Verse 42
But I know you, that ye have not, etc. - Don't say that you oppose me through zeal for God's honor, and love for his name, because I make myself equal to him: no, this is not the case. I know the dispositions of your souls; and I know ye have neither love for his name, nor zeal for his glory. Incorrigible ignorance, and malicious jealousy, actuate your hearts. Ye read the Scriptures, but ye do not enter into their meaning. Had you been as diligent to find out the truth, as you have been to find out allegories, false glosses, and something to countenance you in your crimes, you would have known that the Messiah, who is equal with God, must be the Son of man also, and the inheritor of David's throne; and that the very works which I do are those which the prophets have foretold the Messiah should perform. See [Dan 7:13], [Dan 7:14]; [Isa 9:6], [Isa 9:7]; [Isa 11:1-5], [Isa 11:10]; [Isa 35:4-6].
Verse 43
I am come in my Father's name - With all his influence and authority. Among the rabbins, it was essential to a teacher's credit that he should be able to support his doctrine by the authority of some eminent persons who had gone before. Hence the form, Coming in the name of another.
If another shall come in his own name - Having no Divine influence, and no other authority than his own, him ye will receive. That this was notoriously the case may appear from Josephus, Antiq. b. xviii. c. 14; [Act 5:36], [Act 5:37]; Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. b. iv. c. 6. It is by the just judgment of God, that those who will not believe the truth of God shall be so given up as to believe the most absurd of lies. For an account of these false Christs, see the notes on [Mat 24:5].
Verse 44
How can ye believe, which receive honor, etc. - The grand obstacle to the salvation of the scribes and Pharisees was their pride, vanity, and self-love. They lived on each other's praise. If they had acknowledged Christ as the only teacher, they must have given up the good opinion of the multitude; and they chose rather to lose their souls than to forfeit their reputation among men! This is the ruin of millions. They would be religious, if religion and worldly honor were connected; but as the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, and their hearts and souls are wedded to the earth, they will not accept the salvation which is offered to them on these terms - Deny thyself: take up thy cross, and follow Me. It is no wonder that we never find persons making any progress in religion who mix with the world, and in any respect regulate their conduct by its anti-Christian customs, maxims, and fashions.
From God only? - Or, from the only God - Παρα του μονου Θεου. Two of the ancient Slavonic versions read, From the only begotten Son of God.
Verse 45
Do not think that I will accuse you - You have accused me with a breach of the Sabbath, which accusation I have demonstrated to be false: I could, in return, accuse you, and substantiate the accusation, with the breach of the whole law; but this I need not do, for Moses, in whom ye trust, accuses you. You read his law, acknowledge you should obey it, and yet break it both in the letter and in the spirit. This law, therefore, accuses and condemns you. It was a maxim among the Jews that none could accuse them but Moses: the spirit of which seems to be, that only so pure and enlightened a legislator could find fault with such a noble and excellent people! For, notwithstanding their abominations, they supposed themselves the most excellent of mankind!
Verse 46
He wrote of me - For instance, in reciting the prophecy of Jacob, [Gen 49:10]. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. And in [Deu 18:18] : I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, etc. Confer this with [Act 3:22], and [Act 7:37]. Besides, Moses pointed out the Messiah in a multitude of symbols and figures, which are found in the history of the patriarchs, the ceremonial laws, and especially in the whole sacrificial system. All these were well-defined, though shadowy representations of the birth, life, sufferings, death, and resurrection of the Savior of the world. Add to this, Moses has given you certain marks to distinguish the false from the true prophet, [Deu 13:1-3]; [Deu 18:22], which, if you apply to me, you will find that I am not a false but a true prophet of the Most High God.
Verse 47
But if ye believe not his writings, etc. - If you lay them not to heart - if you draw not those conclusions from them which their very letter, as well as their spirit, authorizes you to draw, how shall ye believe my words, against which ye have taken up the most ungrounded prejudice? It is no wonder that we find the Jews still in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity: as they believe not Moses and the prophets, in reference to the Messiah, it is no marvel that they reject Christ and the apostles. Till they see and acknowledge, from the law and the prophets, that Christ must have come, they will never believe the Gospel. St. Paul says, [2Cor 3:15], that even until this day, when Moses (i.e. the law) is read, the Veil is upon their hearts: - so that they see not to the end of that which is abolished: [2Cor 3:13]. Nor will this veil be taken away, till they turn from worldly gain and atheism (which appears to be their general system) to the Lord, [2Cor 3:16]; and then the light of the glory of God shall shine on them in the face (through the mediation and merits) of Jesus Christ.
It appears that this discourse of our Lord had effectually confounded these Jews, for they went away without replying - a manifest proof they had nothing to say.
1. In all periods of their history, the Jews were both an incredulous and disobedient people: perhaps it was on this ground that God first chose them to be keepers of his testimonies; for had they not had the most incontrovertible proofs that God did speak, they would neither have credited nor preserved his oracles. Their incredulity is, therefore, no mean proof of the Divine authority of the law and the prophets. The apostles, who were all Jews, partook deeply of the same spirit, as various places in the Gospel prove; and, had not they had the fullest evidence of the divinity of their Master, they would not have believed, much less have sealed the truth with their blood. Thus their incredulity is a strong proof of the authenticity of the Gospel.
2. When a man, through prejudice, bigotry, or malevolence, is determined to disbelieve, both evidence and demonstration are lost upon him: he is incapable of conviction, because he is determined not to yield. This was, this is, the case with the Jews - there are facts before their eyes sufficient to convince and confound them; but they have made a covenant with unbelief, and therefore they continue blind, ignorant, and wicked; obstinately closing their eyes against the light; and thus the wrath of God is coming upon them to the very uttermost. But shall not a rebellious and wicked Christian be judged worthy of more punishment? Certainly: for he professes to believe that truth which is able to make him wise unto salvation, by faith in Jesus Christ. Reader, it is an awful thing to trifle with the Gospel! - the God of it is pure, jealous, and holy. Come unto him and implore forgiveness of thy past sins, that thou mayest have eternal life.
Introduction
Jesus passes the sea of Tiberias, and a great multitude follow him, [Joh 6:1-4]. He feeds five thousand with five loaves, and two fishes, [Joh 6:5-13]. They acknowledge him to be the prophet that should come into the world, [Joh 6:14]. They purpose to force him to become their king; and he withdraws from the multitude, [Joh 6:15]. The disciples take ship, and go towards Capernaum, and are overtaken with a storm, [Joh 6:16-18]. Christ comes to them, walking upon the water, [Joh 6:19-21]. The people take boats and follow him, [Joh 6:22-24]. He reproves their fleshly motives, [Joh 6:25-27]. They profess a desire to be instructed, [Joh 6:28]. Christ preaches to them, and shows them that he is the bread of life, and that they who reject him are without excuse, [Joh 6:29-40]. They are offended, and cavil, [Joh 6:41], [Joh 6:42]. He asserts and illustrates his foregoing discourse, [Joh 6:43-51]. They again cavil, and Christ gives farther explanations, [Joh 6:52-59]. Several of the disciples are stumbled at his assertion, that unless they ate his flesh and drank his blood they could not have life, [Joh 6:60]. He shows them that his words are to be spiritually understood, [Joh 6:61-65]. Several of them withdraw from him, [Joh 6:66]. He questions the twelve, whether they also were disposed to forsake him, and Peter answers for the whole, [Joh 6:67-69]. Christ exposes the perfidy of Judas, [Joh 6:70], [Joh 6:71].
Verse 1
After these things - This is a sort of indefinite expression, from which me can gather nothing relative to the time in which these things happened. It refers no doubt to transactions in the preceding year.
Jesus went over the sea of Galilee - Or, as some translate the words, by the side of the sea of Galilee. From Luke, [Luk 9:10], we learn that this was a desert place in the vicinity of Bethsaida. The sea of Galilee, Genesaret, and Tiberias, are the same in the New Testament with the sea of Cinnereth in the Old. Tiberias was a city in Galilee, situated on the western side of the lake. See on [Joh 6:22] (note).
Verse 2
They saw his miracles which he did - John does not mention these miracles; but Matthew details them, Matthew 12:2-14:13. John seems more intent on supplying the deficiencies of the other evangelists than in writing a connected history himself.
Verse 3
Went up into a mountain - This mountain must have been in the desert of Bethsaida, in the territories of Philip, tetrarch of Galilee. Our Lord withdrew to this place for a little rest; for he and his disciples had been so thronged with the multitudes, continually coming and going, that they had not time to take necessary food. See [Mar 6:31].
Verse 4
And the passover - was nigh - This happened about ten or twelve days before the third passover which Christ celebrated after his baptism. Calmet. For a particular account of our Lord's four passovers see the note on [Joh 2:13].
For thirty days before the Passover there were great preparations made by the Jews, but especially in the last nineteen days, in order to celebrate the feast with due solemnity. Lightfoot supposes that what is here related happened within the last fifteen days. See Calmet's opinion above.
Verse 5
Saw a great company - See this miracle explained at large on [Mat 14:13] (note), etc.; [Mar 6:31] (note), etc.; [Luk 9:10] (note), etc. In speaking of the passovers, and various other matters, it does not appear that John follows any strict chronological order. From [Joh 6:15], it appears that our Lord had come down from the mountain, and fed the multitudes in a plain at the foot of it.
Saith unto Philip - This, with what follows, to the end of the seventh verse, is not mentioned by any of the other evangelists.
Philip was probably the provider for the disciples, as Judas was the treasurer.
Whence shall we buy bread - Instead of αγορασομεν, shall we buy, I should read αγορασωμεν, may we buy, which is the reading of ABDEHLS, Mt. VB, and many others. As Philip was of Bethsaida, [Joh 1:44]; [Joh 12:21], he must have been much better acquainted with the country in which they then were than any other of the disciples.
Verse 6
This he said to prove him - To try his faith, and to see whether he and the other apostles had paid proper attention to the miracles which they had already seen him work; and to draw their attention more particularly to that which he was now about to perform. This is an observation of the evangelist himself, who often interweaves his own judgment with the facts he relates, which St. Matthew rarely ever does. The other evangelists say that, previously to this miracle, he continued to instruct and heal the multitudes till it was near the close of the day. [Mat 14:14], [Mat 14:15]; [Mar 6:34], [Mar 6:35]; [Luk 9:11], [Luk 9:12].
Verse 7
Two hundred pennyworth - This sum, rating the denarius at 7 3/4d., would amount to 6. 9s. 2d. of our money, and appears to have been more than our Lord and all his disciples were worth of this world's goods. See the notes on [Mat 18:28].
Verse 8
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith - The other evangelists attribute this answer to the apostles in general. See the passages referred to above.
Verse 9
There is a lad here - Παιδαριον, a little boy, or servant, probably one who carried the apostles' provisions, or who came on purpose to sell his bread and fish.
Five barley loaves - Barley scarcely bore one-third of the value of wheat in the east: see [Rev 6:6]. That it was a very mean fare appears from [Eze 13:19], where the false prophetesses are said to pollute the name of God for handfuls of barley, i.e. for the meanest reward. And Plutarch, in Apoph. p. 174, speaking concerning the flight of Artaxerxes Mnemon, says he was reduced to such distress as to be obliged to eat barley bread. See Kypke. From this and other circumstances we may plainly perceive that the self-denying doctrine preached by Christ and his apostles was fully exemplified in their own manner of living.
Two small fishes - Δυο οψαρια. The word of οψαριον signifies whatever is eaten with bread, to perfect the meal, or to make it easy of deglutition, or to help the digestion. There is no word in the English language for it, which is a great defect. The inhabitants of Scotland, and of the north and north-west of Ireland, use the word kytshen, by which they express what ever is eaten with bread or potatoes, as flesh, fish, butter, milk, eggs, etc., no satisfactory etymology of which word I am able to offer. In the parallel places in the other three evangelists, instead of οψαρια, ιχθυας is used; so that the word evidently means fish in the text of St. John: see on [Joh 21:5] (note).