occur more often than in all the Synoptists together1. The only passage that requires comment is one in which W.H. omit av, viii. 39 "If ye are children of Abraham, then ye are doing (TOLEÛTE) the deeds of Abraham. But as it is (vôv dé) ye are seeking to kill me?."

αν.

[2079] Here B alone has Toleîte, and a scribe (possibly the first hand) has added in smaller characters, so as to make emoɩɩte (without r). L reads εποιειτε αν, D εποιειτε, ν' εποιειται, corr. adds The inferior Mss. have "If ye were (re)...ye would be doing (étoleîte av)." SS renders TOLEîre imperatively, "If ye are...do ye (ἐποιεῖτε the deeds of Abraham": but no instance occurs in John of an imperative preceding vôv dé, "but as it is," which requires before it either "ye would be doing" or something equivalent to it3. We therefore have probably to choose between Toleîre indicative and ἐποιεῖτε. The former would be a vivid and almost ironical way of saying "in that case you are doing," or "of course you are doing," the works of Abraham. The latter would be for éπoleîte av. Omissions of av are found in John elsewhere: but they are always with a negative. Пoleîтe is therefore to be preferred here. In a similarly irregular passage, Lk. xvii. 6 εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν.ἐλέγετε ἄν, many Mss. alter the present exere into the imperfect; and the tendency to do the same here would naturally be strong. If Codex B had been lost and only a fair copy of it preserved, writing ПоIEIтe as EПOIEITE, not a single Greek uncial мs. would now preserve what appears to be the correct reading".

of the house had known..." Lk. xvii. 6 has el EXETE TlσTIV...ÉNÉYETE åv, where Mk xi. 23 (? parall.) has exerе TiσTI, Mt. xxi. 21 èàv exηтe Tioтw, followed by future. In Lk. xix. 42 “If thou hadst known," the apodosis is dropped.

1 1 [2078c] iv. 10, v. 46, viii. 19, ?viii. 39, ix. 41, xiv. 7, 28, xv. 19, xviii. 36; also with el un in xv. 22, 24, xix. II. In these last three instances av is omitted.

2 Εἰ τέκνα τοῦ ̓Α. ἐστε, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ̓Α. ποιεῖτε (marg. ἐποιεῖτε). νῦν δὲ ζητεῖτέ με

ἀποκτεῖναι.

3 [2079 a] ix. 41, xv. 22, 24, xviii. 36. In all these cases, the sense is, If soand-so had happened things would have been different......but as it is (vûv đẻ)........” In xvi. 5, xvii. 13, the meaning is, "Things were different once......but as it is (νῦν δέ)....”

4 [2079 b] of Christ's.

5

ix. 33, xv. 22, 24, xix. 11 el μý in every case, ix. 33 is not a saying On av omitted with indic. see 2213 a and 2698.

[2079 ] Origen's present text, when he is not expressly commenting on the passage, uses (Huet i. 72, ii. 96) the reading of the inferior MSS. But in his comment on the passage he agrees about six times (Huet ii. 286, 294-6) with W.H. txt, twice (ib. ii. 290, 293) with W.H. marg., comp. 2659 e.

(β) Εἰ δὲ ΜΗ

[2080] Ei dè μý, without a verb, in LXX, almost always follows an expressed or implied imperative'. Apart from John, in N.T. (sometimes as ei dè μnye) it follows (1) description of what ought to be done, (2) precept, (3) an if-clause. In John, where it occurs twice, it follows an imperative in xiv. 11 "Believe me (po) that I [am] in the Father and the Father in me. But if not (εἰ δὲ μή), because of the mere works believe," ie. if ye cannot believe me on the ground of my personality and the words that I utter, then believe because of the signs that I perform." This is according to rule. But the other instance, which comes earlier in the same chapter, is not according to rule-not, at least, as translated in the text of R.V., thus xiv. 1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so (ei dè μn) I would have told you; for (OTL) I go (Tоpevoμai) to prepare a place for you. And if I go (opeνb) and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that, where I am, [there] ye may be also. And whither I go (vmáyw) ye know the way."

[2081] (1) The first point to be noted about this difficult passage is that el dè un in this second instance-as in the first, though here at a somewhat longer interval-follows an imperative, and the imperative of the same verb as above ("believe"). According to the analogy of the first instance, and of all Biblical usage, endeavouring to connect el dè un with the imperative "believe," we must suppose the clause about "mansions" to be parenthetical; and the meaning will be, "Ye believe (or, Believe) in God. Believe [similarly] in me...but, if [ you can] not [rise to this]—then,.........”

[2082] (2) The next point to be noted is that R.V. has failed to represent a distinction drawn by our Lord here between "going on a journey" (πоpevoμaι) and "going back, or home" (váɣw) (1652-64). Earlier in the Gospel, the Jews themselves are dramatically described by John as failing in much the same way when Jesus says (vii. 33) “I go back (vmáyw) to him that sent me," and they say (vii. 35) "Where doth he purpose to go (πopeveσbaɩ) i.e. journey?,"

1 [2080 a] The exceptions are Gen. xviii. 21, Job xxiv. 25, xxxii. 22. In Sir. xxix. 6 εἰ δὲ μή follows ἐὰν ἰσχύσῃ. In 2 S. xvii. 6 ποιήσομεν...εἰ δὲ μή, the verb may be intended to imply an imperative, "let us do."

2 Mk ii. 21, 22, Mt. ix. 17, Lk. v. 36, 37; Mt. vi. 1, Lk. x. 6, xiii. 9, xiv. 32, 2 Cor. xi. 16, Rev. ii. 5, 16.

adding "Doth he purpose to go to the Dispersion of the Greeks?” It is also noteworthy that, up to this point (xiv. 1) in the Gospel, Jesus has repeatedly described Himself as "going home, or back (váуw)" to the Father, but never, spiritually, as "going [on a journey (opevoμai)." In the preceding context He has just said to the disciples twice (xiii. 33, 36) "Where I go home (váyш) ye cannot come," and they have been perplexed and troubled, not being able to realise the Lord's "going home" and treating it simply as a separation. At this point Jesus Himself begins to speak of Himself as "going (ñopevoμaɩ),” and the context suggests that He does this in order to adapt His language to the understanding of the disciples'.

[2083] (3) A third point is, that elmov av vμîv ötɩ topevoμai, according to Greek usage in general as well as Johannine usage in particular, would naturally mean-unless some very clear prefixed context prevented the meaning "I should have said to you that I am going." SS takes it thus. Chrysostom and many other authorities do the same, but omit or ("I should have said to you, 'I am going'"). On this point, see 2185-6.

[2084] (4) Another consideration is that "If it were not so [as I have said]" would imply a supposition that Christ had stated an error; and this even in the form of a supposition at once dismissed as impossible-is hardly in accordance with Johannine thought. There results a considerable negative probability, that εἰ δὲ μή does not mean εἰ δὲ μὴ οὕτως ἦν (“but if it were not so”). There is also a positive probability, if the text is not corrupt, that it relates to the imperative "believe" and means "otherwise,” i.e. "if ye cannot do this."

[2085] According to this view, the disciples have been unable to realise all that was implied in the Son's "going home" to the Father. It meant that He could take His friends thither, and that the Father would find room for them all. It was not a strange place, or an inn, to which it was necessary that the Son should go first, to make preparations for the disciples. Nevertheless, if the disciples could not understand the unity of the Son with the Father and could not trust unreservedly in the Son's power without detailed assurances, He was willing to lower His language to their

1 On váyw (not in Pap. Index, but colloquial, so that it has passed into modern Greek) and Topeúoμai, see 1652—64. Jn carefully distinguishes them.

We may

level and to ask them to trust in a special assurance. perhaps suppose Him to repeat, in thought, the precept "believe me" somewhat to this effect; "Ye believe (or Believe) in God? Believe also [similarly] in me-in my Father's house are many abiding places—: but if not [i.e. if ye cannot believe in me to this full extent, then believe me at least to this extent.]-I could have said to you [instead of speaking about 'going home'] that I was going on a journey to prepare a place for you."

[2086] This is not wholly satisfactory. For, strictly speaking, dimov av means "I should have said," not "I could have said." But the whole passage is surcharged with emotion, and Christ may be represented as having two thoughts in His mind, (1) "If I had known your weakness I should have spoken differently," (2) "If you are so weak, believe me, I could have put things for you differently." From the objective point of view, the Son does not "go to prepare a place for the disciples" because the places are already (Mk x. 40) "prepared" (Mt. xx. 23) "by my Father." But, adapting His language to the weakness of their faith, Christ proceeds to say, "And if to use the language suited to you-even if I should 'go and prepare a place for you,' yet I come again...." Literally, the Lord can hardly be said to "go to prepare a place," like a courier engaging rooms in an inn; and Jesus seems to have implied this by His previous mention of "many abiding-places," as if He had said, "We shall be in my home-your home, large enough to hold all."

(vi) Επεί

(a) 'Enei пAрACKEYH HN

[2087] This conjunction did not appear in Johannine Vocabulary because it occurs, though rarely, in each of the Gospels', and there is nothing grammatically remarkable in the two Johannine instances of it. But historically it is remarkable that Mark's only use of it is in connexion with the Preparation for the Passover, and that one of John's two instances is similarly connected. The Gospels all mention the Preparation, but differently :-(1) Mk xv. 42 "since (mei) it was the Preparation, which is 'eve of the sabbath,' there came Joseph of Arimathaea," (2) Mt. xxvii. 62 "But on the morrow,

1 [2087 «] Mk only once (xv. 42 ἐπεὶ ἦν παρασκευή, ὅ ἐστιν προσάββατον), Mt. (3), Lk. (1+1 marg.), Jn xiii. 29 ἐπεὶ τὸ γλωσσ. εἶχεν Ι., xix. 31 ἐπεὶ παρασκευὴ ἦν.

which is [the day] after the Preparation, there were gathered together the chief priests and the Pharisees to Pilate," to ask him to guard the tomb, (3) Lk. xxiii. 53—4 "he placed him in the tomb...where no man had yet lain: and it was the day of the Preparation and the sabbath was dawning."

66

[2088] Επεί means 'when," as well as "since," and is interchanged with neidń, “when,” in Daniel, Luke, and Acts1. Matthew and Luke, who omit éreí above, may have supposed that here it meant simply "when," not perceiving that it stated the cause for the coming of Joseph. John intervenes, at great length. Whereas Mark and Luke, in different ways, connect the day with "the Sabbath,” John, in the first mention of it, says (xix. 14) "it was the Preparation of the Passover." He adds that the Jews desired the bodies of the crucified to be taken away (xix. 31) "since it was the Preparation," and that Joseph of Arimathea came hereupon and took the body of Jesus, and also that the body was buried as it was (apparently meaning buried in haste) "because of the Preparation." Thus he repeatedly brings out the causal meaning of Mark's ère, which is not represented in Matthew and Luke.

(vii) "Ews

(a) Not confused with c

[2089] "Ews, with the present indicative, occurs perhaps once in Mark', but nowhere else in N.T. except 1 Tim. iv. 13 ws pxoμai "while I am [still] coming [and not yet present]," and thrice in John, ix. 4 "we must work...while (ews, marg. ws) (SS "while yet") it is day," and xxi. 22-3 (bis) "while I am [still] coming." The Thesaurus gives many such phrases as "While (ews) there is [still] opportunity," "While he [still] has breath and power," and with "still (T)" inserted and verb omitted-" While the sea [is] still navigable," "while [there is] still hope" etc." SS therefore expresses the sense in adding "yet." The importance of these facts consists in their indication that, when John uses os later on in xii. 35 w's Tò pws EXETE, he means something different from "while" (2201).

1 [2088 a] Dan. iii. 22, Lk. vii. 1 (v. r.), Acts xiii. 46 (v. r.). 1 Esdr. vi. 14 èmel is parall. to Ezr. v. 12 åø' öre, R. V. “after that," marg. "because that."

2 [2089 a] In Mk vi. 45 (W.H. áπoλúe) NBL have ews avròs (L airos) ἀπολύει, where D has αὐτὸς δὲ ἀπολύει and the other MSS. απολύσει or -ση: the parall. Mt. xiv. 22 has ews où ảπoλúσŋ.

3 [20896] Dem. 15. 5, Synes. Epist. 44. 'Earl is om. in Plat. Legg. 789 E Tò γενόμενον δὲ πλάττειν ἕως ὑγρόν.

4 Thuc. vii. 47, viii. 40, also Xen. Cyrop. vii. 1. 18 ëws ĚTɩ σoɩ σxoλý.