Click
here to show/hide instructions.
Instructions on how to use the page:
The commentary for the selected verse is is displayed below.
All commentary was produced against the King James, so the same verse from that translation may appear as well. Hovering your mouse over a commentary's scripture reference attempts to show those verses.
Use the browser's back button to return to the previous page.
Or you can also select a feature from the Just Verses menu appearing at the top of the page.
Selected Verse: John 1:17 - Douay Rheims
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Joh 1:17 |
Douay Rheims |
For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. |
| |
King James |
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| For, &c.--The Law elicits the consciousness of sin and the need of redemption; it only typifies the reality. The Gospel, on the contrary, actually communicates reality and power from above (compare Rom 6:14). Hence Paul terms the Old Testament "shadow," while he calls the New Testament "substance" (Col 2:17) [OLSHAUSEN]. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
The law was given - The Old Testament economy. The institutions under which the Jews lived.
By Moses - By Moses, as the servant of God. He was the great legislator of the Jews, by whom, under God, their polity was formed. The law worketh wrath Rom 4:15; it was attended with many burdensome rites and ceremonies Act 15:10; it was preparatory to another state of things. The gospel succeeded that and took its place, and thus showed the greatness of the gospel economy, as well as its grace and truth.
Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ - A system of religion full of favors, and the "true" system, was revealed by him. The old system was one of "law," and "shadows," and "burdensome rites;" "this" was full of mercy to mankind, and was true in all things. We may learn from these verses:
1. that all our mercies come from Jesus Christ.
2. "All true believers receive from Christ's fulness; the best and greatest saints cannot live without him, the meanest and weakest may live by him. This excludes proud boasting that we have nothing but 'we have received it,' and silenceth perplexing fears that we want nothing but 'we may receive it.'" |
| The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
grace
Grace. Summary:
(1) Grace is "the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man. . . Not by works of righteousness which we have done" (Tit 3:4); (Tit 3:5).
It is, therefore, constantly set in contrast to law, under which God demands righteousness from man, as, under grace, he gives righteousness to man (Rom 3:21); (Rom 3:22); (Rom 8:4); (Plm 3:9). Law is connected with Moses and works; grace with Christ and faith; (Joh 1:17); (Rom 10:4-10). Law blesses the good; grace saves the bad; (Exo 19:5); (Eph 2:1-9). Law demands that blessings be earned; grace is a free gift; (Deu 28:1-6); (Eph 2:8); (Rom 4:4); (Rom 4:5).
(2) As a dispensation, grace begins with the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom 3:24-26); (Rom 3:4); (Rom 3:24); (Rom 3:25). The point of testing is no longer legal obedience as the condition of salvation, but acceptance or rejection of Christ, with good works as a fruit of salvation, (Joh 1:12); (Joh 1:13); (Joh 3:36); (Mat 21:37); (Mat 22:24); (Joh 15:22); (Joh 15:25); (Heb 1:2); (Jo1 5:10-12). The immediate result of this testing was the rejection of Christ by the Jews, and His crucifixion by Jew and Gentile (Act 4:27). The predicted end of the testing of man under grace is the apostasy of the professing church:
(see "Apostasy"
(See Scofield) - (Ti2 3:1); (Ti2 3:1-8);
and the resultant apocalyptic judgments.
(3) Grace has a twofold manifestation: in salvation (Rom 3:24) and in the walk and service of the saved (Rom 6:15).
See, for the other six dispensations:
Innocence,
(See Scofield) - (Gen 1:28).
Conscience,
(See Scofield) - (Gen 3:23).
Human Government,
(See Scofield) - (Gen 8:21).
Promise,
(See Scofield) - (Gen 12:1).
Law,
(See Scofield) - (Exo 19:8).
Kingdom,
(See Scofield) - (Eph 1:10). |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
For (ὅτι)
Because. Giving the ground of the statement that Christians received new and richer gifts of grace: the ground being that the law of Moses was a limited and narrow enactment, while Jesus Christ imparted the fullness of grace and truth which was in Him (Joh 1:14). Compare Rom 4:15; Rom 10:4; Gal 3:10.
Was given (ἐδόθη)
A special gift serving a special and preparatory purpose with reference to the Gospel: the word being appropriate to "an external and positive institution."
By Moses (διά)
Literally, through. See on by Him, Joh 1:3.
Grace and truth came (ἐγένετο)
Came into being as the development of the divine plan inaugurated in the law, and unfolding the significance of the gift of the law. They came into being not absolutely, but in relation to mankind. Compare Co1 1:30, where it is said of Christ, He was made (properly, became, εγενήθη) unto us wisdom and righteousness, etc. Note the article with grace and truth; the grace and the truth; that which in the full sense is grace and truth. Grace occurs nowhere else in John, except in salutations (Jo2 1:3; Rev 1:4; Rev 22:21).
Jesus Christ
The Being who has been present in the Evangelist's mind from the opening of the Gospel is now first named. The two clauses, "the law was given," "grace and truth came," without the copula or qualifying particles, illustrate the parallelism which is characteristic of John's style (see on Joh 1:10). |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| The law - Working wrath and containing shadows: was given - No philosopher, poet, or orator, ever chose his words so accurately as St. John. The law, saith he, was given by Moses: grace was by Jesus Christ. Observe the reason for placing each word thus: The law of Moses was not his own. The grace of Christ was. His grace was opposite to the wrath, his truth to the shadowy ceremonies of the law. Jesus - St. John having once mentioned the incarnation Joh 1:14,) no more uses that name, the Word, in all his book. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
The law was given by Moses - Moses received the law from God, and through him it was given to the Jews, Act 7:38.
But grace and truth - Which he had already mentioned, and which were to be the subject of the book which he was now writing, came to all mankind through Jesus Christ, who is the mediator of the new covenant, as Moses was of the old: Heb 8:6; Heb 9:15; Gal 3:19. See a fine discourse on this text by Mr. Claude, "Essay on the Composition of a Sermon," vol. i. p. 119, etc. edit. Lond. 1788.
The law of Moses, however excellent in itself, was little in comparison of the Gospel: as it proceeded from the justice and holiness of God, and was intended to convict men of sin, that the way of the Gospel might be the better prepared, it was a law of rigour, condemnation, and death: Rom 4:15; Co2 3:7, Co2 3:8. It was a law of shadows, types, and figures: Heb 10:1, and incapable of expiating sin by its sacrifices: Rom 8:3; Heb 7:18, Heb 7:19; Heb 10:1, Heb 10:11. But Christ has brought that grace which is opposed to condemnation: Rom 5:15, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21; Rom 8:1; Gal 3:10; and he is himself the spirit and substance of all those shadows: Col 2:19; Heb 10:1.
Jesus Christ - Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, or anointed prophet, priest, and king, sent from heaven. To what has already been said on the important name Jesus, (See Mat 1:21 (note), and the places there referred to), I shall add the following explanation, chiefly taken from Professor Schultens, who has given a better view of the ideal meaning of the root ישע yasha, than any other divine or critic.
He observes that this root, in its true force, meaning, and majesty, both in Hebrew and Arabic, includes the ideas of amplitude, expansion, and space, and should be translated, he was spacious-open-ample; and, particularly, he possessed a spacious or extensive degree or rank: and is applied,
1. To a person possessing abundance of riches.
2. To one possessing abundant power.
3. To one possessing abundant or extensive knowledge.
4. To one possessing abundance of happiness, beatitude, and glory.
Hence we may learn the true meaning of Zac 9:9 : Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion - behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is Just, and having Salvation: - הושיע - he is possessed of all power to enrich, strengthen, teach, enlarge, and raise to glory and happiness, them who trust in him. Man by nature is in want and poverty: in abjectness and weakness: in darkness and ignorance: in straits and captivity: in wretchedness and infamy. His Redeemer is called ישועה Jesus - he who looses, enlarges, and endows with salvation.
1. He enriches man's poverty:
2. strengthens his weakness:
3. teaches his ignorance:
4. brings him out of straits and difficulties: and
5. raises him to happiness, beatitude, and glory.
And the aggregate of these is Salvation. Hence that saying, His name shall be called Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. See Schultens Origines Hebraeae, p. 15. |
17 Which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace.
10 Now therefore, why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
15 For the law worketh wrath. For where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
10 In the dispensation of the fulness of times, to re-establish all things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him.
8 And all the people answered together: All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do. And when Moses had related the people's words to the Lord,
1 And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and out of they father's house, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and said: I will no more curse the earth for the sake of man: for the imagination and thought of man's heart are prone to evil from his youth: therefore I will no more destroy every living soul as I have done.
23 And the Lord God sent him out of the paradise of pleasure, to till the earth from which he was taken.
28 And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.
15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus,
1 Know also this, that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times.
2 Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked,
3 Without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness,
4 Traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasures more than of God:
5 Having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Now these avoid.
6 For of these sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, who are led away with divers desires:
7 Ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
1 Know also this, that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times.
27 For of a truth there assembled together in this city against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel,
10 He that believeth in the Son of God, hath the testimony of God in himself. He that believeth not the Son, maketh him a liar: because he believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.
11 And this is the testimony, that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son, hath life. He that hath not the Son, hath not life.
2 In these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.
25 But that the word may be fulfilled which is written in their law: They hated me without cause.
22 If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
24 Saying: Master, Moses said: If a man die having no son, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up issue to his brother.
37 And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: They will reverence my son.
36 He that believeth in the Son, hath life everlasting; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
13 Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
12 But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.
25 Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the shewing of his justice, for the remission of former sins,
24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus,
4 But God is true; and every man a liar, as it is written, That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when thou art judged.
24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus,
25 Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the shewing of his justice, for the remission of former sins,
26 Through the forbearance of God, for the shewing of his justice in this time; that he himself may be just, and the justifier of him, who is of the faith of Jesus Christ.
5 But to him that worketh not, yet believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reputed to justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.
4 Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt.
8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God;
1 Now if thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God, to do and keep all his commandments, which I command thee this day, the Lord thy God will make thee higher than all the nations that are on the earth.
2 And all these blessings shall come upon thee and overtake thee: yet so if thou hear his precepts,
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the droves of thy herds, and the folds of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy barns and blessed thy stores.
6 Blessed shalt thou be coming in and going out.
1 And you, when you were dead in your offences, and sins,
2 Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of this air, of the spirit that now worketh on the children of unbelief:
3 In which also we all conversed in time past, in the desires of our flesh, fulfilling the will of the flesh and of our thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:
4 But God, (who is rich in mercy,) for his exceeding charity wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, (by whose grace you are saved,)
6 And hath raised us up together, and hath made us sit together in the heavenly places, through Christ Jesus.
7 That he might shew in the ages to come the abundant riches of his grace, in his bounty towards us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God;
9 Not of works, that no man may glory.
5 If therefore you will hear my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be my peculiar possession above all people: for all the earth is mine.
4 For the end of the law is Christ, unto justice to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses wrote, that the justice which is of the law, the man that shall do it, shall live by it.
6 But the justice which is of faith, speaketh thus: Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down;
7 Or who shall descend into the deep? that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.
8 But what saith the scripture? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart. This is the word of faith, which we preach.
9 For if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For, with the heart, we believe unto justice; but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.
17 For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
0 The commentary points to an invalid Bible reference.
4 That the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.
22 Even the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in him: for there is no distinction:
21 But now without the law the justice of God is made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
5 Not by the works of justice, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost;
4 But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior appeared:
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne,
3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus the Son of the Father; in truth and charity.
30 But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and justice, and sanctification, and redemption:
3 All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law, are under a curse. For it is written: Cursed is every one, that abideth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them.
4 For the end of the law is Christ, unto justice to every one that believeth.
15 For the law worketh wrath. For where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: BEHOLD THY KING will come to thee, the just and saviour: he is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
21 And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS. For he shall save his people from their sins.
1 For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things; by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect:
19 And not holding the head, from which the whole body, by joints and bands, being supplied with nourishment and compacted, groweth unto the increase of God.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law, are under a curse. For it is written: Cursed is every one, that abideth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them.
1 THERE is now therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh.
21 That as sin hath reigned to death; so also grace might reign by justice unto life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
20 Now the law entered in, that sin might abound. And where sin abounded, grace did more abound.
15 But not as the offence, so also the gift. For if by the offence of one, many died; much more the grace of God, and the gift, by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
11 And every priest indeed standeth daily ministering, and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
1 For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things; by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect:
19 (For the law brought nothing to perfection,) but a bringing in of a better hope, by which we draw nigh to God.
18 There is indeed a setting aside of the former commandment, because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof:
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh; God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh and of sin, hath condemned sin in the flesh;
1 For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things; by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather in glory?
7 Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious; so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which is made void:
15 For the law worketh wrath. For where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
19 Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
15 And therefore he is the mediator of the new testament: that by means of his death, for the redemption of those trangressions, which were under the former testament, they that are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
6 But now he hath obtained a better ministry, by how much also he is a mediator of a better testament, which is established on better promises.
38 This is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on mount Sina, and with our fathers; who received the words of life to give unto us.