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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - John 1:12 - 1:12
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
As many as received him (hosoi elabon auton). Effective aorist active indicative of lambanō “as many as did receive him,” in contrast with hoi idioi just before, exceptional action on the part of the disciples and other believers.
To them (autois). Dative case explanatory of the relative clause preceding, an anacoluthon common in John 27 times as against 21 in the Synoptists. This is a common Aramaic idiom and is urged by Burney (Aramaic Origin, etc., p. 64) for his theory of an Aramaic original of the Fourth Gospel.
The right (exousian). In Joh 5:27 edōken (first aorist active indicative of didōmi) exousian means authority but includes power (dunamis). Here it is more the notion of privilege or right.
To become (genesthai). Second aorist middle of ginomai, to become what they were not before.
Children of God (tekna theou). In the full spiritual sense, not as mere offspring of God true of all men (Act 17:28). Paul’s phrase huioi theou (Gal 3:26) for believers, used also by Jesus of the pure in heart (Mat 5:9), does not occur in John’s Gospel (but in Rev 21:7). It is possible that John prefers ta tekna tou theou for the spiritual children of God whether Jew or Gentile (Joh 11:52) because of the community of nature (teknon from root tek-, to beget). But one cannot follow Westcott in insisting on “adoption” as Paul’s reason for the use of huioi since Jesus uses huioi theou in Mat 5:9. Clearly the idea of regeneration is involved here as in Joh 3:3.
Even to them that believe (tois pisteuousin). No “even” in the Greek, merely explanatory apposition with autois, dative case of the articular present active participle of pisteuō.
On his name (eis to onoma). Bernard notes pisteuō eis 35 times in John, to put trust in or on. See also Joh 2:23 and Joh 3:36 for pisteuō eis to onoma autou. This common use of onoma for the person is an Aramaism, but it occurs also in the vernacular papyri and eis to onoma is particularly common in the payment of debts (Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary). See Act 1:15 for onomata for persons.