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Joh_3:27-28. The Baptist at first answers them, putting his reply in the form of a general truth, that the greater activity and success of Jesus was given Him of God, and next reminds them of the subordinate position which he held in relation to Jesus. The reference of the general affirmation to the Baptist himself, who would mean by it: “non possum mihi arrogare et rapere, quae Deus non dedit,” Wetstein (so Cyril, Rupertus, Beza, Clarius, Jansen, Bengel, Lücke, Maier, Hengstenberg, Godet, and others), is not in keeping with the context; for the petty, jealous complaint of the disciples, Joh_3:26, has merely prepared the way for a vindication of Jesus on the part of the Baptist; and as in what follows with this intent, the comparison between the two, as they, in Joh_3:27-28, according to our interpretation, stand face to face with each other, is thoroughly carried out; see Joh_3:29-31; so that Jesus is always first characterized, and then John. We must not therefore take Joh_3:27 as referring to both (Kuinoel, Tholuck, Lange, Brückner, Ewald, Luthardt[171]).
Οὐ ΔΎΝΑΤΑΙ ] relatively, i.e. according to divine ordination.
ἄνθρωπος ] quite general, a man, any one; not as Hengstenberg, referring it to John, renders it: “because I am merely a man.”
λαμβάνειν ] not arrogate to himself ( ἑαυτῷ λαμβ ., Heb_5:4), but simply to receive, answering to be given.
αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς ] though you are so irritated about him.
ΜΑΡΤΥΡ .] Indic: ye are yourselves my witnesses, see Joh_1:19-28, the substance of which John sums up in the words οὐκ εἰμὶ , etc. They had themselves appealed (Joh_3:26) to his ΜΑΡΤΥΡΊΑ concerning Jesus, but he ΠΕΡΙΤΡΈΠΕΙ ΤΑΎΤΗΝ ΚΑΘʼ ΑὐΤῶΝ , Euthymius Zigabenus.
ἈΛΛʼ ὍΤΙ ] Transition to dependent speech. Winer, p. 539 [E. T. p. 679 f.].
ἙΚΕΊΝΟΥ ] referring not to the appellative Ὁ ΧΡΙΣΤΌς , but to Jesus as the Χριστός .
[171] Who, in keeping with his view of ver. 26, takes ver. 27 to mean: “The work of both of us is divinely ordained, and therefore I, for my own part, am justified in continuing my work after the appearance of Jesus, so long at least as the self-witness of Jesus is not believed.”