University of Virginia Library

NOTE I.

Jesus.
Thou couldest have no power at all against me
Were not that power first given thee from above;
He therefore that delivered thee to me
Is the chief culprit, hath the greater sin.
Act IV., Scene VIII.

I have thought it best to leave this passage in its original semi-obscurity, as given in John's Gospel. Numberless attempts have been made to throw light upon its meaning, but none of them seems to me quite satisfactory. Probably we have not a perfectly correct report of the actual words used by Jesus upon this occasion.

“Some have thought that the word ανωθεν, from above, refers to the situation of the temple, which stood much higher than the Prætorium; and that it is as if Jesus had said, ‘I know that whatever thou dost against me, is only in consequence of the sentence passed in yonder court held above; so that their guilt is greater than thine.’ But though this would very well account for the connexion of the latter part

of the verse, I cannot think it altogether just; for had Providence permitted Pilate to seize Christ as one dangerous to Cæsar's dignity, he would have had as much power of putting him to death as he now had. It is therefore much more reasonable to suppose it refers to the permission of God's providence. No thought was more proper to the occasion; and I think the interpretation I have given to the latter clause, in this view, is natural, though not very common. But if any are not satisfied with it, they may consider whether δια τουτο may not be connected with the beginning of the verse, so that it might be translated, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, unless it were given thee from above for this purpose.”