John 5:37

37 And the Father that sent me, he bare witnessing of me. Neither ye heard ever his voice, neither ye saw his likeness [neither saw his likeness, or form].

John 5:37 Meaning and Commentary

John 5:37

And the Father himself, which hath sent me
Not only the works he gave him to do, and which he did, but he himself in person:

hath borne witness of me;
not only in the writings of Moses, and the prophecies of the Old Testament, but by an audible articulate voice from heaven, at the time of Christ's baptism, ( Matthew 3:17 ) ; which was a full testimony of the sonship of Christ, and of the Father's well pleasure in him; and which was repeated at his transfiguration on the mount, ( Matthew 17:5 ) ; and the sonship of Christ is the grand thing which the three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, testify of, ( 1 John 5:7 ) ;

ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape;
for the voices that were heard, and the forms that were seen under the Old Testament dispensation, from the first of this kind in Eden's garden, to the incarnation of Christ, which are ascribed to God, or to a divine person, were either by the ministry of angels, or they were voices uttered by the Son of God, or forms assumed by him, who often appeared in an human form, as a prelude of his incarnation; so that it was unusual, and wonderful, and remarkable, that the Father should bear a testimony to the sonship of Christ by a voice from heaven; and which therefore ought to be attended to, and received as a sufficient and valid testimony.

John 5:37 In-Context

35 He was a lantern burning and shining [He was a lantern burning and shining, or giving light]; but ye would glad, or joy, at an hour in his light.
36 But I have more witnessing than John, for the works that my Father gave to me to perform them [forsooth the works that my Father gave me that I perform them], those works that I do bear witnessing of me, that the Father sent me.
37 And the Father that sent me, he bare witnessing of me. Neither ye heard ever his voice, neither ye saw his likeness [neither saw his likeness, or form].
38 And ye have not his word dwelling in you; for ye believe not to him, whom he sent.
39 Seek ye the scriptures, in which ye guess [in which ye ween] to have everlasting life; and those it be, that bear witnessing of me.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.