John 3:1

Now (de). So often in John de is explanatory and transitional, not adversative. Nicodemus is an instance of Christ's knowledge of men ( Acts 2:25 ) and of one to whom he did trust himself unlike those in Acts 2:24 . As a Pharisee "he belonged to that party which with all its bigotry contained a salt of true patriotism and could rear such cultured and high-toned men as Gamaliel and Paul" (Marcus Dods). Named Nicodemus (Nikodhmo onoma). Same construction as in Acts 1:6 , "Nicodemus name to him." So Revelation 6:8 . It is a Greek name and occurs in Josephus (Ant. XIV. iii. 2) as the name of an ambassador from Aristobulus to Pompey. Only in John in N.T. (here, Revelation 7:50 ; Revelation 19:39 ). He was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and wealthy. There is no evidence that he was the young ruler of Luke 18:18 because of arcwn (ruler) here.