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Joh_17:6-8. Hitherto Jesus has prayed on behalf of Himself. But now He introduces His intercession on behalf of His disciples, which begins with Joh_17:9, by representing them as worthy of this intercession.
σου ] With emphasis, as opposed to τοῖς ἀνθρώπ ., in the deep feeling of the holiness and greatness of the task discharged.
What the name of God comprises in itself and expresses (see on Mat_6:9), was previously made known to the disciples only in so far as it brought with it its O. T. imagery; but the specific disclosures respecting God and His counsel of salvation resting in Christ, and His entire redemptive relation to men, which Christ had given them by virtue of his prophetic office (the Christian contents, therefore, of the divine name), entitled Him to pray; ἐφανέρωσά σου τ . ὄν ., κ . τ . λ . Comp. Col_1:26-27. A reference to the Jewish practice of keeping secret the name of Jehovah (Hilgenfeld) lies entirely remote from the meaning.
οὓς δέδωκ . μοι ἐκ τ . κόσμου ] Necessary definition of τοῖς ἀνθρώποις (hence not to be connected with σοὶ ἦσαν ); whom Thou hast given to me out of the world (separated from out of the unbelieving, Joh_15:19), that is, the disciples (see Joh_17:8; Joh_17:11), as objects of the divine counsel of salvation God has given them through attracting them by His grace; see on Joh_6:37.
σοί ] Possessive pronoun, as in Joh_17:9; they belonged to Thee, were Thine, “per fidem V. T.,” Bengel. Comp. Joh_1:37; Joh_1:42; Joh_1:46; Joh_1:48, and generally Joh_8:47, Joh_6:37; Joh_6:44. Therefore not in the sense of predestination (Beza, Calvin), but of motive, from which God, to whom they indeed already inwardly belonged, has drawn them to Christ. God knows His own. The non-ethical interpretation of property generally (Cyril.: ἴδια γὰρ πάντα θεῷ ), or, as “Thy creatures” (Hengstenberg), yields no special statement of reason.
καὶ τὸν λόγον σου τετηρ .] and with what result gavest Thou them to me! On τ . λόγον σου , comp. Joh_7:16, Joh_12:48-49, and on τετηρ ., they have kept Thy word (by faith and deed), Joh_8:51, Joh_14:23.
νῦν ἔγνωκαν , κ . τ . λ .] Progress in the representation of this result, which is now advanced so far, that they have recognised (and do recognise, perfect) all that the Father has communicated to Christ as that which it is, as proceeding from God. All which Thou hast given to me points not merely to the doctrine (De Wette), but to the entire activity of Jesus (Luthardt), for which He has received from the Father a commission, direction, power, result, etc. Comp. Joh_17:4; Joh_12:49; Joh_5:36. A more definite limitation is arbitrary, because not demanded by what follows, which rather establishes the general expression (Joh_17:7) by means of the particular ( τὰ ῥήματα ).
Joh_17:8 gives the causative demonstration ( ὅτι , for), how they attained to the knowledge of Joh_17:7,[190] namely, (1) on the part of Jesus, in that He communicated to them the words given Him by God, i.e. that which He, as Interpreter of God, had to announce (nothing else); and (2) on their part ( αὐτοί ), in that they have adopted this,[191] and have actually known it (Joh_7:26). Thus with them that ἔγνωσαν in Joh_17:7 has come to completion.
καὶ αὐτοί ] is only to be separated by a comma from what precedes, and, further, is connected with ὍΤΙ . The ΚΑῚ ἘΠΊΣΤΕΥΣΑΝ , Κ . Τ . Λ ., parallel to ἜΓΝΩΣΑΝ ἈΛΗΘῶς , Κ . Τ . Λ ., adding faith to knowledge (see on Joh_6:69), and the above ἐξῆλθον (comp. on Joh_8:42), leading back to the Fatherly behest, whereby it is accomplished, completes the expression of the happy result attained in the case of the disciples. Note, further, the historical aorists ἔλαβ . and ἘΠΊΣΤ . in their difference of sense from the perfects.
[190] Ewald begins with ὅτι (because), a protasis, the apodosis of which (I therefore beg) follows in ver. 9, in such a manner, however, that from οὐ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου to ἔρχομαι , ver. 11, a parenthesis is introduced, and then first with πάτηρ ἅγιε comes the supplication conveyed by ἐρωτῶ . But this complicated arrangement is neither necessary nor appropriate to the clear and peaceful flow of the language of this prayer as it stands.
[191] i.e. They have not rejected the ῥήματα , but have allowed them to influence themselves. This is the necessary pre-condition of knowledge and of faith. Comp. Weiss, Lehrbegr. p. 28.