Jesus answered and said unto them
In vindication of himself, and his testimony:
though I bear record of myself, yet my record is
true;
which seems contradictory to what he says, in ( John 5:31 ) , and may be
reconciled thus; there he speaks of himself as man, and in the
opinion of the Jews, who took him to be a mere man; and also as
alone, and separate from his Father, as the context shows;
therefore his single testimony, and especially concerning
himself, could not be admitted as authentic among men; but here
he speaks of himself as a divine person, and in conjunction with
his Father, with whom he was equal; and therefore his testimony
ought to be looked upon, and received as firm and good, giving
this as a reason for it:
for I know whence I came, and whither I go;
that he was truly the Son of God, the only begotten of the
Father, and had his mission and commission from him into this
world; and which, as he knew himself, he was able to make known,
and make appear to others, by his credentials, the doctrines
taught, and the miracles wrought by him; which proved him to be
what he said he was, the light of the world; and he knew that
when he had done his work he came about, he should go to his God
and Father, and take his place at his right hand:
but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I
go;
they took him to be the son of Joseph, and that he came out of
Galilee; in which they were mistaken; and when he talked of going
away, they did not understand him, nor know whither he was going;
they ask if he was going to the dispersed among the Gentiles, to
teach them? and at another time, whether he would kill himself?
they knew not, that through a train of sufferings and death, he
must, and would enter into his glory: the Persic version inserts
another clause without any foundation; "but ye know not from
whence ye come, and whither ye go", and then follows the former;
there might be a truth in this, they did not know their true
original, that they were from beneath; nor whither they were
going, to what dismal abode, when they expected to enter, and
enjoy the kingdom of heaven.