(37) But though he had done so many miracles before them.--The words "before them" mean "in their presence," "before their eyes." They refer to the multitude (John 12:34). St. John's narrative implies, therefore, that the "signs" of the earlier Gospels were well known. He has himself recorded but six miracles, and all these, with the exception of the feeding the five thousand, belong to the Judaean ministry. (Comp. Note on John 2:11.)

Yet they believed not on him.--This is the writer's comment on the general result of Christ's work at the close of His public teaching. This too is said of the multitude, the people as a whole. There were, of course, not a few who were then walking according as they had light, but it was not so with the many. Rejection and not acceptance was the result of Christ's personal work on earth; yet rejection accompanied, as on this day, by signs which pointed to a world-wide acceptance. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:11-12).

Verses 37-43. -

6. The reflections of the evangelist. Verse 37. - Though he had done so many signs in their presence, yet they believed not on him, (Τοσαῦτα is discriminated from τοιαῦτα, Plat., 'Gorgias,' p. 456, c. The passages John 6:9; John 14:9; John 21:11, are generally held to establish the meaning of "so many," rather "so great;" the proof is not conclusive.) If "so many" be the correct reading, John is simply implying what he elsewhere expresses, that a widespread knowledge was possessed by him of groups of miraculous signs, of which he recorded only seven crucial symbolic specimens;

(1) wine;

(2) bread;

(3) walking on the sea;

(4) healing nobleman's son;

(5) healing impotent man;

(6) resurrection of Lazarus; to he followed by

(7) the healing of the ear of Malchns, and the resurrection of the Lord himself.

(a) Signs in heaven, earth and sea;


(b) startling miracles on human nature, and


(c) on dead men, did not compel belief. The inaccessibility of the people reveals their mental condition, but no reproach is thrown upon the method which the Lord took to reveal his Divine mission. The tragic refrain still echoes on, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not?

12:37-43 Observe the method of conversion implied here. Sinners are brought to see the reality of Divine things, and to have some knowledge of them. To be converted, and truly turned from sin to Christ, as their Happiness and Portion. God will heal them, will justify and sanctify them; will pardon their sins, which are as bleeding wounds, and mortify their corruptions, which are as lurking diseases. See the power of the world in smothering convictions, from regard to the applause or censure of men. Love of the praise of men, as a by-end in that which is good, will make a man a hypocrite when religion is in fashion, and credit is to be got by it; and love of the praise of men, as a base principle in that which is evil, will make a man an apostate, when religion is in disgrace, and credit is to be lost for it.But though he had done so many miracles before them,.... Openly, and in the presence of them; meaning those miracles which were done at Jerusalem, as those which brought Nicodemus to him, and to an acknowledgment of him as a teacher sent from God; and particularly the cure of the lame man at Bethesda's pool, the giving sight to the man that was born blind, by anointing his eyes with clay, and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, and the raising Lazarus from the dead at Bethany, which was within two miles of Jerusalem, in the presence of many of them who were come there to comfort Martha and Mary. Yet

they believed not on him; the miracles done by Christ before their eyes, which they could not deny, nor disprove, and were so many, and so great, were aggravations of their unbelief; and such indeed is the nature of that sin, and so deeply rooted is it, that the most powerful means, and mighty works, will not bring a person to believe in Christ, without the powerful and efficacious grace of God.