John 6:65

6:65 people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me (see 6:44): Only God’s light can penetrate the profound darkness of the world.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Joh 6:65. Δεδομένον, given) by the drawing of grace.

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

Joh_6:65. See on Joh_6:37; Joh_6:44.

διὰ τοῦτο] because many of you believe not, and therefore, though there is in them the outward appearance of discipleship, they lack the inward divine preparation.

ἐκ τοῦ πατρ. μ.] from my Father. See Bernhardy, p. 227 f; comp. Plat. Lys. p. 104 B: τοῦτο δέ μοί πως ἐκ θεοῦ δέδοται. Soph. Philoct. 1301: τὰς μὲν ἐκ θεῶν τύχας δοθείσας. Xen. Anab. i. 1. 6; Hellen. iii. 1. 6.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh 6:65 . He therefore points this out, διὰ τοῦτο … πατρός μου . All that brings men to Christ is the Father’s gift.

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

Therefore said I, &c.--that is, "That was why I spoke to you of the necessity of divine teaching which some of you are strangers to."

except it were given him--plainly showing that by the Father's "drawing" (Joh 6:44) was meant an internal and efficacious operation, for in recalling the statement here He says, it must be "given to a man to come" to Christ.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 65. Therefore said I unto you] Joh 6:44. see the note there.

Except it were given unto him] None can come at first, unless he be drawn by the Father; and none can continue, unless he continue under those sacred influences which God gives only to those who do not receive his first graces in vain. St. Augustin himself grants that it was the sole fault of these disciples that they did not believe, and were saved. Quare non POTERANT credere, si a me quaeratur, cito respondeo, quia NOLEBANT. If I be asked why these could not believe, I immediately answer, because they WOULD NOT. Aug. Tract. 53, in Joan.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

65. Therefore have I told you. He again states that faith is an uncommon and remarkable gift of the Spirit of God, that we may not be astonished that the Gospel is not received in every place and by all. For, being ill qualified to turn to our advantage the course of events, we think more meanly of the Gospel, because the whole world does not assent to it. The thought arises in our mind, How is it possible that the greater part of men shall deliberately reject their salvation? Christ therefore assigns a reason why there are so few believers, namely, because no man, whatever may be his acuteness, can arrive at faith by his own sagacity; for all are blind, until they are illuminated by the Spirit of God, and therefore they only partake of so great a blessing whom the Father deigns to make partakers of it. If this grace were bestowed on all without exception, it would have been unseasonable and inappropriate to have mentioned it in this passage; for we must understand that it was Christ’s design to show that not many believe the Gospel, because faith proceeds only from the secret revelation of the Spirit.

Unless it be given him by my Father. He now uses the word give instead of the word which he formerly used, draw; by which he means that there is no other reason why God draws, than because out of free grace he loves us; for what we obtain by the gift and grace of God, no man procures for himself by his own industry.

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.

(65) No man can come unto me.—Unless the fields had been prepared it was in vain to sow the seed. No effort on the sower’s part could make them receptive. The fact that they believed not, declared that their hearts were not prepared, but did not affect the goodness of the seed. This defection did not surprise Him. He had already used words which anticipated it. (Comp. Note on Joh_6:37; Joh_6:44.)

It will be observed that this verse follows in the teaching of Christ immediately on the first clause of Joh_6:64, the second clause being a statement of the writer.

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

65. Therefore] Better, For this cause (Joh_12:18; Joh_12:27): see on Joh_5:16; Joh_5:18, Joh_7:22, Joh_8:47.

said I unto you] Joh_6:44; comp. Joh_6:37, and see notes on both.

were given unto him of my Father] Have been given unto him of the Father.

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.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve,.... "To his own twelve", as the Persic version reads; that is, to his twelve apostles, whom he had chosen to that office: Christ takes no notice of those that went away from him, he showed no concern about them; he knew what they were, that the truth of grace was not in them, and that they did not belong to him, and therefore was not uneasy about their departure; but turns himself to his apostles, whom he dearly loved, and in a very tender manner thus said to them,

will ye also go away? this he said, not as ignorant of what they were, or of what they would do in this case; he knew full well their faith in him, their love to him, and esteem of him, and close attachment to him, at least in eleven of then; nor did he say this, as having any fears or jealousies concerning them, by observing any thing in their countenances or gestures, which looked like a departure from him; but it was said out of a tender regard and strong affection for them: and it is as if he should have said, as for these men that have walked with me for some time, and have now turned their backs upon me, it gives me no concern; but should you, my dear friends and companions, go also, it would give me, as man, real pain and great uneasiness: or he might say this to show, that as they were not pressed into his service, but willingly followed him, and became his disciples, being made a willing people by him, in the day of his power on them; so they willingly continued with him, and abode by him; as also to strengthen their faith in him, and cause them the more to cleave to him, with full purpose of heart, when others left him; as well as to draw out from them expressions of their regard for him, and faith in him, which end was answered.

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

65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Ver. 65. Therefore said I unto you] Here some may object, if faith be not in man’s power, why doth he yet complain? and why are any destroyed for lack of faith? Hereunto I might answer with the apostle, "Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replies, (or chattest) against God?" But for further satisfaction, know, 1. That faith was once in man’s power. 2. That no unbeliever doth what he might do to believe. 3. That unbelief is in a man’s power, who wittingly and willingly, and by his own election, forsaketh his own mercies, Joh 2:8; Mat 23:37; there. is an uncounsellable obstinacy in it.

Unless it be given him] That divine traction, then, Joh 6:44, is a free gift: there is no meritum ex congruo. Our effectual conversion is gratuita et inopinata, Eph 1:11. We cannot, concur or contribute toward it. Nothing can prepare for grace but grace. Neither can we bring forth good things any otherwise than as Sarah’s dead womb brought forth a child; it was not a child of nature, but of the mere promise.

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.

He said this in Joh 6:44, See Poole on "Joh 6:44".

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

65. No man can come… except—Men, apart from the guidance and aid of the Father, furnished by the Spirit and the various means of grace, are hemmed into sin. They can neither will nor do acceptably to God. The Father first enables, but not obliges. For grace used, he adds more grace. For drawings obeyed, he adds more drawings. And when they so obey his drawings as to be ready for Christ, he gives and they come. But unless they use his grace and obey his drawings both will be withdrawn. But none ever missed the drawing of God who has not misused it.

Given… of my Father—And it was not given in consequence of their not having obediently learned and accepted previous grace, and having sunk themselves into gross hardness. So that because of their primary wilfulness the drawing could not reach them, and for want of those drawings it was not given them to come. See notes on Joh_6:26; Joh_6:37-39; Joh_6:44-45.

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 said, For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of the Father (mou is omitted by R.T. and Tischendorf (8th edit.); the authorities seem here more equally divided); see notes on vers. 37 and 44. Christ has come completely round to the fundamental principles with which he started. The coming to him, the believing on him, the spiritual apprehension of his Divine humanity, the adoring acceptance of his precious blood, the reception of the spiritual life-giving energy which went forth from him in word, depended on the Father"s "drawing on those fundamental characteristics of appetite and capacity to receive the grace of Christ which are subjective and are referable to the Father"s good pleasure. Christ does not give the hunger, but the bread. From the beginning he saw the presence of the appetite after that which he came to bestow. Sometimes a morbid absence of all hunger, a moribund cessation of thirst, may be and is transformed into passionate and life-saving eagerness by The sight of food. The Father gives both the hunger and the food, the sense of need and the heavenly supply. The love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, is the drawing of the Father through the Son to himself. The drawing of the Father is the giving of souls to the Son. A fresh thought is here added. This drawing, thus interpreted, is God"s gift also to the human soul The question arises If the Lord knew, why did he choose the traitor, or call Judas into the innermost circle (see ver. 71)?

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Unless it be given - And it is given to those only who will receive it on God's own terms.

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

65. No man can come unto me. See note on verses 44, 45.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

65. Διὰ τοῦτο. For this cause; Joh 5:16; Joh 5:18, Joh 7:22, Joh 8:47, Joh 9:23, Joh 10:17, Joh 12:18; Joh 12:27; Joh 12:39, &c.

οὐδεὶς δύναται. See on Joh 6:44; Joh 6:37. The necessity for the internal preparation, the drawing by the Father, was strongly shewn in the case of Judas, who would be still more alienated by Christ’s refusal to be made a king (Joh 6:15) and by the σκληρὸς λόγος (Joh 6:60). The ἐκ indicates the Father as the source of conversion; except it have been given him from the Father: comp. Joh 3:27.

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.

65.] These unbelievers had not that drawing to Christ, which leads (ver. 44) to true coming to Him. Observe the parallelism between ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ here, and ὃ δίδωσίν μοι, ver. 37. Both these gifts are in the Father’s power.

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

65. καὶ ἔλεγεν. Jn. occasionally uses ἔλεγεν of the utterances of Jesus (2:21, 22, 5:18, 6:6, 71, 8:27, 31, 12:33), and the force of the impft. tense must not be missed. Here reference is made to the saying of v. 44, a cardinal doctrine in Jn. (cf. v. 37 and 3:27), viz. that the impulse to faith comes in the first instance from God; there were some who did not believe (v. 64), and one who would be a traitor among them, but this did not surprise Jesus. “He was saying” (all the while) that it was a fundamental principle that God must “draw” a man to Christ. See Abbott (Diat. 2467), who, however, holds that in all cases a saying preceded by ἔλεγεν is mysterious and not understood by the hearers. This can hardly be sustained; see, e.g., 6:6.

διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηκα. This was the reason why He had given the warning of v. 44 (where see the note). He wished to anticipate criticism based on the non-success of His teaching with some people. For διὰ τοῦτο, see on 5:16.

ἐκ τοῦ πατρός. The rec. adds μου, but om. אBC*DLTWΘ (see on v. 44).

The Defection of Many Disciples: The Steadfastness of the Twelve, as Indicated in the Confession of Peter (Vv. 66-71)

Verses 66-71 form the conclusion of Part I. of the Gospel. Hitherto the mission of Jesus has been accepted by many disciples, and has appeared to be full of hope (2:23, 4:1, 39, 45, 6:2). But He had not trusted Himself to all these adherents, for “He knew what was in man” (2:25). When the reach and difficulty of His doctrine begin to be realised, there is a falling away of disciples. Only the Twelve remain (and even of these one will be unfaithful). Here, at the end of c. 6, is the note of failure, suggested for the first time at v. 26. Henceforth the record is to be of a growing hate, culminating in rejection (see on 12:36b).1

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