John 12:38
in John 12This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
KJV
That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
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This verse in John 12
Commentary
20 notes on this verseThat the saying of Esaias - Or, Thus the word of Isaiah was fulfilled. So I think ἱνα (commonly rendered that) should be translated. For it certainly does not mean the end the Pharisees had in view by not believing; nor the end which the prophet had in view in predicting the incredulity of the Jews; but simply, such a thing was spoken by the prophet, concerning the Jews of his own time, and it had its literal fulfillment in those of our Lord’s time.
This site's exposition
so many signs in their presence
on John 12:37-41
John steps out of the account to answer why Israel did not believe. He reaches for Isaiah 53:1 on unbelief and Isaiah 6:10 on a hardening that follows long refusal. Verse 41 puts the throne room vision of Isaiah 6 on Jesus.
This site's exposition
Lord, who has believed our message
The unbelief fulfilled the word of Isaiah. Clarke renders the clause Thus the word of Isaiah was fulfilled, and Theophylact holds the prophecy foretold the event without causing it. Wesley reads the arm of the Lord as the power of God in the works of Christ.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
(Tr. liii. 2) It is evident here that the arm of the Lord is the Son of God Himself. Not that the Father has a human fleshly form; He is called the arm of the Lord, because all things were made by Him. If a man had power of such a kind, as that without any motion of his body, what he said was forthwith done, the word of that man would be his arm. Here is no ground to justify, however, the error of those who say that the Godhead is one Person only, because the Son is the arm of the Father, and a man and his arm are not two persons, but one. These men do not understand, that the commonest things require to be explained often by applying language to them taken from other things in which there happens to be a likeness, [cand that, when we are upon things incomprehensible, and which cannot be described as they actually are, this is much more necessary. Thus one man calls another man, whom he makes great use of, his arm; and talks of having lost his arm, of having his arm taken away from him.]
"But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him: that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Where he makes it sufficiently plain that the Son of God is Himself the arm of the Lord; not that the person of God the Father is determined by the shape of human flesh, and that the Son is attached to Him as a member of His body; but because all things were made by Him, and therefore He is designated the arm of the Lord. For as it is with thine arm that thou workest, so the Word of God is styled His arm; because by the Word He elaborated the world. For why does a man, in order to do some work, stretch forth his arm, but because the doing of it does not straightway follow his word? And if he was endowed with such pre-eminent power that what he said was done without any movement of his body, then would his word be his arm. But the Lord Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God the Father, as He is no mere member of the Father's body, so is He no mere thinkable, and audible, and transitory word; for, as all things were made by Him, He was the word of God. When, therefore, we hear that the Son of God is the arm of God the Father, let no carnal custom raise its distracting din in our ears; but as far as His grace enables us, let us think of that power and wisdom of God by which all things were made. Surely such an arm as that is neither held out by stretching, nor drawn in by contracting it. […]
(Tr. liii. 2) But some mutter, and ask, What fault was it of the Jews, if it was necessary that the sayings of Esaias should be fulfilled? We answer, that God, foreseeing the future, predicted by the Prophet the unbelief of the Jews, but did not cause it. God does not compel men to sin, because He knows they will sin. He foreknows their sins, not His own. The Jews committed the sin, which He who knows all things foretold they would commit.
There are some, then, who mutter among themselves, and sometimes speak out when they can, and even break forth into turbulent debate, saying: What did the Jews do, or what fault was it of theirs, if it was a necessity "that the saying of Isaiah the prophet should be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" To whom our answer is, that the Lord, in His foreknowledge of the future, foretold by the prophet the unbelief of the Jews; He foretold it, but did not cause it. For God does not compel any one to sin simply because He knows already the future sins of men. For He foreknew sins that were theirs, not His own; sins that were referable to no one else, but to their own selves. Accordingly, if what He foreknew as theirs is not really theirs, then had He no true foreknowledge: but as His foreknowledge is infallible, it is doubtless no one else, but they themselves, whose sinfulness God foreknew, that are the sinners. The Jews, therefore, committed sin, with no compulsion to do so on His part, to whom sin is an object of displeasure; but He foretold their committing of it, because nothing is concealed from His knowledge. And accordingly, had they wished to do good instead of evil, they would not have been hindered; but in this which they were to do they were foreseen of Him who knows what every man will do, and what He is yet to render unto such an one according to his work.
What did he see? In the spiritual vision, in the revelation of divine nature, which is incomprehensible, Isaiah saw the glory that, since it is common to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Scripture cannot establish precisely whether it is the glory of …
12 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Hom. lxviii. 2) But why then did Christ come? Did He not know that they would not believe in Him? Yes: the Prophets had prohibited this very unbelief, and He came that it might be made manifest, to their confusion and condemnation; That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which He spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Hom. lxviii. 2) That the saying of Esaias might be fulfilled: that here is expressive not of the cause, but of the event. They did not disbelieve because Esaias said they would; but because they would disbelieve, Esaias said they would.
The Medieval Church3 voices
That the word of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: Lord, who has believed: as if to say: few, or none: our report? That is, that which we have heard from the Lord: or that which one hears from us prophesying, because …
Then, the testimony of the prophet on this point is cited. First, the prophecies are mentioned; secondly, it is shown that they refer to Christ (v 41). He does two things about the first: he cites the prophecy foretelling their unbelief; secondly, he adds the …
In the words "they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah might be fulfilled," what is expressed is not the cause, but the event. For they did not disbelieve in Christ because Isaiah had foretold it about them, but the prophet foretold …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The arm of the Lord - The power of God manifested by Christ, in his preaching, miracles, and work of redemption.
That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled,....
The Nineteenth Century6 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
That the saying of Esaias . . . might be fulfilled--This unbelief did not at all set aside the purposes of God, but, on the contrary, fulfilled them.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
The lesson of the words is generally applicable to the whole professing Church of Christ. Its time for doing good in the world is short and limited. The throne of grace will not always be standing—it will be removed one day, and the throne of judgment will be set up in its place. The door of salvation by faith in Christ will not always be open—it will be shut one day forever, and the number of God's elect will be completed.
THE BLINDNESS of Israel concerning our Lord was sadly remarkable. It was a blindness of the eyes, for they saw his many miracles, and yet believed not: their ears also seemed to be stopped, for they heard his words and did not understand them; and their hearts also were heavy, for they did not relent under the plaintive admonitions of a Saviour's love. Their hearts were cruel towards the Messiah; they hated him without a cause.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
The lesson of the words is generally applicable to the whole professing Church of Christ. Its time for doing good in the world is short and limited. The throne of grace will not always be standing—it will be removed one day, and the throne of judgment will be set up in its place. The door of salvation by faith in Christ will not always be open—it will be shut one day forever, and the number of God's elect will be completed. The fountain for all sin and uncleanness will not always be accessible; the way to it will one day be barred, and there will remain nothing but the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. These are solemn thoughts; but they are true. They cry aloud to sleeping Churchmen and drowsy congregations, and ought to arouse great searchings of heart. "Can nothing more be done to spread the Gospel at home and abroad? Has every means been tried for extending the knowledge of Christ crucified? Can we lay our hands on our hearts, and say that the Churches have left nothing undone in the matter of missions? Can we look forward to the Second Advent with no feelings of humiliation, and say that the talents of wealth, and influence, and opportunities have not been buried in the ground?" Such questions may well humble us, when we look, on one side, at the state of professing Christendom, and, on the other, at the state of the heathen world. We must confess with shame that the Church is not walking worthy of its light. But the lesson of the words is specially applicable to ourselves as individuals . Our own time for getting good is short and limited; let us take heed that we make good use of it. Let us "walk while we have the light." Have we Bibles? Let us not neglect to read them. Have we the preached Gospel? Let us not linger halting between two opinions, but believe to the saving of our souls. Have we Sabbaths?
THE BLINDNESS of Israel concerning our Lord was sadly remarkable. It was a blindness of the eyes, for they saw his many miracles, and yet believed not: their ears also seemed to be stopped, for they heard his words and did not understand them; and their hearts also were heavy, for they did not relent under the plaintive admonitions of a Saviour's love. Their hearts were cruel towards the Messiah; they hated him without a cause. No door was open to the heart of Israel; they had hardened their heart, they had shut their eyes, they had stopped their ears, and even he that spake as never man spake gained no access to their souls. They went so far as to crucify him, and cried as they did so, "His blood be on us, and our children,"—words so sadly verified when Jerusalem was destroyed, and her children slaughtered, sold as slaves, or scattered to the four corners of the earth. It was indeed, a terrible blindness which happened unto Israel. Her rejection of the Lord Jesus is the more amazing because Isaiah gave so clear an account of the Messiah, and so clearly pictured Jesus of Nazareth. Descriptions of him could not have been more explicit than were the prophecies of Isaiah. It would be very easy to construct an entire life of Christ out of the book of Isaiah, beginning with "a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel," and ending with "he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death." Isaiah spake of John the Baptist as the "voice crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God," and he foretold our Lord's ministry by the way of the sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles, where the people who sat in darkness saw great light.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The saying - The word of Isaiah, or that which Isaiah predicted. This occurs in Isa 53:1. Might be fulfilled - That the same effect should occur which occurred in the time of Isaiah. This does not mean that the Pharisees rejected Christ in order that the prophecy of Isaiah should be fulfilled, but that by their rejection of him the same thing had occurred which took place in the time of Isaiah. His message was despised by the nation, and he himself put to death. And it was also true - by the same causes, by the same nation that the same gospel message was rejected by the Jews in the time of Christ. The same language of the prophet would express both events, and no doubt it was intended by the Holy Spirit to mark both events. In this way it was completely fulfilled. See the notes at Isa 53:1. Our report - Literally, by report is meant “what is heard.” Our speech, our message. That is, few or none have received the message. The form of the question is an emphatic way of saying that it was rejected. The arm of the Lord - The arm is a symbol of power, as it is the instrument by which we execute our purposes. It is put for the power of God, Isa 51:9; Isa 52:10. Thus, he is said to have brought out the children of Israel from Egypt with a high arm that is, with great power. It hence means God’s power in defending his people, in overcoming his enemies, and in saving the soul. In this place it clearly denotes the power displayed by the miracles of Christ. Revealed - Made known, seen, understood. Though the power of God was displayed, yet the people did not see and understand it.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λόγος | logos | word | G3056 → | 329 times |
| Ἠσαΐου | esaiou | of Isaiah | G2268 → | 22 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφήτου | prophetou | prophet | G4396 → | 144 times |
| πληρωθῇ | plerothea | may be fulfilled | G4137 → | 86 times |
| ὃν | hon | that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| εἶπεν· | eipen | said: | G2036 → | 925 times |
| κύριε, | kurie | Lord, | G2962 → | 711 times |
| τίς | tis | who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἐπίστευσεν | episteusen | has believed | G4100 → | 237 times |
| τῇ | tea | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀκοῇ | akoea | report | G189 → | |
| ἡμῶν; | hemon | of us? | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βραχίων | brachion | arm | G1023 → | |
| κυρίου | kuriou | of [the] Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| τίνι | tini | to whom | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἀπεκαλύφθη; | apekaluphthe | has been revealed? | G601 → |
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
λόγοςword
logosG3056 →329 times
Ἠσαΐουof Isaiah
esaiouG2268 →22 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
προφήτουprophet
prophetouG4396 →144 times
πληρωθῇmay be fulfilled
plerotheaG4137 →86 times
ὃνthat
honG3739 →1405 times
εἶπεν·said:
eipenG2036 →925 times
κύριε,Lord,
kurieG2962 →711 times
τίςwho
tisG5101 →563 times
ἐπίστευσενhas believed
episteusenG4100 →237 times
τῇin the
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἀκοῇreport
akoeaG189 →
ἡμῶν;of us?
hemonG3165 →1936 times
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
βραχίωνarm
brachionG1023 →
κυρίουof [the] Lord
kuriouG2962 →711 times
τίνιto whom
tiniG5101 →563 times
ἀπεκαλύφθη;has been revealed?
apekaluphtheG601 →
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
Isaiah 53:1Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 10:16–17
But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”
- John 1:12
But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
- Matthew 16:17
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18
Through
Romans 10:20And Isaiah boldly says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 65:1–2
“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I…
- Romans 9:30
What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
- Isaiah 65:1–2
Through
Romans 10:16But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:1
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
- Isaiah 53:1
Through
1 Corinthians 1:24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30
Where this verse is studied
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Studies22
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About John
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 16 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); Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 53; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 12; Brooke Foss Westcott, The Gospel according to St. John; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1844: “Israel And Britain. A Note of Warning” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON JOHN 12.38-41; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.