John 8:20

John 8:20 . These words spake Jesus in the treasury — Which was a certain part of the women’s court, where the chests were placed for receiving the offerings of those who came to worship; and consequently was a place of great concourse. And no man laid hands on him — Though he so plainly intimated that God was his Father, and charged the Jews with being ignorant of him, while they boasted that he was in a peculiar sense their God; yet, their spirits were kept under such a powerful, though secret restraint, that no one seized him; which was the more wonderful, as it was a place much frequented by his greatest enemies, and from which it would not have been easy for him to have escaped without a miracle; for his hour was not yet come — In which he was, by divine permission, to be delivered into the hands of these wicked men.

The Treasury (γαζοφυλακίῳ) From γάζα, treasure, a Persian word, occurring only once in the New Testament (Acts 8:27), and φυλακή, guard. Used by John only here. The Treasury was in the Court of the Women, so called, not because it was appropriated to the worship of women exclusively, but because they were not allowed to proceed further, except for sacrificial purposes. The court covered a space upwards of two hundred feet square, and was surrounded by a colonnade, within which, and against the wall, were the thirteen trumpet-shaped chests, called "trumpets" from their shape, for charitable contributions. This court was the most public part of the temple. And no man laid hands on Him (καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπίασεν αὐτὸν) Notice the connection with the previous sentence by the simple and, where another writer would have said and yet: the sense being that though Jesus was teaching where He might easily have been apprehended, yet no one attempted to arrest Him. See on John 1:10. Laid hands on is better rendered, as elsewhere, took (compare John 7:30). The inconsistency of the A.V. in the renderings of the same word, of which this is only one of many instances, is noteworthy here from the fact that in the only two passages in which John uses the phrase laid hands on (John 7:30; John 7:44), he employs the common formula, ἐπιβάλλειν τὰς χεῖρας, or τὴν χεῖρα, and in both these passages the word πιάσαι is rendered take.

These words spake Jesus in the {e} treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; {7} for his hour was not yet come. (e) This was a certain place appointed for the gathering of the offerings. (7) We live and die according to the pleasure of God, and not of men: therefore it behooves us that we constantly go forward in our calling.

20. These words spake Jesus in the treasury—a division, so called, of the fore court of the temple, part of the court of the women [Josephus, Antiquities, 19.6.2, &c.], which may confirm the genuineness of Joh 8:2-11, as the place where the woman was brought. no man laid hands on him, &c.—(See on [1807]Joh 7:30). In the dialogue that follows, the conflict waxes sharper on both sides, till rising to its climax, they take up stones to stone him.

The treasury was a public place in the temple; concerning which, See Poole on "Matthew 27:6" , See Poole on "Mark 12:41" , See Poole on "Mark 12:43" and See Poole on "Luke 21:1" . Christ taught sometimes in one part of the temple, sometimes in another: but that no man should lay hold on him, considering the search made for him in the beginning of the feast, and their sending messengers to take him, as we read John 7:32 , and the affront he had given to the scribes and Pharisees, of which we read in the beginning of this chapter, was very miraculous; nor can any account be given of it besides what is here given, viz. that his hour was not yet come; which was the reason we heard given before in the same case, John 7:30 . Men shall be able to do nothing against Christ, or any that belong unto him, till the time cometh that God hath set in his wise and eternal thoughts.

John 8:20 . Ἐν τῷ γαζοφυλακίῳ , in the treasury ) in that place, where any one might easily have been taken; where there was a very great crowd of men.— διδάσκων , teaching ) The Didacticks of Jesus may be here considered, especially from the means of judging furnished by John. Christ, the Teacher, one, true , and good. One , Matthew 23:18 , One is your διδάσκαλος ; John 8:10 , One is your καθηγητής , even Christ], of the highest dignity, John 8:8 ; power, John 8:9 , “One is your Father, which is in heaven;” and authority, John 8:10 . He is the true teacher, John 7; for He was sent by God, and teaches the truth [ John 8:18 , He that seeketh His glory that sent Him, the same is true , and no unrighteousness is in Him.] Good ; apt to teach, 2 Timothy 2 [ John 8:24 ], Three kinds of teachers are distinguished in Matthew 23 : Prophets, Wise men, Scribes . He did not Himself bear the title of a Scribe, but He left it to His disciples, Matthew 13:52 , “Every scribe , which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven.” He had no need of learning, John 7:15 . Only once He read, Luke 4:17 [viz. the book of Isaiah, in the synagogue of Nazareth], He found the place [where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, etc.] Only once He wrote, John 8:6 .

Thus then He did not write books in His own name, as the apostles did, nor did He use the apparatus of books; yet He dictated some epistles, Revelation 1 [ John 8:11 , What thou seest write in a book, and send it unto the Seven Churches—in Asia]. There remain the two titles, Wisdom and Prophet , applied to Him by implication, Matthew 12:41-42 , “Behold, a greater than Jonas is here:—Behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” The name, Prophet , is otherwise greater than that of Wisdom. In the case of Christ, the name, Wisdom , is in some measure more sublime than Prophet . He prayed, ever following the Father’s commands. He sweetly drew disciples to Himself; 1) as recorded in John 1:38 , etc.; comp. ch. John 8:30 ; John 2) in Luke, etc. He taught them in order, first, concerning His own person, concerning Himself as the Christ, 1) in the presence of the people; 2) in the presence of His adversaries; 3) by themselves apart: moreover also concerning His passion and resurrection; He taught them first in plain language, afterwards by parables, Matthew 13; first at a marriage feast, afterwards on other occasions. He taught the people in one way, the Pharisees in another way, the disciples of John in another, His own disciples in another. He taught concerning the fasting of the disciples of John, concerning the baptism of John, Matthew 21, concerning the tribute-money, etc.

20 . in the treasury ] At the treasury is an admissible and in one respect safer translation. It is not certain that there was a separate building called the treasury; and if there was, it is not probable that Christ would be able to address the multitude there. But the thirteen brazen chests, into which people put their offerings for the temple and other charitable objects, stood in the Court of the Women (see on Mark 12:41 ), and these chests seem to have been called ‘the treasury.’ The point seems to be that in so public and frequented a place as this did He say all this, and yet no man laid hands on Him (see on John 7:30 ). Moreover the Hall Gazith, where the Sanhedrin mot, was close to the Court of the Women; so that He was teaching close to His enemies’ head quarters.

(20) These words spake Jesus in the treasury. —Comp. Notes on Mark 12:41 and Luke 21:1 . From the passage it is clear that the word “treasury” was applied to the brazen trumpet-shaped chests placed in the court of the women for the reception of alms. There were thirteen of them, and each bore an inscription showing to what purpose the alms placed in it would be devoted. Here the word is apparently used of the place itself in which the chests were deposited, or the preposition must be taken as including the immediate neighbourhood. This notice of place is interesting in many ways. The court of the women was one of the most public places in the Temple area. He taught, then, openly and fearlessly. The chamber in which the Sanhedrin held their session was between the court of the women and that of the men. They had on that very day been assembled to take counsel against Him ( John 7:45-52 ). This gives point to the words which follow, “and no man laid hands on Him, for His hour was not yet come.” The court of the women, moreover, was the spot where the great candelabra stood. (See Note on John 8:12 .)