Juan 12:29

29 La multitud que estaba allí, y que oyó la voz, decía que había sido un trueno; otros decían que un ángel le había hablado.

Juan 12:29 Meaning and Commentary

John 12:29

The people therefore that stood by and heard [it]
Some more confusedly, who were farthest off; others more distinctly, who were nearer: the first of these,

said that it thundered;
as it used to do when "Bath Kol" was heard, which, as the Jews say ^F1,

``is a voice that comes out of heaven proceeding from the midst of another voice,''

as thunder; wherefore some took this for thunder, and others for the voice of an angel out of the thunder:

others said, an angel spoke to him;
these being nearer, perceived it was an articulate voice, which expressed certain distinct words, which they thought were delivered by an angel; for the Jews had a mighty notion of the discourse and conversation of angels with men, which their doctors pretended to understand; particularly R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, a Rabbi, who was living at this time, had learned their speech, and was well versed in it ^F2.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Piske Tosephot in T. Bab. Sanhedrin, art. 30.
F2 T. Bab. Succa, fol. 28. 1. & Bava Bathra, fol. 134. 1.

Juan 12:29 In-Context

27 »Ahora todo mi ser está angustiado, ¿y acaso voy a decir: “Padre, sálvame de esta hora difícil”? ¡Si precisamente para afrontarla he venido!

28 ¡Padre, glorifica tu nombre!Se oyó entonces, desde el cielo, una voz que decía: «Ya lo he glorificado, y volveré a glorificarlo».

29 La multitud que estaba allí, y que oyó la voz, decía que había sido un trueno; otros decían que un ángel le había hablado.

30 —Esa voz no vino por mí sino por ustedes —dijo Jesús—.

31 El juicio de este mundo ha llegado ya, y el príncipe de este mundo va a ser expulsado.