And the Father who sent Me
This phrase emphasizes the divine mission and authority of Jesus Christ. The Greek word for "sent" is "πέμπω" (pempo), which implies a purposeful sending with a mission. In the historical context of the Jewish understanding, being sent by God carried the weight of divine authority and purpose. Jesus is not acting on His own but is fulfilling the will of the Father, underscoring the unity and harmony within the Trinity. This reflects the conservative Christian belief in the divine nature of Christ and His role as the Messiah.

has Himself testified about Me
The testimony of the Father is a powerful affirmation of Jesus' identity and mission. The Greek word for "testified" is "μαρτυρέω" (martyreo), which means to bear witness or give evidence. In the Jewish legal system, a testimony was crucial for establishing truth. The Father’s testimony is seen through the works of Jesus, the fulfillment of prophecy, and the voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism. This divine testimony is a cornerstone for the believer's faith, affirming that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

You have never heard His voice
This phrase addresses the spiritual condition of the audience. The Greek word for "heard" is "ἀκούω" (akouo), which means to hear or listen. It implies not just the physical act of hearing but understanding and accepting. Historically, the Israelites heard God's voice at Mount Sinai, but here Jesus points out their spiritual deafness. They have not truly listened to God’s revelation through Jesus. This serves as a call to spiritual awakening and receptivity to God’s word.

nor seen His form
The Greek word for "form" is "εἶδος" (eidos), which refers to appearance or shape. In the Old Testament, God’s form was not seen, as He is spirit and transcendent. This statement highlights the spiritual blindness of the people. Despite God’s presence and revelation through Jesus, they fail to recognize Him. For conservative Christians, this underscores the importance of faith and spiritual insight to perceive God’s work and presence in the world.

(37) Hath borne witness of me.--The marginal reference interprets this testimony of the Father by the voices from heaven spoken at the Baptism and on the Mount of Transfiguration Both are indeed illustrations, and are naturally suggested by the imagery of voice and shape in the latter half of the verse; but one was at this moment in the future, and the other was a definite event which would have required a more definite reference. The Greek, indeed, distinguishes between the Incarnation at a definite point in time and the witness which was continued--And the Father Himself which sent Me (not "hath sent Me") hath borne witness of Me.

"His voice" and "His shape" are both general, and the "at any time" extends over the whole duration of previous revelation. Literally the clause is, Voice of Him ye have not at any time heard, nor shape of Him have ye seen. The reference to the revelation of the Old Testament Scriptures is, moreover, demanded by the immediate context, while the voice at the Baptism and the Transfiguration are not only absent from the present circle of thoughts, but also from St. John's Gospel. Jesus is answering a charge of breaking God's law, and of making Himself equal with God because he has claimed God's fatherhood in word for Himself, and has manifested it in life-power for man. That charge was but an example of their unreceptive spirit. Through the whole history of the nation. He had been revealing Himself to them. Through the chief knowledge-giving senses, eye and ear, they should have learnt in that past history to see God in the act of mercy, to hear Him in the word of love. They jealous for God's honour! Ah! it was then as it had been ever. Voice of God they could not hear. Vision of God they could not see.

Verses 37, 38. - The witness of the Father further elucidated. (See ver. 32.) Verse 37. - And the Father (himself), who sent me. (he) hath borne witness concerning me. If the "himself" be the genuine reading (and it is defended by Godet, M'Clellan, and Meyer), there would seem to be a special or direct and additional form of the Father's testimony. And several ancient and modern critics (Chrysostom, Bengel, Paulus, Godet) have seen in it a reference to the special "voice and shape" which were heard and teen by John and Jesus at the baptism, when heaven was opened, when a voice from heaven proclaimed him to be the well beloved and only begotten Son of God, and when the Spirit of God descended as a dove and abode upon him. This testimony was only given to the world through the consciousness and word of John, who, after receiving it, bore record that this was the Son of God. Meyer and many others, rather following the suggestion of De Wette that the inward drawing of the Father to the Son was that to which the Lord referred, would thus complete the testimony of the "works." This testimony, then, which is cited against the challenge, "Thou bearest witness concerning thyself," would be a purely subjective one. Westcott thinks it refers to the whole of the Old Testament ministry and prophetic and typical anticipation of the Christ, culminating in John the Baptist. This particular series of testimonies is referred to in vers. 39 and 47, etc. Moulton, who rejects the αὐτὸς sees no new, no direct, testimony in addition to that of the works, but the assertion that they are the voice of the Father - in a sense the very form of the Father, for the conviction of those who might if they would come to him. If the αὐτὸς must be retained, I think that we must suppose our Lord referring to the whole of those objective manifestations of the Father's will and mind concerning Christ which were outside of his own act or work; and all that shining through his face, that whispering through his word of what was the eternal Father's face and voice, and plainly distinguished from the work of the Son; e.g. the angels' song, the miraculous providence which protected his childhood, the opening of heaven at his baptism, the Divinity which attended him and which made his ministry so strange and strong an influence. Nor could he who had the whole of his life before him fail to be conscious of further testimonies from heaven and from Providence which, though unrecorded, would continue to set their seal upon his character and work. We must never forget that our Lord himself was a revelation of the Son. But the revelation of the Son in his ἔργα was accompanied throughout with another manifestation - that of the Father. The glory of the Lord shone round about him. Nevertheless, a difficulty is conceded as arising out of the unsusceptibility and limited opportunities of his hearers. Never have ye heard a voice of him, or seen a form of him. These voices and these sounds need opened ears and unsealed eyes. You (says Christ) have not heard that which you might have heard. You have not seen that which you might have seen. On a subsequent occasion he said to one of his disciples, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. How sayest thou, then, Show us the Father?" So that there was, indeed, the condition of adequate revelation of the Father provided for the disciples in the life of Christ, in the ministry of the Son of the Father. Moreover, it far exceeded the vision of God which was granted to patriarchs and prophets under the Old Testament dispensation. Doubtless the voice of Jehovah had been heard (Exodus 20:19; Deuteronomy 4:12), the face of Jehovah had been seen (Genesis 32:30; Exodus 24:10; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 5:4, 24). Isaiah saw the glory of the Angel of the Lord (6; cf. John 12:41), and Ezekiel likewise by the river of Chebar (Ezekiel 3:23). Nevertheless, the evangelist, on the credit of the great utterance before us, has laid down, as the very climax of the prologue, "No man hath seen God at any time (πώποτε); the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." This language of the prologue shows that the true revelation of the Father's heart was not even granted to the noblest of the seers and patriarchs. Such manifestations as the visions of the Old Testament saints were not the veritable voice or form of the Father. Should mankind ever obtain vision or audition of the Father, it must be through the presence among them of him who had been forever in the bosom of the Father. Though these captious critics were in a position to have received this revelation of the Highest, they had not done so. "Ye have neither heard a voice of him, nor seen a form of him. You might have seen and heard and handled if you had chosen, but You will not come to me, you will not believe me, you will not yield to my claims as One sent to you from the Father!"

Parallel Commentaries ...


And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[the] Father
Πατὴρ (Patēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.

who
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sent
πέμψας (pempsas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3992: To send, transmit, permit to go, put forth.

Me
με (me)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

has Himself testified
μεμαρτύρηκεν (memartyrēken)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3140: To witness, bear witness, give evidence, testify, give a good report. From martus; to be a witness, i.e. Testify.

about
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

Me.
ἐμοῦ (emou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

You have never heard
ἀκηκόατε (akēkoate)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

voice
φωνὴν (phōnēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5456: Probably akin to phaino through the idea of disclosure; a tone; by implication, an address, saying or language.

nor
οὔτε (oute)
Conjunction
Strong's 3777: And not, neither, nor. From ou and te; not too, i.e. Neither or nor; by analogy, not even.

seen
ἑωράκατε (heōrakate)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

form,
εἶδος (eidos)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1491: Visible form, shape, appearance, outward show, kind, species, class. From eido; a view, i.e. Form.


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NT Gospels: John 5:37 The Father himself who sent me has (Jhn Jo Jn)