John 12:29
in John 12The crowd standing there heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The multitude therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it had thundered: others said, An angel hath spoken to him.
KJV
The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
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This verse in John 12
Commentary
15 notes on this verseHow does God speak? Does He have a physical voice? Not at all, but He pours forth oracles with a certain superior power than a physical voice could have. The prophets heard this voice; the faithful hear this voice, but the wicked do not understand. Finally, in the Gospel you have, because the evangelist heard Him saying: "And I have glorified, and will glorify again" (John 12:28); but the Jews did not hear. For they said: "It thundered" (Ibid., 29).
This site's exposition
said that it had thundered
on John 12:29-30
The crowd heard the same sound and split two ways, thunder to some and an angel to others. John gives the reader the words themselves, which the crowd could not make out. Jesus says the voice came for their sake.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Tr. lii. 4) I have glorified it, i. e. before I made the world; and will glorify it again, i. e. when Thou shalt rise from the dead. Or, I have glorified it, when Thou wast born of a Virgin, didst work miracles, wast made manifest by the Holy Ghost descending in the shape of a dove; and will glorify it again, when Thou shalt rise from the dead, and, as God, be exalted above the heavens, and Thy glory above all the earth. The people therefore that stood by and heard it, said that it thundered.
"Then came there a voice from heaven, [saying], I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." "I have both glorified it," before I created the world, "and I will glorify it again," when He shall rise from the dead and ascend into heaven. It may also be otherwise understood. "I have both glorified it," when He was born of the Virgin, when He exercised miraculous powers; when the Magi, guided by a star in the heavens, bowed in adoration before Him; when He was recognized by saints filled with the Holy Spirit; when He was openly proclaimed by the descent of the Spirit in the form of a dove, and pointed out by the voice that sounded from heaven; when He was transfigured on the mount; when He wrought many miracles, cured and cleansed multitudes, fed so vast a number with a very few loaves, commanded the winds and the waves, and raised the dead; "and I will glorify it again;" when He shall rise from the dead; when death shall have no longer dominion over Him; and when He shall be exalted over the heavens as God, and His glory over all the earth. "The people therefore that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to Him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes." He thereby showed that the voice made no intimation to Him of what He already knew, but to those who needed the information. And just as that voice was uttered by God, not on His account, but on that of others, so His soul was troubled, not on His own account, but voluntarily for the sake of others.
The Medieval Church3 voices
The crowd therefore, which stood. After the fruitfulness of the future passion has been determined, the third point is here subjoined, namely its explanation, in which the Evangelist proceeds in this order. First is indicated the wonder of the crowds; second, an explanation is given …
(Moral. xxviii.) When God speaks audibly, as He does here, but no visible appearance is seen, He speaks through the medium of a rational creature: i. e. by the voice of an Angel.
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXVIII, 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
God speaks in words by an Angel, when nothing is displayed in outward appearance, but the words of the Heavenly saying are heard; as on the Lord saying, "Father, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee;" it is immediately replied, "I have glorified, and will glorify Him again." For God, Who speaks without time, by the power of inward impulse, uttered not in time that voice by His own Substance, which voice, circumscribed by time, He made plain by human words. But speaking doubtless from heavenly places, He fashioned, by the ministry of a rational creature, those His words which He wished to be heard by men.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
Next we see the opinion of the crowd, which was wondering about the voice, The crowd standing by heard it and said. In this crowd, as in every other, some were dull and slow to understand, and others were more perceptive; yet all of them …
Since very many were crude and ignorant, they took the voice for thunder, even though the voice was articulate and very clear. For they quickly forgot the words of the voice, retaining only its echo. Others remembered the very words of the voice: "I have …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The multitude who stood and heard - A sound, but not the distinct words - In the most glorious Revelations there may remain something obscure, to exercise our faith.
The people therefore that stood by and heard it,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The people - A part of the people. It thundered - The unexpected sound of the voice would confound and amaze them; and though there is no reason to doubt that the words were spoken distinctly Mat 3:17, yet some of the people, either from amazement or envy, would suppose that this was a mere natural phenomenon.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
These verses show us what Peter meant, when he said, "There are some things hard to be understood" in Scripture. (2 Pet. 3:16.) There are depths here which we have no line to fathom thoroughly. This need not surprise us, or shake our faith. The Bible would not be a book "given by inspiration of God," if it did not contain many things which pass man's finite understanding. With all its difficulties, it contains thousands of passages which the most unlearned may easily comprehend.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
These verses show us what Peter meant, when he said, "There are some things hard to be understood" in Scripture. (2 Pet. 3:16.) There are depths here which we have no line to fathom thoroughly. This need not surprise us, or shake our faith. The Bible would not be a book "given by inspiration of God," if it did not contain many things which pass man's finite understanding. With all its difficulties, it contains thousands of passages which the most unlearned may easily comprehend. Even here, if we look steadily at these verses, we may gather from them lessons of considerable importance. We have, first, in these verses, a great DOCTRINE indirectly proved. That doctrine is the imputation of man's sin to Christ. We see the Savior of the world, the eternal Son of God troubled and disturbed in mind—"Now is my soul troubled." We see Him who could heal diseases with a touch, cast out devils with a word, and command the waves and winds to obey Him, in great agony and conflict of spirit. Now how can this be explained? To say, as some do, that the only cause of our Lord's trouble was the prospect of His own painful death on the cross, is a very unsatisfactory explanation. At this rate it might justly be said that many a martyr has shown more calmness and courage than the Son of God. Such a conclusion is, to say the least, most revolting. Yet this is the conclusion to which men are driven if they adopt the modern notion, that Christ's death was only a great example of self-sacrifice. Nothing can ever explain our Lord's trouble of soul, both here and in Gethsemane, except the old doctrine, that He felt the burden of man's sin pressing Him down. It was the mighty weight of a world's guilt imputed to Him and meeting on his head, which made Him groan and agonize, and cry, "Now is my soul troubled."
The people - said that it thundered: others - an angel spake to him - Bishop Pearce says, Probably there was thunder as well as a voice, as in Exo 19:16, Exo 19:17, and some persons, who were at a small distance, might hear the thunder without hearing the voice; while others heard the voice too; and these last said, “An angel hath spoken to him.” Wetstein supposes that the voice was in the language then in use among the Jews; which the Greeks, not understanding, took for thunder; the others, the Jews, who did understand it, said it was the voice of an angel. In Rev 6:1, the voice of one of the living creatures is compared to thunder; and in Rev 10:3, the voice of an angel is compared to seven thunders. The voice mentioned was probably very loud, which some heard distinctly, others indistinctly; hence the variety of opinion.
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὖν | oun | Therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| ὄχλος | ochlos | the crowd | G3793 → | 175 times |
| ὁ | ho | which | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἑστὼς | hestos | already standing | G2476 → | 153 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀκούσας | akousas | having heard [it] | G191 → | 425 times |
| ἔλεγεν | elegen | it was saying [it] | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| βροντὴν | bronten | Thunder | G1027 → | |
| γεγονέναι. | gegonenai | to have been. | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἄλλοι | alloi | Others | G243 → | 155 times |
| ἔλεγον· | elegon | were saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ἄγγελος | angelos | An angel | G32 → | 175 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λελάληκεν.¶ | lelaleken | has spoken. | G2980 → | 294 times |
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
οὖνTherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
ὄχλοςthe crowd
ochlosG3793 →175 times
ὁwhich
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἑστὼςalready standing
hestosG2476 →153 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀκούσαςhaving heard [it]
akousasG191 →425 times
ἔλεγενit was saying [it]
elegenG3004 →1325 times
βροντὴνThunder
brontenG1027 →
γεγονέναι.to have been.
gegonenaiG1096 →667 times
ἄλλοιOthers
alloiG243 →155 times
ἔλεγον·were saying;
elegonG3004 →1325 times
ἄγγελοςAn angel
angelosG32 →175 times
αὐτῷto Him
autoG846 →5565 times
λελάληκεν.¶has spoken.
lelalekenG2980 →294 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 19:16On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…
it leads to
- Hebrews 12:18–19
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 18:11–14
He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
- Hebrews 12:21
The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
- Revelation 4:1
After this I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had previously heard speak to me like a trumpet was saying, “Come up here, and I will show…
- Hebrews 12:18–19
Through
Exodus 20:18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance.
it leads to
- Exodus 19:16–18
On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…
- Exodus 19:16–18
Through
Revelation 14:2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder. And the sound I heard was like harpists strumming their harps.
it leads to
- Revelation 5:8
When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which…
- Revelation 5:8
Through
Revelation 6:1Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a thunderous voice, “Come!”
it leads to
- Revelation 5:1
Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
- Revelation 6:5
And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of…
- Revelation 5:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies22
About John
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On Paradise, Chapter 14.69; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 52; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 12; Gregory the Dialogist, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXVIII, 4; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.