John 12:45

Joh 12:45. Θεωρῶν, he that seeth) with that vision which faith accompanies: ch. Joh 6:40, “This is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting Life.”—ἐμέ) Me, the Light, Joh 12:46.—θεωρεῖ, seeth) By the looking to Me, He reaches the Father: ch. Joh 14:9. There is not added here [as in Joh 12:44], he seeth not Me, but. For believing and seeing, though joined together, stand on a different footing. In Joh 12:47 there is added the idea of hearing, “If any man hear My words,” etc.—τὸν πέμψαντά με, Him that sent Me) This passage is to be commended to the consideration of those, who are in doubt as to how they ought to set God before them in calling on Him in prayer. Add ch. Joh 14:9.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh 12:45 . Here He adds καὶ ὁ θεωρῶν ἐμὲ θεωρεῖ τὸν πέμψαντά με : “he who beholds me, beholds Him that sent me”; so Joh 14:9 ; cf. Joh 6:40 . Jesus was the perfect transparency through whom the Father was seen: the image in whom all the Father was represented.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45. And he who seeth me. The word see is here taken for knowledge; for, in order to give true and thorough tranquillity to our consciences, which would otherwise have been constantly liable to various agitations, he sends us to the Father. The reason why the stability of faith is firm and secure is, that it is stronger than the world, and is above the world. Now, when Christ is truly known, the glory of God shines in him, that we may be fully persuaded that the faith which we have in him does not depend on man, but that it is founded on the eternal God; for it rises from the flesh of Christ to his Divinity. And, if it be so, not only must it be fixed perpetually in our hearts, but it must likewise show itself boldly in the tongue, when it is necessary.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(45) He that believeth on me, believeth not on me.—These words do not occur literally in any discourse of our Lord which we now have, but the thought has met us again and again. (Comp. Joh_5:36; Joh_7:16; Joh_7:29; Joh_8:19; Joh_10:38.) We are not to weaken the words “not on Me but,” into “not (only) on Me but,” as is often done. Jesus came not in His own name (Joh_5:43), but in that of the Father. The Son claimed no position independent of the Father. He was the representative of the Father, and those who believed in Him believed not in the representative as apart from, but in that He represented, the Sender. The same thought occurs in Mar_9:37. (Comp. Note there.)

(45) And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.—The word means to see, in the sense of “behold, contemplate, gaze upon.” Better, therefore, And he that beholdeth Me beholdeth Him that sent Me. The form of the expression is different from that of the previous verse, passing from the negative to the positive, in accord with the difference of thought. He that beholdeth Christ doth behold Him, and in Him beholds the impression of the substance of God. The same thought has occurred in the words of the Evangelist in Joh_1:14, and occurs in the words of our Lord in Joh_14:9.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45. seeth] Or, beholdeth, contemplateth. The same verb is used Joh_6:40; Joh_6:62, Joh_7:3 and frequently in S. John.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And if any man hear my words and believe not,.... Men may hear the Gospel of Christ, and not understand it; and they may understand it literally and grammatically, though not spiritually and experimentally, and not believe it; not so much as give credit or an assent to the truth of it, but reject and deny it; for though faith comes by hearing to some, it does not come to all: some receive no profit by hearing it, because it is not mixed with faith by them. The Alexandrian copy, and all the Oriental versions, and also Nonnus, read the last clause thus, "and keep them not"; or does not observe them, is negligent of them, and shows no regard, and yields not the obedience of faith to them; the sense is the same.

I judge him not; I do not accuse him to the Father, nor do I condemn him, nor shall I take vengeance on him for so doing; meaning, that he should do none of these things now, though hereafter he will be a swift witness against him, and will convict and condemn him, and pass sentence on him, and execute it:

for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Christ, at his first coming, came not under the character of a judge, but a Saviour; wherefore suitable to his character, and the end of his coming, he would not accuse, condemn, or judge any man, even the greatest unbelievers in him, and despisers of him, but would leave them to another day, when righteous judgment shall take place.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

Ver. 45. Seeth him that sent me] For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and in him the Godhead dwelt bodily, Col 2:9. So that in all our addresses we must fix the eye of faith on the human nature of Christ, and there speak as to our God. Like as where I see the body of a man, there I know his soul is, and therefore I speak to his understanding when and where I see his body, because they are not severed; so, viewing by faith Christ’s manhood now glorified, I there see and speak to the great God, because I know he is there personally united.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Seeth me ... - This verse is a strong confirmation of his equality with God. In no other way can it be true that he who saw Jesus saw him that sent him, unless he were the same in essence. Of no man could it be affirmed that he who saw him saw God. To say this of Paul or Isaiah would have been blasphemy. And yet Jesus uses this language familiarly and constantly. It shows that he had a consciousness that he was divine, and that it was the natural and proper way of speaking when speaking of himself. Compare Joh 5:17.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He that seeth me, seeth him that sent me. In what sense these words are true, see John xiv. ver. 9. where they are repeated again, and with other expressions to the same sense. (Witham)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

No man hath seen God at any time; but he that by the eyes of his mind knows, and understands, and believeth in me, seeth him that sent me: or, he that seeth me in my works which I do, seeth also him that sent me, by whom I do these mighty works. Thus, afterward, Joh 14:9, he saith to Philip, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; he that hath seen me, hath not indeed seen the Divine nature and essence, but hath seen that Person who is one with the Father; the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, as the apostle speaks, Heb 1:3.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

45. Seeth him that sent me—He that seeth my outward shape seeth the manifest person of God himself.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he that seeth me - By the eye of faith.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

45. ὁ θεωρῶν. He who beholdeth, contemplateth (Joh 6:40; Joh 6:62, Joh 7:3, Joh 14:17; Joh 14:19, Joh 16:10; Joh 16:16-17; Joh 16:19, &c.).

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45.] ἔκρ. κ. εἶπ. not pluperf. (nor ever), but indefinite, as ἐπίστευσαν, ὡμολ., and ἠγάπ. above.

ἔκρ. is used of open public teaching, see reff.

On the close connexion with the Father, see ch. 5:24, 38; 8:19, 42; 14:10. The words are in logical sequence to ver. 41, in which the Evangelist has said that the glory of Jehovah and His glory were the same.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45. ὁ θεωρῶν ἐμέ κτλ. θεωρεῖν is used here (as at 6:40, 14:19) of spiritual vision. Not all those who saw Jesus with bodily eyes “saw the Father.” For θεωρεῖν, see on 2:23; and cf. the saying ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακεν τὸν πατέρα (14:9, where see note). So at v. 41 Jn. identifies the δόξα of Christ with the δόξα of God. Cf. 8:19.

τὸν πέμψαντά με. Fam. 13 read ἀποστείλαντα (see on 3:17 for πέμπω and ἀποστέλλω).

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Seeth [θεωρει] . Rev., properly, beholdeth. Compare Joh 14:9. The word is purposely chosen to mark an intent, continuous contemplation of Christ, issuing in ever larger knowledge of the Father.

I am come [εληλυθα] . The perfect tense, pointing to the abiding result of His manifestation. Compare Joh 5:43; Joh 7:28; Joh 8:42; Joh 16:28; Joh 18:37. Abide in darkness. The phrase occurs only here. Compare 1Jo 2:9, 11; also 1Jo 8:12; 1Jo 12:35.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.