John 12:41

41 These things said Isaias, when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.

John 12:41 Meaning and Commentary

John 12:41

These things said Esaias
Concerning the blinding and hardening of the Jews:

when he saw his glory, and spake of him;
when he saw, in a visionary way, the glory of the Messiah in the temple, and the angels covering their faces with their wings at the sight of him; and when he spake of him as the King, the Lord of hosts, whom he had seen, ( Isaiah 6:1-10 ) , from whence it is clear that he had respect to the Jews in the times of the Messiah. The prophet says in ( Isaiah 6:1 ) that he "saw the Lord": the Targumist renders it, "I saw", (yyd arqy ta) , "the glory of Jehovah"; and in ( Isaiah 6:5 ) he says, "mine eyes have seen the King", Jehovah, Zebaot, the Lord of hosts; which the Chaldee paraphrase renders, "mine eyes have seen", (rqy ta) , "the glory" of the Shekinah, the King of the world, the Lord of hosts. Agreeably to which our Lord says here, that he saw his glory, the glory of his majesty, the glory of his divine nature, the train of his divine perfections, filling the temple of the human nature; and he spoke of him as the true Jehovah, the Lord of hosts; and which therefore is a very clear and strong proof of the proper divinity of Christ. And it may be observed from hence, that such persons who have a true, spiritual, and saving sight of Christ, of the glory of his person, and the fulness of his grace, cannot but be speaking of him to others, either in private, or in public, as Isaiah here did, and as the church in ( Song of Solomon 5:10-16 ) ; and as the apostles of Christ, ( John 1:1 John 1:4 ) ( 1 John 1:1 1 John 1:2 ) ; and indeed, should they hold their peace, the stones would cry out; such must, and will speak of his glory in his temple, ( Psalms 29:9 ) ( Psalms 145:4-7 Psalms 145:11 Psalms 145:12 ) .

John 12:41 In-Context

39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaias said again:

40 He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart and be converted: and I should heal them.

41 These things said Isaias, when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.

42 However, many of the chief men also believed in him: but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, that they might not be cast out of the synagogue.

43 For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.