42. ὅμως μέντοι. Here only in N.T. For μέντοι see on Joh 4:27. In spite of the judicial blindness with which God had visited them many even of the Sanhedrin believed on Him. We know of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. But because of the recognised champions of orthodoxy both in and outside the Sanhedrin (Joh 7:13, Joh 9:22) they continually abstained (imperf.) from making confession. Ἀποσυναγωγος occurs in N.T. only here, Joh 9:22, Joh 16:2.