KJV: And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
YLT: and because he had no need that any should testify concerning man, for he himself was knowing what was in man.
Darby: and that he had not need that any should testify of man, for himself knew what was in man.
ASV: and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
| ὅτι | because |
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Parse: Conjunction Root: ὅτι Sense: that, because, since. |
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| οὐ | no |
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Parse: Adverb Root: οὐ Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. |
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| χρείαν | need |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: χρεία Sense: necessity, need. |
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| εἶχεν | He had |
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Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἔχω Sense: to have, i.e. to hold. |
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| ἵνα | that |
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Parse: Conjunction Root: ἵνα Sense: that, in order that, so that. |
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| τις | anyone |
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Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: τὶς Sense: a certain, a certain one. |
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| μαρτυρήσῃ | should testify |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: μαρτυρέω Sense: to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration. |
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| περὶ | concerning |
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Parse: Preposition Root: περί Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near. |
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| ἀνθρώπου | man |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ἄνθρωπος Sense: a human being, whether male or female. |
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| αὐτὸς | He Himself |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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| ἐγίνωσκεν | knew |
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Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: γινώσκω Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel. |
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| ἀνθρώπῳ | man |
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Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular Root: ἄνθρωπος Sense: a human being, whether male or female. |
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Greek Commentary for John 2:25
Imperfect active, “and because he did not have need.” That any one should bear witness concerning man Non-final use of ινα hina with first aorist active subjunctive of μαρτυρεω martureō and the generic article Imperfect active, “for he himself kept on knowing” as he did from the start. What was in man Indirect question with εστιν estin of the direct changed to the imperfect ην ēn a rare idiom in the Koiné. This supernatural knowledge of man is a mark of deity. Some men of genius can read men better than others, but not in the sense meant here. [source]
Literally, he had not need. [source]
Rev., better, bear witness. The same word is in John 1:7, John 1:8, John 1:15, John 1:32(see on John 1:7). [source]
Better, as Rev., concerning man. [source]
The pronoun is expressed, and with a view to emphasis, as Rev., “He himself knew.” The imperfect expresses continuance: He was all along cognizant as the successive cases presented themselves; thus falling in with the next words, “what was in the man,” i.e., in each particular man with whom He had to do. No such characteristic as this was attributed to the gods of Paganism. “While, then, the gift of anything like general foreknowledge appears to be withheld from all the deities of invention, that of 'the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,' is nowhere found; nor was it believed of any member of the Olympian community, as it was said of One greater than they, 'He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man,'” (Gladstone, “Homer and the Homeric Age,” ii., 366). [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 2:25
Old word for proverb from παρα para (beside) and οιμος oimos way, a wayside saying or saying by the way. As a proverb in N.T. in 2 Peter 2:22 (quotation from Proverbs 26:11), as a symbolic or figurative saying in John 16:25, John 16:29, as an allegory in John 10:6. Nowhere else in the N.T. Curiously enough in the N.T. παραβολη parabolē occurs only in the Synoptics outside of Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 11:19. Both are in the lxx. Παραβολη Parabolē is used as a proverb (Luke 4:23) just as παροιμια paroimia is in 2 Peter 2:22. Here clearly παροιμια paroimia means an allegory which is one form of the parable. So there you are. Jesus spoke this παροιμια paroimia to the Pharisees, “but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them” Second aorist active indicative of γινωσκω ginōskō and note ην ēn in indirect question as in John 2:25 and both the interrogative τινα tina and the relative α ha “Spake” (imperfect ελαλει elalei) should be “Was speaking or had been speaking.” [source]
This is the gift of Jesus now to his sheep as stated in John 6:27, John 6:40 (cf. 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11). And they shall never perish Emphatic double negative with second aorist middle (intransitive) subjunctive of απολλυμι apollumi to destroy. The sheep may feel secure (John 3:16; John 6:39; John 17:12; John 18:9). And no one shall snatch them out of my hand Jesus had promised this security in Galilee (John 6:37, John 6:39). No wolf, no thief, no bandit, no hireling, no demon, not even the devil can pluck the sheep out of my hand. Cf. Colossians 3:3 (Your life is hid together with Christ in God). [source]
Not wholly of himself, John means. There was more in what Caiaphas said than he understood. His language is repeated in John 18:14. Prophesied Aorist active indicative of προπητευω prophēteuō But certainly unconscious prophecy on his part and purely accidental. Caiaphas meant only what was mean and selfish. That Jesus should die Imperfect active of μελλω mellō in indirect discourse instead of the usual present retained after a secondary tense (επροπητευσεν eprophēteusen) as sometimes occurs (see John 2:25). [source]
Present active participle of πειραζω peirazō testing him, not here in bad sense of tempting as so often (Matthew 4:1). What he would do Indirect question with change of tense to imperfect. As in John 2:25 so here John explains why Jesus put the question to Philip. [source]
Second perfect active participle of οιδα oida See John 2:25 for this supernatural insight into men‘s minds. Murmured Present active indicative retained in indirect discourse. See John 6:41 for γογγυζω gogguzō At this “Concerning this word.” Cause to stumble Common Synoptic verb from σκανδαλον skandalon for which see Matthew 5:29. In John again only in John 16:1. [source]
Second aorist active indicative of γινωσκω ginōskō “Preoccupied as they were with thoughts of an earthly deliverer” (Westcott) and prejudiced against recognizing Jesus as the one sent from God. That he spake to them of the Father Indirect assertion, but with the present indicative (λεγει legei) changed to the imperfect (ελεγεν elegen) as was sometimes done (John 2:25) after a secondary tense. [source]
So often in John δε de is explanatory and transitional, not adversative. Nicodemus is an instance of Christ‘s knowledge of men (John 2:25) and of one to whom he did trust himself unlike those in John 2:24. As a Pharisee “he belonged to that party which with all its bigotry contained a salt of true patriotism and could rear such cultured and high-toned men as Gamaliel and Paul” (Marcus Dods). Named Nicodemus Same construction as in John 1:6, “Nicodemus name to him.” So Revelation 6:8. It is a Greek name and occurs in Josephus (Ant. XIV. iii. 2) as the name of an ambassador from Aristobulus to Pompey. Only in John in N.T. (here, John 7:50; John 19:39). He was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and wealthy. There is no evidence that he was the young ruler of Luke 18:18 because of αρχων archōn (ruler) here. [source]
This use of γαρ gar is quite in John‘s style in introducing his comments (John 2:25; John 4:8; John 5:13, etc.). This “Little Gospel” as it is often called, this “comfortable word” (the Anglican Liturgy), while not a quotation from Jesus is a just and marvellous interpretation of the mission and message of our Lord. In John 3:16-21 John recapitulates in summary fashion the teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus. Loved First aorist active indicative of αγαπαω agapaō the noble word so common in the Gospels for the highest form of love, used here as often in John (John 14:23; John 17:23; 1 John 3:1; 1 John 4:10) of God‘s love for man (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4). In John 21:15 John presents a distinction between αγαπαω agapaō and πιλεω phileō Αγαπαω Agapaō is used also for love of men for men (John 13:34), for Jesus (John 8:42), for God (1 John 4:10). The world The whole cosmos of men, including Gentiles, the whole human race. This universal aspect of God‘s love appears also in 2 Corinthians 5:19; Romans 5:8. That he gave The usual classical construction with ωστε hōste and the indicative (first aorist active) practical result, the only example in the N.T. save that in Galatians 2:13. Elsewhere ωστε hōste with the infinitive occurs for actual result (Matthew 13:32) as well as purpose (Matthew 10:1), though even this is rare. His only begotten Son “The Son the only begotten.” For this word see note on John 1:14, note on John 1:18; and John 3:18. The rest of the sentence, the purpose clause with ιναεχηι hina -εις αυτον echēi precisely reproduces the close of John 3:15 save that εν αυτωι eis auton takes the place of πιστευων en autōi (see John 1:12) and goes certainly with εχηι pisteuōn (not with εν αυτωι echēi as μη αποληται αλλα en autōi in John 3:15) and the added clause “should not perish but” The same contrast between “perish” and “eternal life” (for this world and the next) appears also in John 10:28. On “perish” see also John 17:12. [source]
This idiom only here in N.T. At this juncture. Apparently the woman left at once when the disciples came. They marvelled Imperfect active describing the astonishment of the disciples as they watched Jesus talking with a woman. Was speaking As in John 2:25, so here the tense is changed in indirect discourse from λαλει lalei to ελαλει elalei an unusual idiom in Greek. However, οτι hoti here may be “because” and then the imperfect is regular. It is not “with the woman” There was a rabbinical precept: “Let no one talk with a woman in the street, no, not with his own wife” (Lightfoot, Hor, Hebr. iii. 287). The disciples held Jesus to be a rabbi and felt that he was acting in a way beneath his dignity. Yet no man said John remembers through the years their amazement and also their reverence for Jesus and unwillingness to reflect upon him. [source]
The same, i.e., this same man who loves God. He does not say knows God, but implies this in the larger truth, is known by God. Compare Galatians 4:9; 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16; 2 Timothy 2:19. Γινώσκω in New-Testament Greek often denotes a personal relation between the knower and the known, so that the knowledge of an object implies the influence of that object upon the knower. So John 2:24, John 2:25; 1 Corinthians 2:8; 1 John 4:8. In John the relation itself is expressed by the verb. John 17:3, John 17:25; 1 John 5:20; 1 John 4:6; 1 John 2:3, 1 John 2:4, 1 John 2:5. [source]
Lit., as Rev., sinning a sin. There is no exact parallel to the phrase in the New Testament. Compare the promise which He promised, 1 John 2:25. [source]
Lit., His Son, the only-begotten (Son). A mode of expression common in John, enlarging upon the meaning of a noun by the addition of an adjective or a participle with the article. See 1 John 1:2; 1 John 2:7, 1 John 2:8, 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:4; John 6:41, John 6:44, John 6:50, John 6:51; John 15:1, etc. On only-begotten, see on John 1:14. [source]
A particularly faulty translation, since it utterly fails to express the development of the idea of life, which is distinctly contemplated by the original. Render, as Rev., the life, the eternal life; or the life, even the eternal life. For a similar repetition of the article compare 1 John 2:8; 1 John 4:9; 2 John 1:11. This particular phrase occurs only here and John 2:25. John uses ζωὴ αἰώνιος eternallife, and ἡ αἰώνιος ζωη the eternal life, the former expressing the general conception of life eternal, and the latter eternal life as the special gift of Christ. Αἰώνιος eternaldescribes the life in its quality of not being measured by time, a larger idea than that of mere duration. [source]