Numbers 35:30
Deuteronomy 17:6
Deuteronomy 19:15
Matthew 18:16
Verse 16. If he will not hear thee, etc. That is, if he spurns or abuses you, or will not be entreated by you, and will not reform. Take one or two more. The design of taking them seems to be, (1.) that he might be induced to listen to them, Mt 18:17. They should be persons of influence or authority; his personal friends, or those in whom he could put confidence. (2.) That they might be witnesses of his conduct before the church, Mt 18:17. The law of Moses required two or three witnesses, De 19:15, 2Cor 13:1, Jn 8:17. (n) "witnesses" De 19:15John 5:30-33
Verse 30. Of mine own self. See Jn 5:19. The Messiah, the Mediator, does nothing without the concurrence and the authority of God. Whatever he does, he does according to the will of God. As I hear I judge. To hear expresses the condition of one who is commissioned or instructed. Thus (Jn 8:26), "I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him;" Jn 8:18, "As the father hath taught me, I speak those things." Jesus here represents himself as commissioned, taught, or sent of God. When he says, "as I hear," he refers to those things which the Father had showed him Jn 5:20--that is, he came to communicate the will of God; to show to man what God wished man to know. I judge. I determine or decide. This was true respecting the institutions and doctrines of religion, and it will be true respecting the sentence which he will pass on mankind at the day of judgment. He will decide their destiny according to what the Father will and wishes--that is, according to justice. Because I seek, &c. This does not imply that his own judgment would be wrong if he sought his own will, but that he had no private ends, no selfish views, no improper bias. He came not to aggrandize himself, or to promote his own views, but he came to do the will of God. Of course his decision would be impartial and unbiased, and there is every security that it will be according to truth. See Lk 22:42 where he gave a memorable instance, in the agony of the garden, of his submission to his Father's will. (c) "the will of the Father" Ps 40:7,8, Mt 26:39, Jn 4:34, 6:38 Verse 31. If I bear witness of myself. If I have no other evidence than my own testimony about myself. My witness. My testimony; my evidence, The proof would not be decisive. Is not true. The word true. here, means worthy of belief, or established by suitable evidence. See Mt 22:16: "We know that thou art true"--that is, worthy of confidence, or that thou hast been truly sent from God, Lk 20:21; Jn 8:13,17. The law did not admit a man to testify in his own case, but required two witnesses, De 17:6. Though what Jesus said true Jn 8:13,17, yet he admitted it was not sufficient testimony alone to claim their belief. They had a right to expect that his statement that he came from God would be confirmed by other evidence. This evidence he gave in the miracles which he wrought as proof that God had sent him. (d) "If I bear witness" Ps 27:2, Jn 8:14, Rev 3:14 Verse 32. There is another. That is, God. See Jn 5:36. (e) "another" Jn 8:18, Acts 10:43, 1Jn 5:7-9 Verse 33. Ye sent unto John. See Jn 1:19. He bare witness, &c. This testimony of John ought to have satisfied them. John was an eminent man; many of the Pharisees believed on him; he was candid, unambitious, sincere, and his evidence was impartial. On this Jesus might have rested the proof that he was the Messiah, but he was willing, also, to adduce evidence of a higher order. (f) "he bare witness" Jn 1:7,32
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