17. St. Luke ix. 31.
18. The substantive αναληψις occurs only in this place, but the cognate verb repeatedly,
as referring to the Ascension. The curious interpretation of Wieseler would not even call
for notice, it had not the authority of his name.
19. The word και, omitted in translations, seems to denote Christ's full determination by
the side of the fulfilment of the time. It could scarcely be argued that it stands merely for
the Hebrew copulative w.
20. The term is used in the LXX as denoting firmly setting. In connection with προσωπον it
occurs twelve times.
St. John, indeed, goes farther back, and speaks of the circumstances which preceded
His journey to Jerusalem. There is an interval, or, as we might term it, a blank, of more
than half a year between the last narrative in the Fourth Gospel and this. For, the events
chronicled in the sixth chapter of St. John's Gospel took place immediately before the
Passover,21 which was on the fifteenth day of the first ecclesiastical month (Nisan),
while the Feast of Tabernacle 22 began on the same day of the seventh ecclesiastical
month (Tishri ). But, except in regard to the commencement of Christ's Ministry, that
sixth chapter is the only one in the Gospel of St. John which refers to the Galilean
Ministry of Christ. We would suggest, that what it records is partly intended23 to exhibit,
by the side of Christ's fully developed teaching, the fully developed enmity of the
Jerusalem Scribes, which led even to the defection of many former disciples. Thus,
chapter vi. would be a connecting -link (both as regards the teaching of Christ and the
opposition to Him) between chapter v., which tells of His visit at the 'Unknown Feast,'
and chapter vii., which records that at the Feast of Tabernacles. The six or seven
months between the Feast of Passover24 and that of Tabernacles,25 and all that passed
within them, are covered by this brief remark: 'After these things Jesus walked in
Galilee: for He would not walk in Judę , because the Jews [the leaders of the people 26 ]
a
sought to kill Him.'
21. St. John vi. 4.
22. St. John vii. 2.
23. Other and deeper reasons will also suggest themselves, and have been hinted at
when treating of this event.
24. St. John vi.
25. St. John vii.
26. The term 'Jews' is generally used by St. John in that sense.
But now the Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. The pilgrims would probably arrive in
Jerusalem before the opening day of the Festival. For, besides the needful preparations
- which would require time, especially on this Feast, when booths had to be constructed
in which to live during the festive week - it was (as we remember) the common practice
to offer such sacrifices as might have previously become due at any of the great Feasts
to which the people might go up.27 Remembering that five months had elapsed since
the last g reat Feast (that of Weeks), many such sacrifices must have been due.