimony . . .from manthat is, depend not on human testimony.
but . . . that ye might besaved“I refer to him merely to aid your salvation.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ye sent unto John,…. The sanhedrim at Jerusalem made a deputation of priests and Levites to him, to know who he was, whether the Messiah, or Elias, or that prophet, Joh 1:19. Now had they not looked upon him, from what they knew of him, or from the character they had of him, as a faithful witness, they would never have shown him so much respect, and have been at so much pains, and charge, as to send such a body of men so far unto him, as from Jerusalem to beyond Jordan; which circumstance our Lord improves in favour of this evidence he produces:
and he bare witness unto the truth; to Christ, who is the truth itself; and to the truth of his person, and office; to his dignity, and eternity, as being before him, though coming after him; and to his divine sonship, the thing now in debate, declaring, that he was the Son of God; and to his office, as Mediator, pointing to him as the Lamb of God, who, by his blood, and sacrifice, takes away the sins of men. The Ethiopic version reads by way of interrogation, “did not you send unto John?” &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Ye have sent ( ). Emphatic use of (ye) and perfect active indicative of , official and permanent fact and so the witness of the Baptist has to be recognized as trustworthy by the Sanhedrin. The reference is to the committee in 1:19-28.
He hath borne witness (). Perfect active indicative of showing the permanent and abiding value of John’s testimony to Christ as in John 1:34; John 3:26; John 5:37. So also 19:35 of the testimony concerning Christ’s death. This was the purpose of the Baptist’s mission (1:7).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Ye sent. Rev., rightly, have sent. The perfect tense, with allusion to something abiding in its results. Similarly, bare witness should be hath born. Note the expressed ye [] , emphatically marking the contrast between the human testimony which the Jews demanded, and the divine testimony on which Jesus relies (ver. 34).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Ye sent unto John,” (humeis apestalkate pros loannen) “You sent unto John;- To John the Baptist, you sent a delegation. Before giving His Father’s testimony of Him, He met them on their own ground, citing their sending a deputation to John the Baptist, Joh 1:19.
2) “And he bare witness unto the truth.” (kai memarureken te aletheia) “And he has testified to the truth,” certified the truth concerning me, Joh 1:20-34. You all believed in him for a time, Joh 1:17; Joh 1:32.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
33. You sent to John. Before producing the testimony of God, he presses them with the answer of John, from which they could not honorably withhold their belief. For of what use was it to send to him, if they did not intend to abide by his words? They send to him as a Prophet of God, and thus they pretend that his word will be regarded by them as an oracle. Now, though this implies another admission in their favor, still Christ openly brings against them this charge, that nothing but their own malice (106) hinders them from believing. And, therefore, we see that this circumstance is highly appropriate to the matter in hand, namely, that they sent to John, and — as if their motive had been a desire to learn — inquired at him who was the Messiah, and yet paid no attention to his reply.
(106) “ Rien que leur propre malice.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
JOHN THE BAPTISTS WITNESS
Text 5:33-35
33
Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth.
34
But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved.
35
He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light.
Queries
a.
Why does He not receive witness from man?
b.
How did they rejoice in the Baptists light?
Paraphrase
You yourselves have sent unto John, and he has testified the truth concerning me. Although I am not dependent upon mere man for witness, I am telling you these things in order that you might accept Johns witness and be saved. John was the lamp that was burning and shining to guide you to the Way, and you were willing for a time to bask yourselves in his light.
Summary
Since they stumble at His self-witnessing, He refers them to John the Baptists witness that they might be led to accept Him.
Comment
They had, indeed, sent unto John asking him of his preaching (Joh. 5:1-19), and John confessed to the truth (Joh. 1:20; Joh. 1:26; Joh. 1:29; Joh. 1:35-36, etc.) that Jesus was the Son of God. John also testified that Jesus and the Father were one (Joh. 3:31-36).
On the other hand, Jesus did not need any mortal to take the witness stand on His behalf. He could call upon divine witness. Yet, because of the hardness of their hearts and their spiritual blindness, He urged them to consider Johns witness. The Baptists witness was true, and they had shown some interest in his message at first (Joh. 5:35 b).
Barclay gives an interesting analogous comparison of John the Baptist and a lamp: (a) A lamp bears a borrowed light. It is not the source of light, but is lit. (b) Johns message was warmnot coldly intellectual or ritualistic. (c) John had lightlight guideshe guided men to repent in preparation for the coming King and His kingdom. (d) A lamp burns itself out. John decreased while Jesus increasedthe true witness for God burns himself out-in the service of God.
The emphasis upon the attracting nature of the lamp is in this passage also. The Jews flocked to John the Baptist in the beginning of his ministry, just as insects flock to a lamp (cf. Mat. 3:5; Mat. 21:26; Mar. 1:5; Mar. 6:20; Luk. 3:15). They rejoiced in his message (of the coming Messiah) until that light turned upon them and revealed their worldliness and sin. They were also attracted to John because of his eccentric and spectacular mode of dress, life, and the presentation of his message. The spectacular in Johns ministry soon lost its drawing attraction, however, when he boldly challenged the nation to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and they rejected him (cf. Mar. 6:19; Luk. 7:24-35). There are people like that in every age. As long as a preacher will make himself or the gospel into a spectacle they will rejoice for a season in his light (the spectacle), but once the light illumines their unworthiness and pricks their consciences by openly denouncing their sins, they haughtily reject both the preacher and the message (cf. 2Ti. 4:1-4).
Quiz
1.
Where is the record of the Baptists witness to Jesus?
2.
Why did Jesus call their attention to the witness of John?
3.
How is John the lamp burning and shining?
4.
How did the Jews rejoice in his light for only a season?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(33) Ye sent . . .Both verbs are perfects. Better, therefore, Ye have sent; He hath borne witness. The pronoun ye is emphatically opposed to the I of the following verse. They sought human witness. He had witness which was divine. The object of Johns mission was to bear witness of the Light (Joh. 1:7), and this he did to them (Joh. 1:19 et seq.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
33. Ye sent unto John Our Lord quotes John, first, as a witness whose testimony they have once acknowledged. Here is an argument from their concession.
He bare witness You were ready to take his assurance that he was Messiah; but lo! he balked you by testifying to me.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“You have sent to John and he has born witness to the truth. But the witness which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you might be saved. He was a kindled and a shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.”
That earthly witness is John the Baptiser. John, with his message of the imminence of the work of God, had received some acceptance for a while, even among many Jewish leaders, for they too were looking for God to work, although of course they were confident that whoever came would work with and through them. And many of them had rejoiced in his light. Well, they should recognise that John, who was highly regarded by so many, bore testimony to Him and revealed the truth about Him.
They had accepted John as a shining lamp, a revealer of truth, although he was only a kindled lamp in comparison with the One Who was the permanent and original light of the world. Then let them accept his testimony about Jesus. But they must understand that He was only saying this so that they might listen and be saved from their present darkness. He Himself did not need the testimony of men. He has a greater witness than John.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 5:33-34 . “ That witness, whose testimony you have yourselves elicited, John the Baptist , I do not accept, because it is a human testimony; I mention him for your salvation (not for my advantage), because ye have not appreciated him according to his high calling (Joh 5:35 ); the witness which I have is greater,” etc. Joh 5:36 .
] you, on your part .
. .] Joh 1:19 ff. “All that he said was testimony in favour of the truth; for the state of the case (with reference particularly to what he said of the Messiah) was as he testified.”
] but I on my part .
] the witness in question, which is to tell for me. This I cannot receive from any man . Jesus will not avail Himself of any human witness in this matter; He puts it away from Him. Accordingly, . . , just as in Joh 3:11 ; Joh 3:32 , is to be taken of the acceptance , not indeed believing acceptance, but acceptance as proof , conformably with the context. Others, unnecessarily deviating from John’s usage, “I borrow” (Lcke), “I strive after , or lay hold of ” (B. Crusius, comp. Beza, Grotius), “I snatch ” (de Wette).
] for your advantage, that you on your part (in opposition to any personal interest) may attain to salvation . They should take to heart the remembrance of the Baptist’s testimony ( ), and thus be roused to faith, and become partakers of the Messiah’s redemption; “ vestra res agitur,” Bengel.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
Ver. 33. Ye sent unto John ] As unto an oracle: but when his answer pleased you not, you rejected it, of mere obstinace and malice to my person and office. There is an odious unthankfulness in unbelief: for it rebelleth against the light, rejecteth the medicine, refuseth to be reformed, hateth to be healed. Wine is a strong remedy against hemlock; yet mingled with it, doubleth the force of the poison. So it is with the Word of life when mingled with unbelief.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
33. ] See ch. Joh 1:19 . The connexion is, another testifies of Me ( Joh 5:32 ) ‘not John only, although he, when sent to, did certainly testify to the truth; for’ &c.
, not merely (Grot.) “ modeste dictum;” but necessarily . would have been asserting what the next verse denies.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 5:33 . Before exhibiting the Father’s testimony Jesus meets them on their own ground: , ye yourselves, , sent, by the deputation mentioned chap. 1, to John; which they would not have done had they not thought him trustworthy (Euthymius). The perfect is used, indicating that the result continued; as the perfect indicates that “the testimony preserves its value notwithstanding the disappearance of the witness”. to the truth, especially of the Messianic dignity of Jesus.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
sent = have sent. Greek. apostello. App-174. unto. Greek. pros. App-104.
he bare = he hath borne.
truth. See note on Joh 1:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
33.] See ch. Joh 1:19. The connexion is,-another testifies of Me (Joh 5:32)-not John only, although he, when sent to, did certainly testify to the truth; for &c.
, not merely (Grot.) modeste dictum;-but necessarily. would have been asserting what the next verse denies.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 5:33. , ye) He shows how the Jews labour to fix their hopes anywhere, rather than on Christ Himself. I. Ye, saith He, having surmised that John is the Messiah, have sent to him, inquiring as to the truth: and truly John, when that opportunity was afforded him, bore witness to the truth, that not he, but I am the Messiah: but, etc. II. Ye, the same persons, think that you have in the Scriptures eternal life, and that nothing more is needed: on this account you are wont to search them; and not without good reason; for indeed they are they which testify of Me: but, etc. Here the Lord approves the things worthy of approval, both concerning John, and concerning the Scriptures; but He shows, that error and abuse on the part of the Jews were mixed up therewith; and He openly testifies, that His own authority, and that of His Father, is of itself greater, whereas the testimony of John and of the Scripture concerning Himself, the Christ, is only a subsidiary thing. The similar form of both paragraphs is to be observed:
Joh 5:33, etc. Joh 5:39, etc.
ye: ye:
and he bare witness: and which testify
but I [Joh 5:34]: [I] honour [ver. 41]
but: but [Joh 5:42]
ye were willing for a season [Joh 5:35]. ye will not [Joh 5:40 : answering to ye receive Me not, Joh 5:43].
Nor is the paragraph as to Moses, Joh 5:45-47, dissimilar in construction: Ye have your hope placed in Moses: but this very person is on My side against you.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 5:33
Joh 5:33
Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth.-These people had nearly all been baptized of John. They had gone to him as a teacher, and he had borne witness that Jesus is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (Joh 1:36).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
sent: Joh 1:19-27
he: Joh 1:6-8, Joh 1:15-18, Joh 1:29-34, Joh 3:26-36
Reciprocal: Mat 21:25 – Why Mat 21:32 – and ye believed Luk 20:5 – Why Joh 1:7 – a witness Act 13:24 – General Act 19:4 – John
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
John the Baptist was the other witness referred to above. The time the Jews sent to inquire of John is recorded in chapter 1:19-27.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 5:33. Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth. As if He said: Had I not this all-sufficient witness,were it possible for me to appeal to any human witness, I might rest on your own act. Ye yourselves have made appeal to John, and he hath borne witness to the truth (chap. Joh 1:19-27). Your mission and his answer are unalterable and abiding facts, which press upon you still and cannot be set aside. What he attested is the truth. Jesus does not say hath borne witness to me, perhaps because that to which John bore witness was only a revelation from God (compare chap. Joh 1:34), a declaration of the truth which he had received from God; perhaps because the whole lesson of this passage is that there is only one real witness to Jesus, even the Father speaking in the Son and drawing out the answer of the heart to Him.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The second testimony to prove Christ to be the Messias, was that of John the Baptist. We read, Joh 1:19 how the Jews were sent to enquire of him, whether he were the Christ, or not; and he denied it, and pointed at Jesus, saying, Behold the Lamb of God; yet would not the Jews abide by this testimony of John concerning the Messias. Nevertheless, says Christ, I receive not testimony from John; that is, “John by his testimony added nothing to me; I was what I was, and I am what I am, before John testified of me, and since.”
Learn hence, That the divinity of Christ’s person, and the verity of his doctrine, needs no man’s testimony for the confirmation of it, being sufficiently confirmed by Christ’s own authority, and his Father’s testimony; I receive nothing from man; that is, “I need it not, I desire it not upon my own account, but upon yours only, that upon the credit of John’s testimony ye might believe in me, and be saved by me; These things I say, that ye might be saved.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Vv. 33-35. Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth. 34. But the witness which I receive, is not from man; and what I say unto you here, is to the end that ye may be saved. 35. He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light.
The testimony of John the Baptist had made so much noise that Jesus might suppose that, at the moment when He was saying: I have another witness, every one would think of that personage. Jesus rejects this supposition, but does so while calling attention to the fact that, from His hearers’ standpoint, the testimony of John should certainly be regarded as valid; for it was they themselves who had called it forth (an allusion to the deputation, Joh 1:19 ff.). The word you, , at the beginning of the verse, places the hearers in contrast to Jesus, who does not ask for human testimonies and contents himself with being able to allege that of the Father. The perfect , hath borne witness, declares that the testimony of John preserves its value notwithstanding the disappearance of the witness (Joh 5:35 : he was, etc.). On this truth to which John bore witness, comp. Joh 1:20; Joh 1:27; Joh 1:29. The , but I, of Joh 5:34 forms an antithesis to the you of Joh 5:33.
This human testimony which they demanded, is not that by which Jesus supports the truth of His own, even though it was favorable to Him. But does Jesus regard the testimony of John the Baptist as purely human? Some interpreters escape the difficulty by translating in the sense: I do not seek or I am not ambitious of. This is to strain the meaning of the expression, which merely means: I do not make use of it. It is enough if we take account of the article before the word testimony; the testimony, means here: that of which I have need, the only one which I would allege as confirmation of my own. John’s testimony was designed to direct their eyes to the light; but, when once the light had appeared, it gave place to the direct testimony of God Himself. That testimony was, indeed, the fruit of a revelation; but, as Keil says, this inspiration, passing through human lips, might be called in question. Nevertheless, Jesus recalls, in passing, this testimony of John. It is the care which He has for their souls, which does not permit Him to pass it over in silence: If I recall it, it is to the end that you () may profit by it unto salvation. It is, then, for you, not for me.
The 35th verse expresses the transitory character of the appearance of John the Baptist. John was not the light, the sun (Joh 1:8); but he was the torch, lighted by God for giving light before the day came. The article the before the word torch has been explained in many ways. Bengel finds here an allusion to Sir 48:1 : the word (of Elijah)shone as a torch. Luthardt believes that John is compared to the well-known torch-bearer, who ordinarily preceded the bridegroom in the marriage feasts. Meyer, Weiss, Keil, understand: the true torch which is designed to show the path. Perhaps there is an allusion to that single light which was lighted at night to illumine the house (Mar 4:21). We might see in the two epithets: which burneth and shineth, only this one idea: which is consumed in shining. But it is more simple to find here the two conditions of the usefulness of the light: to be lighted and not to be covered (Weiss). The imperfect , was, proves that, at the moment when Jesus was speaking, the light was already covered. For there is evidently an allusion in this past tense to the imprisonment of John the Baptist. The second part of the verse: Ye were willing …., continues the figure. Jesus compares the Jews to children who, instead of making use of the precious moments during which the light shines, do nothing but frolic in its brightness. To rejoice is contrasted with to be saved, Joh 5:34. It wasimpossible better to characterize the vain and puerile curiosity, with which the people were infatuated by an appearance so extraordinary. Comp. Luk 7:24 : What went ye out into the wilderness to see? Weiss thinks that Jesus meant to indicate the hopes which had at first been excited in the rulers by this appearance. Can this be in accordance with Luk 7:30? : you pleased yourselves with …
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
5:33 {10} Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
(10) Christ is declared to be the only Saviour by John’s voice, and infinite miracles, and by the testimonies of all the prophets. But the world, being addicted to false prophets, and desirous to seem religious, does not see any of these things.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jesus knew that His critics would not accept the Father’s witness to His identity even though Jesus claimed that His words accurately represented the Father’s will. He could not prove this claim to their satisfaction. Therefore He cited another human witness who testified about Jesus’ identity, namely, John the Baptist. John came into the world to bear witness to the light (Joh 1:7). Moreover he had borne witness about Jesus to the Jews who had come from Jerusalem to ask who He was (Joh 1:19-28). Furthermore he had identified Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God (Joh 1:29-34). John had truly testified that Jesus was the divine Messiah (cf. Joh 1:40-41).