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Joh_7:40-43. Ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου οὖν ἀκούσαντες τῶν λόγων τούτων (see the critical notes), κ . τ . λ . Now, at the close of all Christ’s discourses delivered at the feast (Joh_7:14-39), these verses set before us the various impressions which they produced upon the people with reference to their estimate of Christ’s person. “From among the people, many, after they had heard these words, now said,” etc. With ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου we must supply τινές , as in Joh_16:17; Buttmann, N. T. Gr. p. 138 [E. T. p. 159]; Xen. Mem. iv. 5. 22; and Bornem. in loc. By ὁ προφήτης , as in Joh_1:21, is meant the prophet promised Deu_18:15, not as being himself the Messiah, but a prophet preceding Him, a more minute description of whom is not given.
μὴ γὰρ ἐκ τ . Γαλ ., κ . τ . λ .] “and yet surely the, Messiah does not come out of Galilee?” Γάρ refers to the assertion of the ἄλλοι , and assigns the reason for the contradiction of it which οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον indicates. See Hartung, Partikell. I. 475; Baeumlein, Partik. p. 73. Christ’s birth at Bethlehem was unknown to the multitude. John, however, records all the various opinions in a purely objective manner; and we must not suppose, from the absence of any correction on his part, that the birth at Bethlehem was unknown to the evangelist himself (De Wette, Weisse, Keim; comp. Scholten). Baur (p. 169) employs this passage and Joh_7:52 in order to deny to the author any historical interest in the composition of his work. This would be to conclude too much, for every reader could ot himself and from his own knowledge supply the correction.
ἡ γραφή ] Mic_5:1; Isa_11:1; Jer_23:5.
ὅπου ἦν Δ .] where David was. He was born at Bethlehem, and passed his youth there as a shepherd, 1 Samuel 16
A division therefore ( ἑκάστου μέρους φιλονεικοῦντος , Euthymius Zigabenus) took place among the people concerning Him. Comp. Joh_9:16, Joh_10:19; 1Co_1:10; Act_14:4; Act_23:7; Herod. vii. 219: καὶ σφεῶν ἐσχίζοντο οἱ γνῶμαι . Xen. Sympos. iv. 59; Herod. vi. 109; Eur. Hec. 119; and Pflugk, in loc.